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.

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.

Without information, there can be no real understanding of the ramifications of our choices.

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

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.

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.