We need to change how we live. We need to do this for future generations, biodiversity and our own physical and mental health. We especially need this now while the federal government is supporting environmental degradation. People are resistant to change. They say it is inconvenient, that they have always done things a certain way and that one household doesn’t make a difference. Don’t believe the excuses. Motivational interviewing theory states that establishing a new pattern takes about 10 weeks. Persist.

Let’s start with those households running watering systems in this dry time. Please stop. We share an aquifer. Using more than your share is wrong.

Can we speak to those with idling cars? A reported 300,000 people die prematurely in this country from air pollution each year. Do they think that their perfect temperature is more important than a child’s struggle to breathe?

The media pushes us to consume nonstop. Things that end up in landfills while wasting finite resources are not going to improve your life. “Simplify, simplify, simplify” is a quote from Henry David Thoreau. Can we try it?

Some spread or spray questionable chemicals in an attempt to create a certain kind of beauty or comfort. And no, if the EPA has approved it, that does not mean it is safe. We share the water, air and land. Can we respect these gifts without poisoning them?

Many of us bring our own grocery bags or compost or carpool. It is a small start. While it is true that one household cannot change the world, it is what millions can accomplish together that will. What we use for transportation, how we heat, cool and insulate our buildings and what we teach our children about how to live can make a difference.

We already live in a warming, polluted and increasingly dangerous world. Government, science and technology can contribute but will not solve the problem of the misuse of our resources. It is people who must demand a livable planet and learn to live in ways that contribute to that goal.

Resources are available at Hopgreen.org.

— Carol Esler, Hopkinton

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