My family already recycles, and I am working with my community association to change garbage service providers to one that takes a broader range of recyclable materials, to encourage more recycling in my neighborhood. At home, my family has also stopped drinking bottled only eats organic free-range meat and poultry products, though we still drink bottled water and eat factory-farm products when dining out. While none of these changes can completely eliminate my carbon footprint, I think that if all Americans embraced these types of changes, we could see a noticeable difference in the continued rate of climate change and environmental destruction.
Economically
While it may be difficult to forecast the environmental future, it seems like making a ten-year financial forecast would be impossible in these difficult financial times. However, I think that I can accurately predict that I will be doing well financially in ten years. I am fortunate to have a good job and relatively substantial savings....
Because I have planned well, I have a savings cushion that will provide me with six months of living expenses before I am required to tap into my retirement savings. As long as I do not attempt to access any of the money that I currently have in stocks and bonds, the current losses that I have had in those areas really will not impact my financial situation. I anticipate that the market will turn around in 18 months to 2 years time. It will certainly have turned around in ten years. Therefore, I anticipate that I will be in a relatively stable financial place in ten years time, though I expect that this recession will delay my eventual retirement. In fact, because I will have been with my company 28 years in 10 years time, I could actually consider retirement at that time. While that seemed like a possibility 10 years ago, when the market was thriving, I no longer believe that I will be able to retire in 10 years, but I still think that I will be able to retire as soon as I pay for my children to…
