Five Million Dollars– and a World-saving Resolution

Some off-the-cuff remarks from friends got me thinking about how we might start to save the planet. But first, a little math.

Most of us know the answer to this riddle: “Would you rather have a million dollars today, or would you rather have the result of one penny, doubling every day, for a month?” If you don’t know the answer, I won’t spoil your fun– just do the quick math–$0.01, $0.02, $0.04, $0.08, $0.16, $0.32, $0.64, and so on for thirty days. Or you could Google it.

Another popular math quiz goes like this: If you were ten thousand kilometres from home and you travelled half the remaining distance to your home each day, how long would it take you to get home? Once you’ve analyzed the question, you’ll realize that you will never get home.

Math is a curious study, and concepts such as compounding and diminishing returns are important starting points when we consider life principles.

So how about this notion for 2019? Suppose each of us were to reduce our personal burden on the environment by just one percent per month. Straight-line– no compounding, no diminishing return, just straight line. That would mean that in eight years and four months we would stop burdening the earth. Now, of course, that’s neither practical nor desirable, but it gives a sense of how powerful a series of tiny steps would be.

Well, let’s go back to the power of compounding. Let’s say, for instance, that each and every one of us began January 1, 2019 politely refusing plastic drinking straws. “Thank-you, but no. I’ve stopped using plastic straws because I want to do my part to heal the environment.” I’ve started doing that, so take it from me you will get a few odd looks, but mostly you’ll get something like, “That’s a good idea! I wish more people would do that.”

Now, just suppose all 516 readers began doing that, and encouraging others to do the same, and suppose that by the end of January each had convinced just one other, such that there were 1,032 people politely but firmly refusing plastic straws. And so on, month by month.

By the end of February there would be 2,064, and by the end of March, 4,128— well, you get the picture.

Projected to the end of 2019 there would be over two million friends no longer using plastic straws. Early in the year 2021 the entire planet would be free of plastic straws.

Of course, that could never happen.

Or could it?

Pass it on!