I just participated in ASU's Sustainable Summit held in Washington DC, via the web, hosted by Aaron Brown.
I was struck with a sense of urgency as I listened to the panel members talk about how we get to sustainability and how soon.
Sweden has set a goal as a country to be free of fossil fuel use by 2050 and in this summit it was reported that Sweden is 20 years ahead of their goal. They will be free by 2030.
It is time for all of us, no matter what our occupation, our economic status, what influence we think we may or may not have is, to contribute to becoming fossil free as soon as possible. This is something that everyone can do.
I returned from a certification workshop in California yesterday and during my six hour drive home, I pondered on the amount of fuel I was consuming by myself. I determined then to be more cautious as I use fuel, and started thinking what I can do right now to stop using fossil fuels.
My son plays on a Club soccer team and they practice three nights a week, with a game every weekend. His practices are about three miles away, so we get on our tandem bike and go to practice, instead of driving there. This is providing me with a great opportunity to exercise and even better yet and great opportunity to have some one on one time with my son. I am a great listener as we bike to and from practice.
A good friend of mine who is an attorney by profession, bikes to and from work everyday. He lives in Mesa and works in Scottsdale. I see him every Sunday with his four young children biking to church. ASU is in the process of creating a more friendly environment for bikes to and from campus. I think the next time my wife asks me to go to the store for some groceries, I will bike there instead of driving.
Sustainability in our workplace, home, play needs to occur, but not when we get around to it, it needs to occur now. We can all start with ourselves and do something about the lack of sustainability in our community.