Planet Earth needs our help. Glaciers are melting. Sea levels are rising. Rains are causing floods. Droughts and heat waves are increasing. Forest fires are bigger and lasting longer. And we continue to add more humans to the planet who will need to draw on our already overburdened resources.

No one is exempt from the effects of these changes. Even if we think we haven’t experienced any ill-effects from climate change, we have. Our grocery bills continue to rise due to many of the conditions listed above. Our utilities increase as humans use more and more natural resources to stay cool and/or warm. Good health is harder to maintain due to worsening air quality. And these are only a few of our man-made problems.

On top of that, we travel great distances often, run multiple errands in multiple trips, and consume the latest in apparel, technology, housing, and so much more. All the while, we wait for our governments to force us to change.

Human existence is dependent on inhabiting a healthy planet. It’s time we each change our habits and expectations of life. Start with small steps. Discuss ideas with family, friends, and colleagues. We can even make a game of it by challenging each other and setting up rewards for goals met (maybe not a flight abroad though).

The good news is: we can make a difference without someone else forcing the issue. We just need to choose a first step and take it.