It's incredibly disturbing to me that humans are disrupting pretty much every single living system on the planet.

Years ago, after I'd answered several questions from a group of teens, one of them asked how I could stay optimistic and keep on going. I answered that instead of getting sad, I get mad.

I believe that it's vital for children and teens to be educated, to be given information to help them understand the impacts humans are having on our water, soil, and air.

As much as it's awful to learn about all the greedy and selfish decisions that some people make, I know there are many more people who have good intentions.

Education, the free flow of information, is key for our personal and societal growth. It all comes back to education.

Energy use, transportation options, food choices, water use, purchasing choices, participating in elections, volunteering for nonprofits . . . and within each of these categories, each of us can learn to live a more conscious life.

Money and stuff aren't what makes us happy. It's strong connections within families and friends, communities of people that truly care about one another.