We are now facing a pivotal point in the direction we must take to deal with our changing climate. The decisions we make from here on will determine our future as inhabitants of this planet Earth. Huge changes will be needed in our way of thinking and lifestyle. The crux of the problem is whether or not we have the courage to make the required changes and if so is there enough time to figure out what we need to do? These are ominous questions that most of us don’t even want to think about let alone do anything about.

Unfortunately, most of us are living with the hope that some miracle will happen. This is great if one believes in miracles but we will have to somehow create those miracles. We can’t idly stand by and do nothing. If we don’t believe in hope and miracles as a solution for dealing with climate change, then why not take the time we have left and make the most of it? Why not live life each day as though it’s our last! I don’t know about you dear reader, but I find that difficult to do. How can I close my eyes and ears to what is happening in our world knowing we humans are the cause of our numerous problems which includes climate change. Should we not take on the responsibility for at least trying to correct some of the wrongs we have made?

The greatest concern facing me as I write about climate change is to figure out how I can live a satisfying life for as long as I am on this planet and at the same time do things that will benefit it? I have concluded that writing blog posts on the subject isn’t enough. It’s time for me to think seriously about what I can change in my life today that will benefit the world. This is the most difficult part because it will require a significant change in my thinking and actions. Sacrifices will have to be made. What will they be and how far can I take them?

I have been concerned about our changing climate for years. It all began while living in Oakville, a lovely town on the outskirts of Toronto on Lake Ontario. Every summer we would be faced with a heat wave lasting for a few weeks which would sap our energy and bombard us with a stench emanating from the sewage leaking into the lake. Consequently, several years later after moving to the small village of Victoria Beach in Nova Scotia, I was confronted with huge logging trucks that would come barrelling down our narrow road on their way to the mills where their logs were milled for paper and firewood to be shipped over to Europe as a source of heat for their furnaces. One day I decided to go up to the mountain where the trucks were coming from and was shocked to see the devastation the loggers left behind. It literally looked like a war zone. I immediately sent a letter to our provincial Minister of Forestry only to receive a reply stating what a great job he and his department were doing by developing this source of fuel as a way to heat homes in the European market.

It was around this time while I was searching for a way to make some money so I could travel to far-off places in my retirement days. At that time, my husband and I decided to spend part of our winter in Thailand. We did this trip in 2008 and I was totally besotted with the beauty and the culture of this part of our world vowing to return again….and again! By 2012 after visiting other SE Asian countries such as Laos, Cambodia, and Viet Nam, the piles of garbage and the quality of the air were much more visible than anything I had ever experienced in Canada. Since most of my time has been spent in Chiang Mai, I have written numerous posts on the subject of climate change precipitated by the quality of their air which seems to worsen every year. Below are some of them if you want to read more about what I have witnessed over the years.

Waking Up to the Effects of Climate Change

A Parade for the Pollution Problem in Chiang Mai

My concern for the effects of climate change isn’t limited to what I’ve witnessed in Chiang Mai. I had a taste of it while visiting Luang Prabang in Laos and on my visits to Cambodia. While in Laos I experienced a cold spell which took me completely by surprise. The temperature fell down to almost freezing. At night I had to sleep with all the clothes I had taken with me to keep warm. During the day I would go to the spas for a hot steam bath. Little did I know that such temperatures were becoming more common in this country where it’s usually hot and humid.

As for Cambodia, I wasn’t surprised to discover that their main concern is for the rising level of their water sources. In the northern part of the country, they have the enormous Tonlee Sap (one of the world’s largest lakes) where the livelihood of the fishermen is being devastated by the rising water levels. Granted the blame can be put upon China for using Cambodia’s river and lake system as a cheap source for their electrical needs. However, much can be blamed on the war and the attempted genocide of their population during the Vietnam War which caused a massive loss of not just their people but also their forests. Messing with Mother Nature has taken its toll in Cambodia and will continue to do so unless there is a change in how the country is governed.

If we take the time to go back into the history of Cambodia, we will discover that the once flourishing Angkor civilization was wiped out by flooding and a money system constructed by the people that impoverished their livelihoods and contributed to their demise. I would suggest that the ‘powers that be’ in Cambodia take a look at their history, learn from it, and not repeat it.

I don’t think I would be far off from the truth of why our world is in such a mess and how important it is for us to accept responsibility for this by admitting that we have made mistakes that we should at least try to rectify. Just think of the outcome if we could all pull together and put our concern for climate change at the top of our list of things we need to change. However, how is it possible to do something as radical as this? I believe that we could but….yes, there is that ‘but’, we need to start with ourselves and ask”What can I do that will be of some benefit”? The key is to start small. For example, I can go so far as to wash out plastice bags and containers to use for future use instead of buying cheap ones at the dollar store. I always carry a small cloth bag with me which I will haul out at the grocery store for my food items. It takes some time and organizing but in the long run it’s worth it.

These little things can take time, I agree. And since time is a commodity we never seem to have enough of all I can say is to do as much as you can. Some days you will be more willing than others. It’s really all about changing our mindset. Positive actions and thoughts will never be a waste of time. Everything in our lives is energy so why not try to keep that energy on a positive track and spread it around to the people and the environment around you? How is that going to help us deal with our changing climate you may ask? Simply keeping the chemicals in plastics out of our water, soil and air is a first step for the environment. For those people we come in contact with, a smile can work wonders.

We must begin with ourselves no matter how trivial or inconsequential our actions may seem. I would suggest that this is where we need to take some time to go back into our own history and start there. The best way to do that is to each and every day find at least one thing we have in our life to be thankful for. The more things we can think of the better. When things go wrong we don’t panic or give up, but get back up and try again. If we go back to the history books and learn about those who made a difference in the world for the better, we find that this is how they accomplished what they were destined to do. It’s the best advice we could ever get. There is absolutely no benefit to simply blaming and complaining about the things we don’t like. I have been learning this valuable lesson over the years and am still learning it. It’s a never-ending process. I am the first to admit that learning how to control my overactive mind is one of the most difficult things to do but the most necessary. We must acknowledge that fear is our enemy because if we don’t it can kill us.

On that note, I am going to leave you with this beautiful quotation: “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.” Anon.

Here is another one that hit home for me: “You can change everything from within yourself no matter how chaotic the world around.“