There is a lot of good going on in this world, but as the last several years have demonstrated, civilization has a long way to go.

No longer can we think in terms of ‘Us’ and ‘Them’. No longer is there Western and Eastern. We all are all that there is. No matter which holy book or science book one reads, we all have come from a single source. Our blood, our DNA, shows, without doubt, that we all are related.

Just as we have known that local environments are fragile–no longer do we dump waste or chemicals irresponsibly into our lakes and rivers–we are now beginning to grasp that all ecosystems are connected by a singular atmosphere, a singular ocean. As our neighbor state’s air and water flow together across our lands, so too does our neighbor country’s air and water flow together across the earth. In fact, there is no “ours” or “theirs” when it comes to air and water.

We know how our changing the environment, our environment, has consequences that result in our having to be more responsible. Excessive use of water draws down lakes and rivers. Improper and unmaintained levees overflow and breakdown during storms or heavy rains. Damming rivers and diverting water effects all species, not just fish, along the entire river’s length.

We are all participants in a single atmosphere and a single water supply. We are all in and on this world together. No longer can this that we share be denied or ignored.