By Jeremy P. Feakins
“Let’s watch the old year die with a fond goodbye and our hopes as high as a kite.” – Irving Berlin
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
How did you ring in 2017? Did you celebrate with the night on the town, or opt for a low-key celebration with friends? Were you in Sydney, Australia, to be among the first in the world to greet the New Year, or were you sound asleep at home when midnight hit?
How you spent New Year’s Eve is not nearly as important as how you plan to spend the New Year itself, 2017. Many choose to reflect on the old year as it passes, thinking about how to build upon successes of the old year. Others welcome the New Year as a new beginning, and find motivation to make small changes or head in an entirely new direction. People can make commitments to change things such as their health, career, or relationships, to name a few.
These changes take the form of New Year’s resolutions, and are carried out with varying degrees of success. This month, we bring you some suggestions for green resolutions that help not only our planet, but also our communities, health, and wallet.
It is 2017, but climate change denial is still alive and well in our world. This denial continues despite new studies and a barrage of facts that surround us daily. The signs of climate change are often right before our eyes, in the form of superstorms, droughts, health issues, and more. A recently-published study about quahog clams in the Atlantic revealed ocean temperature changes recorded in their shells’ growth rings. Read more about this groundbreaking study here.
At OTE, our resolution for 2017 is the same as it is every day of every year: to bring world-changing clean energy and fresh drinking water to people in our world’s tropical and subtropical zones. Imagine the relief and freedom that families will receive when they are able to tap into their greatest natural resource – the ocean – to get energy, clean water, sustainable food, economic development, and more. Energy, water, and food – these are the building blocks of life that OTEC can provide.
What changes would you like to see in 2017, both in your life and in our world?
Be the change you want to see in the world. – attributed to Mahatma Gandhi
