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Steering In The Right Direction

September 20, 2009 @ 17:04 By Gavin Webber 5 Comments

After a week of pondering on my last two posts and reflecting upon all the comments, I am back with a more positive frame of mind.  I knew that others felt like I did, but I was amazed at how many, and didn’t mean to bring you all down.  However, it was one comment that really resonated with me that was written by Chris from Bushland Project, on the post Cognitive Dissonance, who rightly pointed out that it is better to be at the helm of the Titanic and help steer it away from danger, rather than be paralysed with fear, and give up all hope and smack into the iceberg.  Her comment was a kind of wake up call for me, and I thank her, because I even managed to paralyse myself with my own words hence the lack of posts last week.  The last few posts had been gloomy, and for that I apologise.  I could make some crappy excuses that I have been in a lot of pain, and the pain relief has been doing weird things to my head, but I won’t (even though I was).  Doom and gloom never inspired any individual to change the world for the better. 

It is only in positive deeds and actions that we will see the change towards a sustainable future, and whether governments and corporations want to join us on our journey, well, all the better.  After all, both these institutions are made up of people who also want a better world for their kids.  You know, I really should take my own advice.  That is exactly what this blog and my own journey is about;

An Ordinary Australian Man Who Has A Green Epiphany Whilst Watching A Documentary, Gets a Hybrid Car, Plants A Large Organic Vegetable Garden, Goes Totally Solar, Lowers Consumption, Feeds Composts Bins and Worms, Harvests Rainwater. All In The Effort To Reduce Our Family’s Carbon Footprint So We Can Start Making A Difference For Our Children & Future Generations To Come.

Just look at the bold text as it was staring me in the face all along.  Of late, I have had a temporary lapse in judgement and maybe have been a negative influence.  This blog was not started to induced fear into peoples minds.  It was and will continue to set an example of what can and has be done on a limited budget so we can make a difference for our children’s and future generations to come.  It was and still is built to show that with many little baby steps, a lot can be achieved towards combating climate change and to prepare for peak everything by a determined person.   We can all make the small changes as my family and I have if you choose to.  The choice is yours alone.

We can let our elected officials know what we think about their uninspiring policies and proposals.  In 1936, Franklin D. Roosevelt said that, “A government can be no better than the public opinion which sustains it”. I agree and believe this to be true, so our only option is to change our opinion, moving towards the sustainable, and it is, albeit slowly.  We have made so much amazing progress, but we need to force the issue even harder.  Please join me in this effort whenever or wherever you can.

We definitely can show corporations that we will no longer put up with their unsustainable antics.  This possible with the colour of our money by consciously choosing what we consume stuff.  It is our choice alone, and after all, it seems of late, that money is the only thing that has the power to make change, either negatively or positively.  This quote hits the nail on the head squarely;

An ethical person ought to do more than he’s required to do and less than he’s allowed to do. – Michael Josephson.

So, from now on, I promise a lot less doom and gloom unless I really need to vent badly (but I will warn you in advance that the post will be a rant), and focus on more educational posts about what we can all do to reduce our impact on the planet, keeping it habitable for our descendants and all species, and of course continue with the quirky and sometimes humorous adventures of the Greening of Gavin (and family)!

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Filed Under: Change, Gavin, Path to Freedom

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About Gavin Webber

Gavin Webber's daily goal is to live a more sustainable lifestyle, in an effort to reduce his family's environmental footprint so we can all make a difference for our children & future generations to come.

Learn more about him here and connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

Comments

  1. greenfumb says

    September 20, 2009 at 19:56

    You’ve inspired me Gavin, don’t be hard on yourself, everyone gets downhearted sometimes. I was paralysed by my inability to convince my children to join me but I decided to just keep chipping away in the hope that something will stick.

    Sometimes when I buy things that are not local or not strictly necessary I wonder what you (and other inspirational bloggers) would say if you knew.

    Reply
  2. dixiebelle says

    September 20, 2009 at 20:02

    I must say, I did feel a bit out of sorts after reading that post. I though it over a bit, then decided I needed to put it out of my mind and refocus on where I am now!

    I have been where you were (though not the pain or drugs!!) and I have worked hard to convince myself that what I am doing is right… I’ve worked through the cognitive dissonance and come up with a plan I am happy with, that is working for us. I can’t do everything, but I can be happy with our choices and positive impact, rather than feeling eco-guilt and getting overwhelmed.

    I am glad you’ve sorted it out for yourself too (and I hope you are physically healthier soon too). But remember, it’s human nature to go through these cycles… sometimes we do need to get the ‘blues’ a bit, as you can come out the other side renewed and feeling much more focused and positive. So, go to it… get back behind the helm, and others will join in with you on the journey!

    Reply
  3. Stella says

    September 20, 2009 at 22:51

    Well now that we have all got that out of our system, let’s keep moving forwards positively.

    Reply
  4. Chris says

    September 21, 2009 at 10:38

    You have a big heart and it shows. 🙂

    That’s why you care so much about what you believe in.

    Reply
  5. daharja says

    September 22, 2009 at 09:43

    Everyone has rough patches, Gavin. Don’t be too tough on yourself.

    We’ll keep reading, just keep on “greening” and helping us to do the same. That’s what community is all about, after all!

    Reply

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About Gavin Webber

About Gavin Webber

An Ordinary Australian Man Who Has A Green Epiphany Whilst Watching A Documentary, Gets a Hybrid Car, Plants A Large Organic Vegetable Garden, Goes Totally Solar, Lowers Consumption, Feeds Composts Bins and Worms, Harvests Rainwater, Raises Chickens, Makes Cheese and Soap, and Eats Locally. All In The Effort To Reduce Our Family's Carbon Footprint So We Can Start Making A Difference For Our Children & Future Generations To Come.

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