“We can petition our government and scream at faceless corporations to more quickly address this problem, but doing so fails to recognize that the enemy is actually us.” So writes Andy Skurka talking about his calling to a Lightweight Lifestyle. He observes that none of the proposed solutions to global warming are ready to make an impact tomorrow, none have widespread political support, none are without problems, and none are free.

His proposal includes a two part action plan, one of which is ‘Get outside, and get others outside.’ This is because he believes that those who have a deep relationship with the natural world have a greater incentive to protect it and a greater understanding of what a sustainable existence entails. Our own tech writer, Mark, remarked on almost the same thing to us, when he recently returned from a family camping trip.

But Andy’s experience might be a tad more committing than Mark’s. Since April this year Andy has been on the hoof, walking almost 7,000 miles (11,265km) through 75 wilderness areas, 12 national parks and about nine US states. His trip, the equivalent of traversing between Los Angeles, California and Istanbul, Turkey is being used to promote the on-ground effects of global warming on American icons. Like Glacier National Park being without glaciers by 2030, or the increased incidences of wildfires threatening to the viability of Joshua Tree National Park’s namesake. Read more about his remarkable trip (he's due to finish in November 07) and related worthy campaign at ::Great Western Loop, via GoLite.

Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:

• 3 Quick Fixes Obama Might Make to Right Bush’s Environmental Wrongs
• Coal's Darkest Hour Comes Just Before EPAs New Dawn
• Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year for 2008: Hypermiling
• So What's in Obama's Overstuffed Environmental Suggestion Box?

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