How to change the world? “We all want to make the world a better place, yet many times we give up because it seems so overwhelming.” “When we have changed ourselves, we have changed the world!” “When we live responsibly, we train our children to live responsibly. We show our friends how much we really care.”
Home Download A secure future Low energy cooking Measuring success Change begins at home Further reading	Change begins at home! Climate change and the crowded world today call for less consumption, for simpler ways to live and be happy. Your and my part is to be creative and find out how to do this. Every resource makes an impact on climate and on human life, wildlife and planetary health, so every bit saved counts.  Less consumption means less impact. My share of the world’s problem is directly reduced.  Less consumption by me also means less consumption by others through the multiplier effect because each of us is an example for our children, family, friends and others who want to live like us. When we live responsibly, we train our children to live responsibly, and vice versa. We show our friends how much we really care.  The total resources available from the earth’s ecosystems together with population size set the limit to how much people can consume year after year in the long run, i.e. sustainably. Fairness dictates reasonably equal sharing of the consumption. You and I are already way over our fair share. So we must consume less. Conversely, if we increase our consumption, others will follow along with us, and the whole world will escalate upward in competitive consumption (until all the resources are exhausted and society collapses!). Thus, the most important thing we can do is to change ourselves and then be a positive example whom others can learn from and follow. Putting it another way, if we do not take responsibility for changing ourselves, who will change us? Are we going to wait for taxes and regulations and higher prices to force us to change reluctantly, or are we going to do it voluntarily, with a sense of purpose, pride and joy? We all want to make the world a better place, yet many times we give up because it seems so overwhelming. Then it is good to remember that we do not have to change the whole world, it is enough if we change our own behaviour. When we have changed ourselves, in fact the world is changed, and we can feel satisfied and go on with helping others. Yes, we can change the world, if we are willing to change ourselves! Where do you want to start? The choice is yours. Good luck! Copyright 2011 Archie Duncanson, Ornstigen 9, 183 50 Taby, Sweden.