Prayer
I am one with my father and the universe. I am one with mother earth. I am one with everyone within the reach of my voice. And, in this togetherness, we ask the divine intelligence to eradicate all negatives from our hearts, from our minds, from our words, and from our actions. And, so be it.
- Babatunde Olatunji
Found here
Knowledge
“Our Elders hunted lions to protect our herds. Today, we are hunting for something else, plastic. It doesn’t roar, but it’s killing our way of life.” — Ipato Kenta, Founder of Tembea Make an Impact
This morning, I read this article, The New Lion We Fight, and changed my plan for this week’s YLBG. Often we think of plastic pollution in the waterways and oceans. We think of it in our urban centers. I have never once considered how plastic pollution might be affecting the rural Maasai people in Kenya, or any indigenous peoples, for that matter. Ipato Kenta is a Maasai woman who is fighting the plastic that is killing her land, her cattle and her people’s way of life. To do it, she must, as we must, change the thinking of those around her and help all to realize the immensity of the plastic problem. I encourage you to read about this incredible woman and her organization. Take motivation that people all over the planet are working on the problem of plastic pollution. As Dorothy said, “Together we can make a difference.”
“This is not just environmental degradation. It’s cultural erosion. It’s a spiritual crisis.” - Ipato Kenta
Action
I have published often the actions we can take to reduce our plastic use, especially single-use plastic. The continuing actions we take - every one of them - makes a difference. But we must also start talking about it. Continuing to learn about a problem should motivate us to seek resolution - or we might as well not learn at all. Engage in advocacy with the stores at which you shop, as well as with family, friends, church folks, etc… In order to be the change you wish to see in the world, you might have to become that weird person who always talks about plastic.