Do your research

There are many environmental dilemmas these days.  Our choices can make a difference, but sometimes the most environmentally helpful choice is not the obvious one, or the one that social media is touting.  Social media and TV commercials frequently try to create an emotional response to an issue, not a logical response based on knowledge.  Our decisions also need to take into account the realities of our current society.  For example, many people want to ban some of the most effective ways of obtaining fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas).  However, we as a society don’t have solutions ready to replace the use of fossil fuels, so we cannot simply ban them tomorrow.  To make progress on this issue, we need a multi-pronged effort to develop replacement fuel sources; develop more effective ways to move people from one place to another; reduce energy use by individuals, factories, homes, and businesses; and develop “cleaner” and more efficient ways to extract and use fossil fuels while the replacement technologies are being developed. So, do your research before you sign that petition or vote on a critical issue.  Look for websites and articles by organizations that are likely to provide accurate, well-researched, unbiased information.  Look for information put out by proponents of all sides of an issue.  You might be surprised at what you learn.  Once you understand an issue, you can make your own decision how to respond.  

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