This past year flew by fast!
Credit: Garth Lenz

Well, 2010 has officially flown by and now we have a brand new year to look forward to and inspire us to better our lives and environment.

2010 was certainly a memorable year, in some ways good and in some ways bad. We were thrilled to hear that Brazil had lowered its rate of deforestation in the Amazon to its lowest rate in 22 years and that recent conservation gains have poised Canada’s Boreal forest well on its way toward leading the world in conservation efforts. We were partially inspired by the growing interest in an internationally-backed anti-deforestation effort, such as REDD, but we know questions about its viability and a larger, more comprehensive international agreement still remain.

Forests, in many ways, had a good 2010 – but other events posed reminders of our need to improve.
Credit: Garth Lenz

Lastly, the devastating oil spill off the Gulf Coast, left us with a painful and symbolic reminder of how our traditionally consumer-minded culture can lead to environmental disaster. An entire region of the Gulf was contaminated, and the full effects of the spill won’t be known for years, if not decades. But one thing we do know is that if we continue to think in the short term, including our reliance on cheaper, dirtier sources of energy such as oil, this surely won’t be the last disaster we face and we will only continue to struggle addressing truly global issues such as climate change.

We look forward to 2011 as an opportunity to better ourselves, and through that, the world around us. Many of us find keeping our New Year’s resolutions to be difficult, perhaps because we either make our self-promises too bold or we simply fall sucker to shorter-term pleasures. But by keeping our pledges simple and direct (and not giving up if we occasionally slip), I believe they can have a lasting impact.

Here are a few simple things we can do to better the world throughout the upcoming year:

• Be aware/stay informed of what’s going on in the world around you. It’s easy to get distracted in today’s 24-hour news cycle, but do your best to weed through the tabloid news to find information and sources with more substance. Dig deeper into issues you care about, whether it be reading a book or attending a local lecture/discussion on a similar topic.
• Think about how you fit into the world around you. How do you affect your local environment, or global? While few of us can claim to be the leaders of powerful international organizations and bodies, we all have an impact. And better understanding your impact, whether large or small, is the most important step toward bettering yourself, and through that, the world around you.
• Act on an issue that you care about. From larger investments such as volunteering or donating money to your favorite non-profit to smaller acts such as remembering those darned reusable grocery bags you always forget in your trunk or signing a petition, there are millions of ways you can make the world a better place. Remember that there is no insignificant act of altruism, and that all of those smaller things add up over time.

Here’s to a wonderful 2011!