Albuquerque's Environmental Story

Educating For a Sustainable Community

Post Script

Earth Day ‘90 admonished us to "Think Globally - Act Locally". This approach to environmental stewardship has been basic to Albuquerque's Environmental Story since the first edition was published in 1978. As stated in the Preface, a major premise of the book is that one's own community can serve admirably as a living laboratory in which to learn about environmental problems and how to deal with them. The neighborhoods, towns, cities in which we live represent a microcosm of the larger world, which can help us learn at first hand that the planet we inhabit with billions of other people is complicated, and that "there are no simple answers to complex problems."

This Post Script has been added as a reminder that we should think both Globally and Locally, and that when we act Locally, we are affecting the Global environment. Thus, when our City looks to a sustainable future, and plans for growth with the relationship between land use and transportation in mind, or when we walk, bike, or take the bus instead of taking our cars, we are doing more than cutting back on congestion and air pollution in our home town. We are helping the world's environment. We are combating global warming and are taking steps towards conserving Planet Earth's dwindling supply of non-renewable natural resources.

In the same way, every time we write on both sides of a page, or recycle our waste paper, or insist on buying recycled paper we are saving a tree, with all that that implies.

The enormity of global environmental problems - world overpopulation, dwindling supply of natural resources, accelerated extinction of plant and animal species, polluted air and water, global warming, depletion of the ozone layer - the litany goes on and on - can be overwhelming, and when dealt with head on, can lead the environmentally concerned among us to experience "burn out". It is comforting to know that by internalizing and practicing environmentally sound attitudes and life styles as well as by functioning as informed, responsible, involved citizens in our own community, we are at the same time, making a difference globally.

(Up to Welcome, Back to Environmental Education Objectives "Tree", On to How to Create Your Own Community’s Environmental Story)

Copyright © 2008, Friends of Albuquerque's Environmental Story