FEATURE - January 2019

2019: The Year Humanity Saves the Planet

 

by Sami Aaron 

 

It’s a wild new game, just released: “2019: The Year Humanity Saves The Planet!”

 

Here’s how it’s played. 

The Setup
 

All of humanity lives on a planet (let’s call it “Earth”) that needs to be shifted away from the destructive path it has been on for 300+ years.

 

The object of the game is to SAVE THE PLANET so it can support and nurture all beings - human and non-human - and become regenerative forever. 

 

Between 1 and 7.7 billion people can play. It’s fun for all ages!

The Rules 
 

The only rule is that humans need to start playing the game immediately. 

 

The latest reports on Climate Change indicate that glaciers will be melted in 10 years. As happens in the greatest Sci-Fi games, that’ll be when all hell breaks loose! The Weather Channel’s Climate Disruption Index lists Kansas City as #5 of the top 25 cities that will be most impacted by climate change.

 

The Play

     
Players notice and make choices about every single thing they do and how it will affect Earth. 

If the player makes a nurturing choice, plants and wildlife celebrate by displaying their vibrant colors and crazy mating rituals! 

   
 If the player makes a destructive choice, plants and wildlife suffer, die, or even go extinct, also affecting the quality of life for humans (plants and wildlife are needed for breathable air, drinkable water, and more.)

 

Want to play? (FYI, even if you say “No”, guess what? You’re already playing! Just by breathing, eating, driving, living in a home and clothing yourself, you’re already a valued and vital participant!)

 

Scoring

     
Each time you consciously make an Earth-friendly choice, your entire body reacts with joy and delight! You know you’ve scored big when your heart lights up!

     
Each time you consciously make a destructive choice (or you choose to not think about it!) all of nature mourns. 

     
Bonus points are earned for lush forests, sparkling rivers teeming with fish, oceans of abundant marine life and glorious coral reefs, and wildlands that are the perfect habitat to support elephants, gorillas, lions, bison, and rhinos.

     
Not Sure How to Play? You Are Not Alone!

     
To help you out, we’ve included special “EnviroTipTM” action cards! These EnviroTip cards can be played over and over. Collect extra bonus points for sharing them with other players!

 

Each EnviroTip helps you take Simple Steps that will make a Big Impact as you:

Actively “Green” our planet: Tips on planting native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers to benefit wildlife and nature.

Choose who you give your money to: Use your purchasing power to benefit Earth, plants, wildlife, and humans.

Nurture compassion for all beings: From beneficial pollinators to bugs on your vegetables, you can help honor and nurture plants and critters in everything you do.

Manage your waste to replenish Earth: Tips on recycling, trash, and food waste (rack up extra gold stars if you compost your food scraps!)

Spend time in nature: Earn special prizes as you reap the physical and emotional benefits that come from being out-of-doors in glorious places.

 

See sidebar for EnviroTip ideas for January through December to help you get started. Be a player and invite your friends!

 

Game Over

     
Which will it be? Earth wins or Earth loses? The choice is yours.

A Light-hearted Game For A Serious Topic

     
There is just ONE important message here: we have to give back to our planet starting today. How do we do that? By making a conscious decision for 2019 to focus on our personal impact on Earth. With close to 8 billion people living on this planet, we do a whole lot of “taking” – of food, water, energy, land, and more.  The best way to keep the planet healthy enough to support humans and all the other glorious creatures and places we love, for eons to come, is for us to replenish what we take as often as we can. And if you think your actions aren’t important enough to make a difference, consider the honeybee: 

     
     A honeybee visits 50 to 100 flowers during one collection flight from the hive.

     In order to produce 1 pound of honey, bees will have visited 2 million flowers.

     An average worker bee makes only about 1/12 teaspoon of honey in its lifetime.

   
 Humanity must step into the hive mindset. If each of us makes our 1/12 teaspoon of healthy planet we can be assured of having the clean air and fresh water that are vital to us all.

     
So, throughout your day, get into the habit of asking yourself, “How can I give back to our planet in this moment?” 

     
Read through the EnviroTips and make 2019 the year that you find new habits and a new way of living your life as if the health of the Planet depended on it.