Sustainability, climate change, and gardening

I had a lovely visit with a wise and well-read friend today.  We talked about a lot of things.

But, most telling, she asked me about how we approached the impact of our travel on climate change.  Her daughter, equally an environmentalist, I think, is concerned about whether our choices as travelers contribute one way or another to any systemic change.

This is a challenge, as every time we get on a plane, we contribute to vast amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere.  Yes, we can do carbon offsets, but is that really enough?

I went into a long explanation about how I've been a lifelong enviromentalist, conscious of trying to live lightly on the earth, not having children, taught so many children and adults about the natural world, yada yada.   But the conversation still has me thinking.

the pocket meadow yesterday

How do we bring this forward in our national and international conversation in a time when our U.S. government has on blinders?  I don't know.

I'm thinking that all I can do is help restore the habitat and land in property that we own and teach people about how to restore theirs, I think, in classes and programs. That's what I've done my entire career.

Gardening can be excellent stewardship;  we've done it now in three places, now starting on a fourth in the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec. And I can continue to encourage stewardship in other special places, too, whether they're special properties up for consideration as land trusts, or encouraging folks to plant more natives in their gardens.