Quest for Equity

Passion and fulfillment. Two key aspects of life. Each sought along varied paths among a myriad of possibilities. The answers are unique to each individual. Some serve the dual purpose of making a positive impact on society and others simply give the individual a sense of meaning and accomplishment.

My passion is continuous acquisition of knowledge and using it to help create better opportunities for all people and a healthier planet.

Never stop learning. Apply what you have learned in a constructive manner. I believe this lifelong pursuit has served both me and society well. My most treasured goals are to utilize all the best information possible to create opportunities to improve life for everyone, for every living thing, for future generations, and to restore Earth to a healthy, sustainable condition and to have all of you join in the effort. As we have learned during recent decades and been made keenly aware of during the past year, lives are at stake. In fact, life as we know it may well depend on whether or not people join those of us making necessary changes and work together to build a healthy future for all. Support from others is paramount as we move forward in time. The more people we have on this bandwagon, the better the chance of minimizing the disasters we already face and avoiding others looming ahead. We know that it will take a concerted effort of the majority of the population to clean the messes left from past activities of society. I have spent countless hours of my time, professionally and personally, studying science and engineering, especially energy and nature, as well as how society functions. There is a vast amount of room to improve the lives of all people while reducing impact and restoring ecosystems. Yes, it is possible! You don't have to sacrifice everything and you'll find many changes to be enjoyable and result in improved quality of life!

Energy consumption and manufacturing and utilization of energy-consuming machines are two fundamental areas I have studied in detail as a Professional Engineer. My degrees are both in Mechanical engineering (Bachelor and Master of Science) and I have LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) credentials. I also have a strong connection to nature and have studied the environment, ecosystems, flora, and fauna in detail all my life. I was raised in rural central Illinois where I naturally developed a great respect for Earth and what Nature provides for us. Caring for the land so that it is fertile enough to provide for future generations is part of life there. I also developed a deep appreciation and love of native wildlife, both plants and animals, during my childhood and it has grown stronger during adulthood.

My formal education and the knowledge I have gained through the profession of engineering (defined as the practical application of science) combined with my lifelong informal education studying everything I can about Earth, Nature, Society, Human Behavior, and many more topics as well as participation in a wide variety of activities give me a unique, well-rounded perspective that I believe can be extremely valuable as we work to improve all aspects of life on Earth and the general organization and expectations of human society.

My main passion is to provide the basis for improved conditions for the betterment of everyone. Practical application of fundamental scientific concepts is crucial. Many things have been over-complicated during the past few centuries. Simpler is often better. We create too much stress on ourselves in this materialistic whirlwind of a society. People should be more concerned about our families and friends and the well-being of people and animals than they are about money and the heavily manipulated beast known as 'the economy'. I believe that when we make taking care of people and the environment our highest priorities as a society and individually the rest of the concerns we impose on ourselves will fade into the past.

I daydream of writing great essays and speeches that somehow make a great enough impact on enough people to make the difference necessary to change the world. I believe people should support this dream because I genuinely believe we can work together and create a society where equity and opportunity and peace of mind prevail. We can accomplish great things by combining our efforts, our focus, and our passion. Despite how dire some situations are on Earth, it IS still possible to create a Content, Technologically Advanced, Sustainable Society on a Healthy Planet. Our children deserve it. Our Grandchildren deserve it. WE deserve it.

It will take time. It won't happen overnight. Simple steps taken by each individual combine to make a great impact. Working on grassroots efforts on simple things that benefit each of us at home is paramount for success and a good way to start. Basic changes in consumption, diet, and activity levels will save you money and improve your physical health and emotional outlook. They will also reduce the impact we each have on the environment (on which all life depends). Try starting with drinking more water and eliminating other drinks. Try reducing portions first then slowly substituting healthier choices like fresh fruits, vegetables, berries, and nuts for processed goods and comfort foods. After I took soda and sugary snacks off my grocery list, I started buying more strawberries and melons. The taste of those natural sweets is amazing. I didn't realize what I was missing because my sense of taste had been adversely affected by eating and drinking too much artificial sugary stuff. Now, I truly appreciate the goods nature provides. You will, too. I would love to hear that my sharing of these examples helps spark change for many readers. Better living is possible and the first step can be a small one that pays huge dividends.

I hope my passion for continued improvement in the quality of life for all people and for future generations does make a difference. The ultimate solution must include both changes in our daily routines and changes in world governments. Joining me in finding candidates worthy of office and putting them on ballots is also necessary. That part will take a huge effort, but finding worthy candidates and installing them in leadership roles also can be done. Don't let yourself believe it is impossible because most people are still attached to traditional parties, forms of government, and other failing systems.

Will you join me in working to create positive change? I hope you will! Together we can accomplish great things. I'll continue to write, to converse with people, and, most importantly, to live the changes I recommend. My passion goes much deeper than words. I am working to restore native plants and habitat on my 10 acres in central Illinois. I am working to improve my diet for the health of both myself and the environment. I am working to reduce my impact on the planet by walking to work. I am working to spread the word and live the examples I cite to try to inspire others to make positive changes and live better, healthier lives.

I'd love to see more people adopt the idea of lifelong learning and continuous improvement. Keeping our minds open to new information and incorporating better ideas will allows us to better our lives and solve problems rather than leave them for future generations while improving life in the present.

May my passion for creating a better life in the present and for future generations kindle the fire within others and may our collect flame burn bright.