"Wait a minute", you may be thinking.  "Why just women?"  The answer: in communities around the world women play a critical role in managing natural resources of the family and the community.  The role of women's voices and perspectives is critical in sustainable development.  Many women around the world are not only lending their voices to addressing this critical issue but are finding real solutions to the problems created by all of us.

While the problems demand that governments make their solutions a priority and make major financial commitments sooner, rather than later, we, as individuals, can make changes in personal behavior that can have a very real impact on saving our planet.

For starters here are two things you can do.  (1) Stop using plastic straws.  (2) Stop using plastic grocery bags.  Carry re-usable bags in your vehicle so you will always have them handy when shopping.  These two actions on our part are not difficult to manage and can make a profound difference to our planet.

It is estimated that, if we do not clean up the plastics in our oceans, by 2050 the amount of plastics will out-weigh the amount of fish in the ocean.  You understand that plastics are an environmental issue but do you also realize plastics are a women's issue?

Chemicals from plastics that get into our bodies are endocrine disruptors.  They mimic our hormones.  Plastics can cause early puberty in girls as well as interfering with hormones during pregnancy.

This is not to suggest we do not need men to do their share in cleaning up and protecting the planet.  We all share this earth and we need a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural approach to solving the problem.  We all need to work together.  Stay informed and make smart choices.