Dear Dr. Conservation...

I consider myself to be someone who is concerned about the world: a concerned citizen. Included in that is the deep concern I have for nature and the quality of “our” environment. But I have to say, this is a difficult attitude to have. I mean, almost every day I see problems and damage to the earth. It’s hard to maintain hope. What would you say is going to be the outcome of our environmental situation?

Sincere, but worried, Wayne

Dear Wayne,

The first thing I would say is that you are not alone. Rest assured that there are a lot of concerned people out there and many of them, like you, are members of conservation organizations working on the issues. Secondly, I would encourage you to continue to be involved in conservation, but not to let it personally burden you. Thirdly, please continue to act singly and in concert with others to protect the environment that we all need and love. Every day, every one of us can make some contribution, some difference. There are many ways to contribute and not all have to be large, either.
Years ago, visionary R. Buckminster Fuller talked about “spaceship earth” as a way of expressing both the fragile and intricate nature of our planet. The concept was further refined to include all the aspects of the environment as the nuts and bolts, and with us humans as the crew. This metaphor is still effective today, and so long as the crew continues working day to day to improve our maintenance of all the nuts, bolts, other hardware and systems, I have faith the we’ll come out all right.

Please read through this issue of Conserve for examples of improvements and positive steps being taken for the environment. There is a wide range of accomplishments, and some might not be obvious to you. Thanks for your support. You are making a difference.

Sincerely,
Dr. Conservation

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