I didn't even have to be "pushing for changes" to be ridiculed by most everyone I knew (with the exception of my mother and my 5th grade teacher). All I had to

I didn't even have to be "pushing for changes" to be ridiculed by most everyone I knew (with the exception of my mother and my 5th grade teacher). All I had to do / say was be in agreement with the scientists who actually understood the issue. That was enough for most to label me a "tree-hugging hippie". Truth is that the ridicule just pushed me even further toward serious concerns about the future of our environment, because it opened my eyes to the fact that most people aren't gonna worry about it until it directly impacts their lives in a truly undeniable way (by which time it's already far too late).