A New Post from an Old Writer

Hello Nature Writers!

I am delighted by the election of Barack Obama! How far we've come as a nation and oh, how challenged we are. I, like many, have high hopes but it is necessary to temper hope and be realistic. The honeymoon will be a short one as the people will demand the impossible but I believe, none the less, we have picked a winner.
In his book "The Audacity of Hope" he inspired me when he said, "If we aren't willing to pay a price for our values, if we aren't willing to make some sacrifices in order to realize them, then we should ask ourselves whether we truly believe in them at all." For me, conservation of nature and encouraging a resilient and sustainable community are values that rank with peace, justice and human rights.
Because of war, the financial crisis and the energy crisis we may think the environment is far down on the priority list. It is not. Environmental issues are embedded in almost all issues. It will be important to watch the trade offs and compromises carefully in the first hundred days. If nature is getting short shrift, on her behalf I will be compelled by my values to make myself heard. I must say that I have greater confidence in Barack's ears than those of the man currently in power :-)