Can we do anything for Earth Day?

I have been thinking about whether there's any single thing we can do to alleviate all the risks and threats to our planet's future well-being. Clearly, nothing works if it lasts only a day, so we are faced with another challenge at making workable resolutions. Even that challenge is formidable. How can we act to save a penguin in Antarctica? How can we act to reduce the disappearance of the South American and Asian rain forests? I don't know.

I'm thinking about hunger and threats to the lives of people in far-away places. The people in Haiti who are left with mud patties, because the smallest amount of grain is unattainable. The people in Bangladesh who live below the water line during big storms. The Australians with their 10-year drought. We have so many choices, and they aren't even able to think about a bigger picture. What can we do? I don't know.

I think for myself, the challenge is to act responsibly where I can, even if I don't see how my own action can save anything. Drive less. Buy less. Eat food grown with less pesticide. But this isn't clearly going to work, even if many other fortunate Americans do it as well as me. I don't know.