Times they are a-changin'

On Sept. 24, world leaders met at a United Nations General Assembly session to discuss climate change. Regarding our detrimental impact on the environment, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, “Today, the time for doubt has passed.”

I’m no environmentalist, but I do admire and concur with their cause. It wasn’t until a professor of mine brought up the dark clouds of the climate crisis that I realized the storm was about to break and I didn’t have an umbrella.

A thought equally as frightening is that our generation is being left in the rain. Yep, you, me, him over there; we are about to inherit one of the biggest crises in history. Some of us are quarters away from graduating and entering the real world, a real mess, with a problem I don’t think we are prepared to handle.

I know, I know, you’re busy! But again, we are about to inherit the crisis, so why not prepare? None of us has the time to devote ourselves entirely to saving the planet, but we can apply a few effortless tasks to assist in our future fight.

1. Drink Responsibly. No matter your preference of poison, there is room for preservation. Beers cans and those classy plastic liquor bottles can be recycled. So before you black out, reach for the blue. Save the world one drink at a time!

2. Turn off the lights! Not only does it set the mood, but by changing your current lights to compact fluorescent bulbs and flicking the switch when you leave the room, you are saving 300 pounds of carbon dioxide and 60 dollars a year.

3. Ride a bike to class. As students, we are notoriously poor and eat and drink like it’s our job. Why not kill three birds with one stone? Lose the gut, conserve the funds and gain the confidence that you are helping the environment (and getting some killer calves) all in one. And who said you couldn’t multitask?!

Bob Dylan wrote in his famous song “The Times They Are A-Changin'” in the 1960s, a time of turmoil and protest not dissimilar to today. Almost 50 years later, the song is more relevant than ever. In order to move with the changing times, we must change our attitudes.

I’m pretty sure that all of us can handle three more small responsibilities. And who knows, maybe by the time we graduate we will be ready to handle more.

When we all venture out into the real world soon, we must keep the planet on our minds. We can live wonderful, prosperous and happy lives and still save the world. So let’s put on our capes, step out as superheroes and make a difference. Don’t just do it because we have to (which we do), but because we want to be the generation that gets it right.

“Come gather round people

Wherever you roam

And admit that the waters

Around you have grown

And accept it that soon

You’ll be drenched to the bone.

If your time to you

Is worth savin’

Then you better start swimmin’

Or you’ll sink like a stone

For the times they are a-changin’.”

Taylor Moore is a Mustang Daily columnist and a journalism senior.