Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Our Green Future, Hopes and Dreams

A new dawn has broken upon our great nation today! Such hopeful and inspiring words were spoken by Barack Obama to so many across the world.

We are stunned, joyful and emboldened to step forwards.  We dare to dream better things are possible for our people, nation and great land. 

We know not where tomorrow will take us.  We do know our future is brighter than yesterday and likely even brighter the day after tomorrow.    We can dare again as a nation to strive for greatness  and renew our drive to leadership in quiet ways in our communities and vigorously nationally and internationally.  

We are ready.  We are ready.  We are ready as a people to begin the hard work of finding our way again with a spirit of renewal of core values such as responsibility, honesty and integrity.  Dedicated and focused actions taken together will begin the slow turnaround.  The darkness will lift slowly at first with the light of this new dawn, only to quicken, fueled by the enterprise and spirt of our people striving for change.  

We have the knowledge, skills and experience in green and sustainable thinking to improve our homes, schools, cities and our businesses.  We can build upon the good work of the last generation to create a better future for our children and our children's children.  And, as others have already begun to mention like Van Jones, these efforts can help bring all of us along to a better place, not just the wealthy and the well-educated.  The more across our great nation whom can join in, grabbing caulking guns to weatherize buildings, install more efficient lighting, building more energy efficient buildings, better and smarter transportation options, smaller scale local agriculture, reduce water usage we can make a large difference.  

While at first it may seem impossible and unlikely to succeed, by a concerted national effort over the next many years to change our behavior,  to change how we make our choices and reset our expectations of wealth and prosperity, we can make a lasting sustaining difference.  

Happy Inauguration everyone!