A new kind of patriot

We had a great 4^th of July this year – the best I can remember. We swam in the pool at Prestonwood Country Club for hours and then enjoyed a delicious BBQ dinner while listening to a men’s choir sing patriotic songs. Afterwards we reclined on the golf course lawn to watch an amazing fireworks display. One of the neatest moments of the evening came when former Marines and other servicemen stood up for special recognition.  As we honored these veterans, it occurred to me that I owe the life I enjoy today in part to them.  Few in my generation can relate to the struggles and sacrifices they must have endured to preserve our freedom. I am humbled by the bravery of these patriots.

I don’t personally know anyone actively serving in the military today, but I do know a group of brave leaders who are fighting for America in their own way.  These entrepreneurs are working to protect us from a new kind of threat: diminishing resources. I’m not just talking about wildlife, but vital, life-sustaining substances like air, water and land.  I call these servant leaders ecopreneurs, but what they are saving is so much more than the environment.

Take my client Evatran, for example.  This company manufactures Plugless Power, a system that makes charging electric vehicles more convenient, thus encouraging people to get into these cars and off petroleum.  By manufacturing their clean technology in the USA, they are creating 84 new jobs for Virginia.  And then there is my friend Anna Brindley, whose company manufacturers loungewear in America.  Her “Made in the USA” label is all the more impressive given that in a span of 40 years, our apparel industry has dropped from 100 percent American-made to a mere 5 percent.  Preserving natural resources, bolstering local economies, creating jobs, maintaining a domestic manufacturing base - this is the work of the ecopreneur.  Those who do this work – and those of us who buy and use their products - represent a new kind of patriot. 

The most difficult aspect of the war of finite resources is that it is largely invisible.  We can’t use military might to root out the problem and eradicate the enemy because there is no enemy.  It’s simply a battle with reality. Here are some cold hard facts:

• During World War II, the world had 2.3 billion people in it.  Today, that figure is almost 7 billion.  In a span of 65 years the population has tripled.  The old playbook doesn’t work because the game has fundamentally changed.

• Global citizens are already consuming beyond the earth’s carrying capacity.  The world currently uses 1.5 planets worth of natural resources.  That’s the good news. If everyone lived like we do in America, they would be using 5 planets worth!

• We lose 28,000 species per year through deforestation and pollution and overfishing in our oceans. Within 200 years, scientists estimate that half the birds and fish will be extinct. The more species we lose, the less effectively our entire ecosystem functions.
  

• Cancer, infertility and asthma have reached epidemic proportions.  Overwhelming evidence supports the consensus that environmental toxins in our air, food and water are causing these conditions.  This is no longer a question of saving the planet. Now it’s a matter of saving the humans.

Freedom isn’t worth much if you don’t have food to eat, water to drink or healthy air to breathe.  But what can we do?  In honor of Independence Day, we can take a lesson from our veterans.  No soldier goes to battle because they want to - they do it because it’s the right thing to do.  Overcoming the tyranny of comfort isn’t hard when you know what you are fighting for.  We are fortunate because we don’t have to lay our lives on the line to win this war. In fact, I’ve discovered that life gets even better by weaving in simple changes that save natural (and financial!) resources.

For a quick reference to 10 things you can do THIS YEAR, click here, print out the PDF “10 Ways to Save Green” and stick it on your refrigerator.  And if you want even more, check out my book Green, American Style for 85 ways to make a difference and save money, starting today.