We have spent the better part of the last fifty years being inundated by advertising, being told that we will be happier if we get more stuff. But that's been backfiring recently.

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.

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.

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.

We need to invest in clean energy technologies. We need to rush them to market while rebuilding our energy networks intelligently. And it's imperative that we push toward a cultural shift away from energy waste to respectful conservation with fierce commitment that will carry us to the other side.

The imbalances in the climate have been brought on by the incessant push for more and more immediate wealth.

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