Time again for my Wednesday Greenoptions article, as always you can check out the newest one here.

The Arctic ice caps are melting at a rapid pace, massive hurricanes are regularly destroying large swaths of this country, rivers are drying out, species are being wiped out by pollution, oceans are becoming more acidic, wars are raging, crime is rampant, pit bulls are eating children…*click*

This is what we are faced with every time we turn on the television, listen to the radio, or pick up a newspaper. It would seem that sometime in the last couple of years, the four horsemen of the apocalypse rode into town and started throwing a kegger. Is it all true? How can we possibly deal with such an overwhelming avalanche of bad news? Should I start working on my bunker?

First take a deep breath. Ok good. Now, just so you don’t think I am trying to pull the wool over your eyes, most of it IS true. The ice caps are melting, global warming is real and we caused it, and every once in a while, a pit bull will attack a child. The problem is not the news, but how it is presented to us, and how we filter it.

With the 24-hour news cycle, the internet, a bevy of papers, and news radio, information in our day and age is like a fire hose. Trying to drink from that hose is only going to leave you wet with a very sore tongue. Besides being overwhelming this torrent of information also serves to dishearten us, and make us afraid to act. We have become so informed that we don’t know anything.

I remember the very first time I saw the ocean. I was astounded by just how big it was, how it smelled, the shapes, the colors… the whole experience washed over me and I sat fascinated for a long time watching the waves roll in. After living on the beach for 3 years, I still find the ocean wonderful, but that rush has mostly faded. The same holds true for watching the news every night and seeing that something horrible happened. The first twenty times you might care, but eventually you have to stop caring in order to preserve your sanity.

In the old days, hunting, gathering and fending off saber tooth tigers were all necessary survival skills. In our modern world, the dangers are far more subtle, but the same principle holds true. You have to develop the survival skills of the 21st century. One of the big ones is how to deal with mass media. Below are a couple of tips to keep you sane in this crazy world.
Understand the game.

Most news outlets are not in the business of providing you with news. I know it sounds silly, but what they really want to do is sell you products. CNN doesn’t make any money laying out the facts; they make money when you watch the commercials. Part of maintaining your sanity is understanding that, and dealing with it.

Understand that maybe, just maybe, that story you just watched about the dangers of internet perverts is 50% true, and 50% shock to get you to stick around after the commercial is over. A skeptical mind is your best weapon here. Take a long hard look at everything, from that commercial for a new car, to the president giving a speech.
Do your homework

You read that global warming is really caused by the sun and that CO2 emissions from humans have nothing to do with it. Great, lets go fill up the Hummer! Or perhaps you saw in a movie that global warming is actually caused by a massive build up of CO2 and that humans are to blame. Oh no, stop them from getting the keys!

We are going to have to go read some books, or check out the web, maybe even call a couple of science organizations. I know this seems like a lot of work, but if you really want to know what is going on you might have to put a little effort into it. Finding good resources on controversial topics can be hard, but the hunt for knowledge can have its own reward.

Trying to look deeper into something will allow you to find out the subtleties that maybe the shock jock radio host left out. You might find, for instance, that global warming is in fact caused by CO2 emissions from human beings, but that there are a myriad of ways you can help to alleviate and reverse the effects. See sounds a lot less scary that way.
Don’t be afraid to act

It is a well-known fact that the baby sitter’s job is much easier after the kids go to sleep. Similarly, the powers that be have a much easier job when the citizens “clock out.” “With so many problems, what can I do?” “Wow things are really messed up, I give up.” “This problem is so big, I don’t even know where to start?” Sound familiar? Let’s make them earn their pay checks. Let’s act up a little.

I used to live on a street that had a lot of trash thrown on it. I can only assume that people saw all the trash and thought it would be ok to throw more. For a long time, my roommates and I complained about the mess. Then one day something snapped, and we grabbed some bags and started picking up litter.

We collected about 5 bags of garbage, got a nice workout, had a great time, and were complimented by several passing motorists. I felt really good about actually doing something. The actual process of acting made me feel better about myself, and improved my living situation. It doesn’t matter if you start small… just do something.
Join the crowd

I think one of my roommates at the time had gotten so fed up with us complaining about the trash that she just went and started picking it up. She rallied a couple of us, and, before you knew it, we were all out there picking away.

You don’t always have to be the one that starts the ball rolling. Maybe you can just come along and keep it rolling. There are literally thousands of great organizations that cover everything from preserving river trout, to bowling for charity groups. Find the ones in your area that sound fun and give them a try.
Inspire others

Just like you would reach down to help a drowning person and lift them to safety, don’t be afraid to inspire others. Once you have taken the blinders off, have begun to see through the malaise inducing effects of the media, have done your research, and have started to take action, share some of that fun with others.

You don’t have to be a snob, and you don’t have to nit pick. The next time you go to your river watchers action group, invite a friend. Remember that neighborhood watch group you set up? How about inviting the new guy who just moved in down the street. Disagree with something the paper wrote? Write an editorial article. Want to raise awareness of some topic? House party time!

Bringing some others with you out of the media woods will not only keep them from being so depressed all the time, but will make you some friends along the way. Start a book club, rally on the state house steps, start a fund drive for needed civic improvements. Whatever it is, do it with others: humans are social creatures, and we need the group.

Once you are armed with these simple skills, you will be ready to fight the saber tooth tigers of our time, namely depression and inaction from too much bad news. Have a good time!