Jack’s Winning Words 4/22/08
“Our beautiful world is facing many crises. It’s not a time to pretend everything’s good.” (Dalai Lama) On Sunday afternoon I saw and heard the Dalai Lama give a lecture at the University of Michigan on “saving the environment.” He spoke of the need for all of us, across the world, to work together on this project. We can’t go on ignoring that which is happening around us. When Ben was a little boy, a flight attendant asked him where he was from. His serious reply was: “Planet Earth.” He had it right. ;-) Jack

FROM R.I. IN BOSTON: Every day there are so many simple ways by which each of us can contribute to saving Planet Earth. If only we could get everyone to make a serious commitment to participate. By dealing with it now we may at least be able to maintain the status quo. As we begin to lose more species and natural resources, the spiral downward just accelerates, and it won't be a comfortable ride.

FROM SDG IN TAMPA: The quote in the Tampa Tribune today about the Dalai Lama with the headline "Lighten Up. People" is "Many sufferings are the result of cherishing one's own self-interest. You must cherish others in the same way you cherish your own body." My own experience on Earth Day was when Les and I happened to fly up to Washington D.C. the day after Earth Day had been celebrated on the Mall, and I had never seen so much trash strewn over a single location in my life. That must have been sometime in the 80's.

FROM G.G. IN INDY: from the mouths of babes ......"For the Beauty of the Earth, for the Beauty of the Skies"

FROM GOOD DEBT JON: “How easily we could reform a nation, if everyone would see to his own reformation.” Samuel Smiles circa 1859 If everyone would sweep the street in front of their home soon the entire nation would be clean. It takes individual(s) action to make progress on reformation. If reformation comes it must come by innovation (new fuels and systems) and change of individual actions. Not by preaching and taxation and regulation. Idiotic ideas like banning .39 cent light bulbs for $4 mercury-laden so-called compact fluorescent bulbs is nothing more than a tax on the poor as are increased calls for ethanol dramatically increasing food prices for all of us. Both the bulb ban and the ethanol push have the unintended consequences of increasing exactly what the propose to solve.

FROM MOLINER, LFP: How cool you got to hear the Dalai Lama!

FROM J.L. IN MICHIGAN: A group of young boys practice their skateboarding in our cul-de-sac. They leave their water bottles, chip bags etc., on our lawns. I approached one of them one day and was talking to him. They are actually all nice guys. I asked them about leaving their trash around, and they apologized, and so far so good. But one of their comments really struck me. He said, "The planet's doomed anyway...that's all we hear on the news!" And they all agreed....why should they bother...they were doomed! THEY are the next generation!!!! The news is we are doomed, from "toxic waste", "global warming", "pollution", "glacial melting", "holes in the Ozone", "acid rain", etc etc etc. We should research the different scientists...not the "forecasters of doom" or the sensationalists. Yes, I believe we should respect, take care of and be smart about our planet as it is the only one we have....but we have to keep it in perspective and be intelligent not hysterical!

FROM J.O. IN MICHIGAN: These "words" just mess me up because they take my head out of my daily routine (that's not a bad thing) and reinforce the notion that there's more to life than simply survival. That is so good for me...

FROM A.S. IN MICHIGAN: Claudia,Tim ,Lisa and the kids were there also.They were happy for having the opportunity to see and hear him!