29 June 2008

Welcome to Shift the Tide

Have you ever felt crippled by the realization that you are just one person standing before a daunting problem? I have. It seems like the daily news is filled with tales of devastation: hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, wildfires, melting ice caps, rising sea levels, pollution. It can be extremely frustrating and downright unnerving.

The purpose of Shift the Tide is to bring an end to this sentiment of frustration. When we join together we lose the feeling of helplessness and gain the ability to create great change. In the coming weeks, months, and what I hope will be years this site will connect you with news, avenues for action, and ways to make small changes in your daily routine that can help our environment. We will keep you abreast of the latest petitions to your government officials, let you know when climate change victories have been won and when setbacks have been encountered, introduce you to other groups and websites, and establish a handbook of sorts for living in an eco-friendly manner.

Shift the Tide is a nonpartisan open arena for discussion and dissemination of ideas. This is a network for the Average Joe and Jane. This is a call to the young, the not-so-young-anymore, the experienced activist and the first-time reusable grocery bag user. It is time to stop debating the issue of climate change as a political agenda item and start taking action. No matter which point on the political spectrum you call your own and whether or not you feel that climate change is an urgent matter that we as humans have caused and can stop, working to improve our environment is not detrimental to anyone’s welfare.

Small changes can make a great and positive impact on our environment, so why shouldn’t we incorporate them into our daily lives? Whether you’re a tree-loving environmentalist who signs every clean energy petition or a climate change skeptic who is uncertain of the role we humans play in this global trend, it pays (often literally) to be nice to the world we all share. We are all connected and we must start acting like it.

Welcome to Shift the Tide, now let's start making waves.