Saluting Two of the World’s Great Movements

On this date in 1920, American women won the right to vote, as the congress ratified the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  This is a wonderful example of our civilization’s progress driven by scores of dedicated people, working in concert over a period of several generations, who refused to give up until their aim was reached. 

This, of course, draws comparisons to the environmental movement whose purpose is to morph our society into one that satisfies its own needs without impeding future denizens of planet Earth from satisfying theirs.

We are fortunate enough to live in a world inhabited by an enormous number of people whose life’s work is making this happen.  The sustainability movement is unique, however, in many interesting ways.  As legendary entrepreneur, author and environmental activist Paul Hawken has pointed out, the movement, though the largest in the world today, has “no name, no leader, and no location.  It’s a formless interweaving of the over 1 million nonprofits and 100 million people who daily work for the preservation and restoration of life on earth.”

A little bit of poetry to brighten your day.