We are so often told that the start of a new year is the perfect time to make a change, be who you want to be, leave your bad habits behind. Yet, how many of us actually carry these self-set goals to the finish line? Most of us will last a month, maybe two, or even three before we slowly slide back into our usual comfortable ways of cutting corners. That is why I want to challenge you (and me) this year not to set a new year’s resolution- but to simply make a choice to live every day like it is the first day of the year.
This, for me, means taking steps to accomplish what I want more than anything this year- to live a more conscience life with the intent of a greener (and blue-er!) future for our planet. I spent far too many days in 2015 depressed over hopeless statistics of massive animal strandings, predictions of trash outnumbering fish in our oceans, and massive coral bleaching events. Nothing seems simple anymore. From choices as common as what to buy at the grocery store to what news articles to read, issues of sustainability are forever encompassing our lives. The right choices are out there but the difficulty for most of us is finding the time to decipher them. Sadly, the environment doesn’t have much time left to wait for us to figure it out as we drastically crash into what scientists are calling the “Anthropocene Era”. All while the impending 2016 U.S. presidential election doesn’t offer much comfort for our concerns..
However, I am not willing to lose hope just yet. There is a positive, and ironic, side to this dark tinted future- us! Through my travels and studies over the years I have had the absolute pleasure of meeting and working alongside outstandingly brilliant, inspiring people from around the world. These people remind me that there is so much knowledge and drive within our generation just waiting to be unleashed. That is why Yanni and I have decided to start this blog. It is time for us to start channeling our studies, passions and time on social media in a positive way. Over the next year we will be sharing with you topics on marine and environmental news, glimpses into our own Master’s research, and sustainable lifestyle choices that you can (and should) employ in your everyday life. Spanning the globe from Alaska to Australia (and even links from Florida to Dubai) we hope to provide a universal approach to conservation that people from all areas can relate to.
Now that you know a bit more about our mission, I want to share with you a great video to start off our conservation craze. Although incredibly short and simple, this video reminds us of how important our everyday decisions are to the world and what actually happens as repercussions to those choices.
I hope that you will leave this article with a new outlook on the rest of your day, and hopefully a bit more. I challenge you to make a choice today for sustainability. Whether it is bringing your own reusable cup to the coffee shop or buying a reusable bag in the grocery store, every little bit counts. As Sylvia Earle says, “without blue there is no green” and wihout green there is nothing. This is our Earth- so how do you want to leave it?
I hope you enjoy! Xx
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The Caguama Chronicles 