World Environment Day

There is something powerful about people who come together for a similar cause. We live in a world where religion, wealth, power and any other number of things draw lines in the sand and force people to take sides. We so often hear people say every man for himself, and buy into the belief that we're each looking out solely for our own.

But what if we all could come together for one single cause? And what if that one cause was something we were all truly passionate about, and believed in? What if that cause was encouraging humankind of treat our planet kindly, to have an appreciation for each and every species on this Earth?

It may seem like such an overwhelming task. We often wonder, what can I, one person, do to help our planet?

There are any number of things you can do to treat the planet well. According to articles at www.iaasp.com, it can be as simple as composting your waste or turning off the lights in your home.

But ensuring our future requires more than just treating our planet well.

Over the course of months, years, decades-even centuries, we've seen people come together for a single cause. From the volunteer who handed out bottled water in the aftermath of the earthquake in Chile to the firefighter who ran back into the collapsing rubble of the World Trade Towers... these efforts, big and small, make a difference.

Each individual effort multiplies until we have an unlikely army of people fighting for a cause, fighting for the right to live on this one planet.

And what about some of our planet's most under-represented inhabitants?

According to www.safari.co.uk/Rwanda/plight-of-the-mountain-gorilla, a recent census found there to be approximately 700 mountain gorillas left in the world. The biggest threat to the mountain gorilla comes in the form of habitat loss- a plight animal and human can understand.

This year's annual World Environment Day celebration, set to take place in Rwanda on June 5th, aims to bring light to this situation. The theme says it all- "Many Species. One Planet. One Future."

The legacy of this year's events will benefit gorillas in Rwanda- a species that is in dire need of our support and unity. If you're wondering what you, one person, can do to help- go to www.unep.org/wed/2010/english/. With just the simple click of your mouse, you can take a stand for the gorillas.

America's 35th U.S. President, J.F. Kennedy, said "The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were."

Don't limit yourself with obvious realities. Make a leap, take a stand and dream you can do things you never thought possible. One person can make a difference- whether it's helping save a species in need, coming to the aid of your fellow neighbor, or simply having a greater appreciation for this one planet we have to call home.