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One of
the great things about children is that they can teach us adults
a thing or two. I am an admitted throwback to the era of singers
like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and, later on, Bruce Springsteen and bands
like The Beatles. Over the years I have dismissed countless music
“fads.” I was a snob. What, I wondered, could contemporary
music offer that was better than the songs of the legends that I
grew up with? Music had a purpose back then; lyrics resonated with
meaning. Or so I thought until my soon-but-not-quite-yet-teenage
daughter introduced me to the lyrics of a hip-hop song called “Where
Is the Love” by the Black Eyed Peas:
Yo’, whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness in equality
Instead of spreading love we spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity
Listening closely, I discovered that the song deals with enormous
and weighty issues such as terrorism, gangs, chemical warfare, racism
and greed. I was astounded and saddened; these are the problems
of the world that my children—all children—will inherit,
and what’s especially disheartening is that they know it.
I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I’m getting older, y’all, people getting colder
Most of us only care about money makin’
Selfishness got us followin’ our wrong direction
The world, according to our children, is a dismal mess—and
they have us to thank for it. But that doesn’t mean we have
to concede the battle. Progress is being made. Consider, for example,
these actions in the area of environmental stewardship. The McCain-Lieberman
Climate Stewardship Act, though defeated, had surprisingly good
support in the U.S. Senate. Some of the world’s largest multinational
companies have committed to impressive greenhouse gas emission reductions.
A small personal care products manufacturer has staked its survival
on its respect for Mother Nature and, in the process, may help transform
the huge cosmetic industry. Thousands of shareholders worldwide
are investing with their values and making companies accountable
for their actions. These are just a few of the dozens of positive
measures reported on in this issue of green@work alone; multiply
that by the 25 issues that have been published prior to this one
and that translates into a tremendous number of good green works.
That’s the reason why sometimes I’m feelin’ under
That’s the reason why sometimes I’m feelin’ down
There’s no wonder why sometimes I’m feelin’ under
Gotta keep my faith alive till love is found
A legacy of doubt and despair is not what any of us want to leave
to our children. It has been every generation’s dream that
the next should have a better life, a better future than the one
before. It’s a dream worth writing music about—and certainly
one worth fighting for. Once upon a time, Dylan wrote that the “answers
are blowing in the wind.”
Today I believe they are staring us in the face.
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