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I’ll readily admit that I am not normal; I enjoy doing homework. As I write this, I am preparing for a cruising journey down the historic Hudson River. With all the other preparations required, I read with great interest a wonderful book by Frances F. Dunwell entitled The Hudson – America’s River. Among the many descriptions she’s bestowed upon the river, my favorite is “a sacred river”. She makes a convincing claim that throughout history “the Hudson River has retained its power to inspire.” Ms. Dunwell chronicles the extraordinary efforts made by individuals to save the river in all aspects from the destruction caused by post-World War II industrialization and lax or non-existent environmental laws and regulations. And, she also skillfully presents a horrid glimpse of where this mighty river would be today with the loss of its beauty and vitality if these efforts had not been exerted. It is this insight that most struck me – “individuals moved by an inner passion have made the difference between one future and another.” These efforts, traced to “transformative leaders who tipped the scales” were heroic. These leaders were often not in official government positions, and, in fact, founded and organized citizen groups. People with a shared vision, concern and passion for conservancy, beauty, healthfulness and vitality of a river and its valley that meant so much to them. She points out that these efforts succeeded at times despite those in the so-called leadership positions of our governments. These efforts at the time inspired movements in conservancy, environmentalism, preservation and philanthropy beyond what had ever been achieved. We are the beneficiaries of these efforts, and I am excited to have the opportunity to cruise down the sacred Hudson River this summer and bear witness to its scenic beauty. I came to understand that this singular focus had much to do with the relationship these people had with the river, its valleys and its surrounding mountains and the passion that derived from those relationships. They were able to give of their time, energy and commitments because they could touch and feel the river and see first hand what was happening to it. They could smell it. Today, we face a much larger environmental crisis. What we have learned from the Hudson River reclamation during three generations is that we cannot sit back and wait for bureaucrats to solve it for us, some of whom blindly dispute that a crisis even exists. Reflecting on the Hudson River inspiration, we learned that it takes passionate, committed people, singularly focused with a “failure is not an option” attitude to right the wrongs that have been committed for so long. It’s daunting to think about what difference one person can make with a crisis so pervasive. So, what do we do, where do we start? Is it too late? What I learned from Ms. Dunwell is to dig in where you have a personal connection, where you can be passionate and committed, where your efforts can flow. It won’t be the same for everyone. And, that’s the beauty of it. Most humans have not been to the polar caps to witness the ice melting. But climate change affects everything. Is it a beach, a community, a mountain, a lake, the oceans, or a river? Is it water supply, gardening, forestry, ranching or farming? Is it skiing, boating, or hiking? The objective here is to find a place where you are passionate, where you can make a difference, engage like-minded individuals and work it. Only then will we be able to counter and overcome the fatigue, doubts, obstacles, hurdles and setbacks that we’ll assuredly meet. Like the Hudson River, it will take concerted effort over generations to reverse the path we are on. We don’t have time to worry about coordinating these efforts with those of others in areas outside of our own interests. Someone once referred to this as a “thousand points of light.” Over time, these beams of light will merge and I just pray that it’s in time. We cannot let the doubters and nay-sayers steal our resolve and passion as we find our light and fight for it. |