Money and stuff aren't what makes us happy. It's strong connections within families and friends, communities of people that truly care about one another.

Years ago, after I'd answered several questions from a group of teens, one of them asked how I could stay optimistic and keep on going. I answered that instead of getting sad, I get mad.

Education, the free flow of information, is key for our personal and societal growth. It all comes back to education.

I believe that it's vital for children and teens to be educated, to be given information to help them understand the impacts humans are having on our water, soil, and air.

Being mad is activating. Being sad can lead to hopelessness. I'm not hopeless. I'm very hopeful.

As much as it's awful to learn about all the greedy and selfish decisions that some people make, I know there are many more people who have good intentions.

We need to invest in clean energy technologies. We need to rush them to market while rebuilding our energy networks intelligently. And it's imperative that we push toward a cultural shift away from energy waste to respectful conservation with fierce commitment that will carry us to the other side.

The imbalances in the climate have been brought on by the incessant push for more and more immediate wealth.

Energy use, transportation options, food choices, water use, purchasing choices, participating in elections, volunteering for nonprofits . . . and within each of these categories, each of us can learn to live a more conscious life.