connect2earth with Missy Higgins

The Australian singer-songwriter whose critically lauded debut “The Sound of White” was Australia’s best-selling album of 2005.

www.missyhiggins.com

"I remember my school teacher in grade 3 used to put little signs over the light switches in the classroom that said “please remember to turn me off when you leave the room”. That little reminder was so simple but so effective to us kids that I still do it to this day without thinking. Our teacher had an honest respect for the planet and a passion for passing that down to the younger generation... there’s definitely a lot of power in that.

Like everyone, though, I still catch myself forgetting to respect the Earth. I forget that the very core of what we stand on was here millions of years before us and will be here for millions of years after. It was healthy before we came along and now it isn’t… Therein lies our responsibility.

A couple of years ago I decided to take a good hard look at my life and decide what I could do to lessen my impact on the environment. As someone who makes their career out of traveling (touring) I can tell you it’s not easy! But I have found that all the little things add up. I switched the energy that I power my house on to renewable energy (ie. power from Wind Turbines instead of coal); I started leaving my car at home and riding my bike or taking public transport; I organized my tours so that as many of the legs could be driven as possible (instead of flown); I purchase ‘Carbon Credits’ that support renewable energy projects to offset the left-over pollution that the tour has created; and most importantly I just started to be more conscious of my actions. I think it’s about considering the impact of every decision you make whether it be how to get from A to B, how cold you have your air-conditioning or what kind of light-bulbs you buy in the super market.

More and more people are discussing the environment these days, which can only be a good thing. Global Warming is getting higher on the political agenda; the words “tree-hugger” and “greeny” aren’t put-downs anymore and we’re seeing a new generation of bold young thinkers emerge with a fearless optimism that is crucial if any great change is going to happen. The ball has started rolling, we just have to make sure that it never stops.

Anyway, so if you’ve had a crazy idea rolling around in the back of your head about how to help the planet or if you just wanna be inspired to do something I’ve found this new site: www.connect2earth.org that I think is great. It’s a forum built by the WWF and the World Conservation Union (IUCN) where forward young thinkers can go share their environmental ideas with others all around the world. In October at The World Conservation Congress in Barcelona the best submissions will be chosen to be presented before some of the world’s leading environmentalists. It’s an amazing opportunity for the voice of today’s youth to be heard so if you’re into it, go for it. Share your ideas, brain-storm, listen to and learn from the ideas of others. After all, if we’re going to make a difference we absolutely have to be in this together."

Missy

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