Marcus' Message to the People of the Earth

We live in a difficult time, and by this, I mean not economically, or politically, or even culturally. The crises we face are much more deeply rooted, and much more serious. As you peruse the web pages I have put out to share with the world, I'd like you to get a sense that the world is an incredibly beautiful place. I have chosen photos, work, and ideas to share based on that theme.

As you read and view, keep that in mind. My motivation for almost everything I do is aesthetic. I really just want to see pretty places, amazing things. And as you contemplate that, think about your impact on the place we are in. Right now, we are headed for oblivion. Frankly, if we continue as we do, banging noisily through a precious, wonderful world, I don't know that we deserve such a place. I would rather not find out what we do deserve. So please take every step you can to preserve and restore our world.

A few very simple ideas:

Save energy: ride your bike or walk if you can. Not only will you feel better, the planet will too! Turn off lights. The number of lights left on is infuriating; this is EASY! Use low power fluorescent light bulbs: they've become much, much better than in the past, and come in nice compact styles that fit in ordinary light bulb sockets.

Consider switching to wind or solar power! If you own a home, this is a great way to power it! My friend Art Weaver has a wonderful cozy home, and knows a great deal about this sort of thing. His website has much useful information and several resources

Use less packaging! Buy fresh fruits and vegetables instead of packaged produce. Bring your own shopping bags to the store. Buy only products with minimal packaging. EAT FEWER PREPARED MEALS! (This is a disturbing trend in our society)

COMPOST! It's great! My housemates and I now throw out almost nothing! It either gets recycled or composted.

This is by no means exhaustive, just a few quick, easy ideas you can implement now.

But there are a couple things you can always, always do:

CARE. THINK. ACT.

I honestly believe that if the majority of people followed those three principles, the world would be a much better place. When you see something that offends you, politely say something. When you see a place where we could do better as a society, politely say something. Evaluate each thing you do. Does it foster community, environmental survival, concern for those who are less fortunate? It is a challenging task, but that's the point. I have hope for all of us. I believe that we can change. We went to the moon, I managed to learn to get along with other kids, I have hope.

Thanks,

Marcus