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RI President Bill Boyd's April message
The word environment conveys different things to each of us. One person might think of green forests, oceans, and mountains, another of grassy plains and wildlife. When we consider environmental challenges, we may think of recycling or energy conservation, industrial waste, or climate change. We tend to think of issues that are much larger than ourselves as individuals, and they can seem very abstract at times.
But for each of us, our environment is literally what surrounds us: the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land we walk on. Our environment is our house, our yard, our street. It is our community, our country, and our planet. The cleanliness of water hundreds of miles away can affect what comes out of our tap. The cleanliness of the air in a distant city can and does affect what goes into our lungs. And what comes out of our cars, chimneys, and power plants affects not just our own families, but families around the world for generations to come.
Environmental concerns are both intensely local and completely global. A garbage-filled stream has the most impact on those who rely on it for drinking water, but it also damages an entire ecosystem. A heavily polluted city hurts the health of its own inhabitants as well as those hundreds of miles downwind. As we learn and understand more about the course of climate change, we become more acutely aware that there are no local decisions. Everything we do touches others.
When we consider what we are willing to do and what we are willing to change to address an environmental problem, we must remember that our decisions never concern only us.
One of the lessons of Rotary is that one person can make a difference. We see this in our clubs and our districts, and particularly through PolioPlus. When we work on small projects that help only a few people, it can be hard to step back and see how we really are changing the world. It can be difficult to see how recycling a newspaper or a plastic container, walking instead of driving, or using less water can really bring a better and healthier tomorrow. But if many people make them together, those small changes will make an enormous difference to our children and grandchildren.
As Rotarians, we know very well that these small changes – these private, individual choices – can add up to something tremendous. The decisions we make may seem small, but they are nothing of the kind. I ask all of you to remember that, because you are leaders in your communities, and you have chosen to help Lead the Way to a better future. In the matter of environmental responsibility, as in all others, we must first lead by example by making the choices that will bring us a healthier tomorrow.
W.B. (Bill) Boyd
President, Rotary International
Submitted - 02 Apr 2007
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