Another Earth Day come and gone, marked this year by 175 countries officially signing on to the Paris climate change agreement. For me, Earth Day is an annual reminder of the never-ending nature of the David and Goliath battle conservationists engage in. As long as there is profit to be made from exploiting natural resources, as long as consumers continue to demand more, newer, and bigger ____ (fill in the blank – houses, smart phones, meals, cars, toys, etc.), the degradation of our planet’s ecosystems – our living environment – will continue as well. And so must our efforts to achieve a sustainable balance between human needs, human desires, and our small blue-green world.
This is the mission and work of the Sierra Club. In the years that I have been associated in various ways with the Lone Star Chapter, I have been inspired and even awestruck by the dedication and determination of the volunteers and staff who do this work, who “fight the good fight,” and who reach out to Texans with the information and tools to stand up to the Goliaths out to harm our home. And they do all this while also having to find the funding and resources to continue doing so.
Next time you get yet another fundraising request from the Sierra Club, after thinking, “They’re asking again? I just donated last ____ (fill in the blank – month, year, few years?)” perhaps you will remember a new environmental problem or victory you heard about since then. Let Earth Day, or any day, remind you that the challenges and the work are still there, and maybe you can find a way to pitch in again, to give another gift of money and/or time, to get involved a little more. Together, we will continue.
Margot Clarke
Margot Clarke is the former Chair of the Sierra Club's Lone Star Chapter Executive Committee.