Our world today is in peril,

Gaia the spirit of the Earth can no longer stand this destruction...

I loved that show. Although Captain Planet was my favorite super hero, as a kid, I never really connected the plot lines to my actual life. I mean, how often does some mystical being give you a magical ring so that you can help to fight against radio active and disfigured bad guys?

Even so, I often find myself wishing that all our environmental woes could be solved by the all powerful Captain Planet and his trusty planeteers. Earlier this week, Reuters reported that pieces of the Canada Arctic shelf are breaking off-the latest piece was the size of Manhattan-and the remaining shelves are shrinking at an alarming rate.

http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN0246073320080903

News like this is unsettling at the very least. I know that change is a very natural and intrinsic part of life and that this is hardly the first bout of climate change that the Earth has experienced in it's long history, but seeing it happen in my lifetime and knowing that my generation and my parents generation had a lot to do with the whys of how this change came to be, makes feel more than a tad bit guilty. At the same time, however, these environmentally damaging technologies and practices have become such an integral part of our daily lives, it almost seems like we're depriving ourselves or (gasp!) being self-righteous and/or elitist if we forego those products or services.

And, I'll admit it, the thought of surviving in Atlanta during summer without cranking the AC non-stop sounds a lot like cruel and unusual punishment to me...just kidding...well kind of...

The sheer magnitude of the problem is another concern. I know all the usual mantras and proverbs about how "change begins with me", but I can't help but to think of the other millions and millions of people around the world that effortlessly undo all the good that I've tried to do by bringing my own cloth bags to the grocery store or by using public transportation rather than driving. Sigh.

So where does that leave us? Wishing and hoping and praying that Captain Planet will save us all.