tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6816405.post-76740120417672235972008-05-12T20:08:00.007+02:002008-05-12T20:52:17.214+02:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_b5aQGTqK9Uc/SCiN3yB_qZI/AAAAAAAAAew/4_bgFvzwOj8/s1600-h/giveback.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_b5aQGTqK9Uc/SCiN3yB_qZI/AAAAAAAAAew/4_bgFvzwOj8/s320/giveback.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199561759261698450" border="0" /></a>As part of my attempt to live my life more meaningfully, I'm trying to raise my awareness about different charities and causes so that I feel compelled to act. I am having a hard time choosing. They all seem worthy. They all seem insurmountable. And I am selfish. When I read about different horrors, I want to hide, forget and ignore.<br /><br />There are so many different categories of causes: environment, human rights, natural disasters, famine, medical research, animal rights, health, refugees... and so many more. I appreciate that giving goes a long way for the organizations that manage efforts around these issues, but I also want to understand more about the issues themselves, so that I can structure and choose my opinions and actions.<br /><br />Some causes/beliefs necessitate actions in ways that make me give up something. For example, if I really believe that ozone depletion is caused by fossil fuel consumption, I should not only not drive (which is easy to do where I live so I don't quite comfortably) but I should also not fly, since flying is by far more polluting than driving. (I feel myself whining inside... but... but... I love the mobility that air travel affords. How much am I willing to put my beliefs into action?) I've also read quite a bit about the footprint caused by western cultures' meat consumption and patterns of waste. I understand the argument. I even agree with it. Again, I'm so self indulgent. I love to eat meat. It is one thing to promote, purchase and believe in organic farming but quite another to change my patterns of behavior and the amount of waste that is part of western food consumption as a whole.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_b5aQGTqK9Uc/SCiO9SB_qaI/AAAAAAAAAe4/OMtqwsI9y5s/s1600-h/ribbon+culture.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_b5aQGTqK9Uc/SCiO9SB_qaI/AAAAAAAAAe4/OMtqwsI9y5s/s320/ribbon+culture.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199562953262606754" border="0" /></a><br />When I start adding up all of the things in my life that have a negative effect on the world around me, I am overwhelmed and hide my head in the sand quite quickly. I think that I am unwilling to think about things very much, since if I really believe, there are consequences. I am, at the very least, accountable for those things I know about, aren't I? But how can I live? To be honest, I think that my willingness to be self-sacrificing is woefully limited. It is not something I like about myself.<br /><br />I feel like I need to pick something. I am sadly passive. How do I choose?<br /><br />What causes are you supportive of? How did you choose?<div class="blogger-post-footer">...things that make me go mmm...</div>ingridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13136362790985493988noreply@blogger.com