Sure is good to be home in Durango after a five-week bike and drive trip in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Spain. One of the virtues of off-the-beaten-path travel is that one learns so much.
I am one of many who have chosen to stand up for obtaining climate change legislation, the urgency of which was greatly reinforced by this trip. It was made clearer to me that the underlying cause of global warming is overpopulation and public ambivalence along with corporate and private greed.
Some of the places we visited had changed remarkably since I saw them years ago – much more crowded, much more polluted and a much greater disparity between the chosen and the left behind.
These are all global issues, but the solution starts with us as individuals. We can’t hide behind the political, religious or philosophic positions that inundate us in the media, no; we must each get involved to turn this around. We must insist that governments take steps to rapidly stop population growth, mostly through education. We must rapidly put a significant price on carbon and we must reject the self interests of cynics and disingenuous actors who are controlling the conversation.
Please don’t be fooled into silence. Take action before it is too late! Strive to stop population growth, overconsumption and carbon reduction to create a livable planet for everyone. Future generations are counting on you to act now!
Nicolaas van Vonno
Durango
