About

An idea is born…

There is one and only one reason I worked for years to write Earth’s Forgotten Secrets. I made a silent promise to the kids in the photo and to my other great nieces and nephews. Aunt Susie is not going to let people with blind spots (or people who don’t care) steal the future from you. I hope readers of Earth’s Forgotten Secrets will make the same promise to the young people in their life. It’s time to put families and children first.

The idea for this book began some twenty-five years ago after a science workshop I did for elementary teachers. The feedback was positive, but I had failed them. Sure, I had provided good information and activities focusing on the hot topics of the day. But it was a tiny drop in a giant bucket, and I knew it. I wanted to teach them to fish, not throw them a few fish crumbs. Einstein’s words echoed in my mind. We cannot solve problems with the same thinking that created them.

How can we help teachers, students, and people everywhere think for themselves when there is so much to know? Slowly, answers emerged, and a light popped on. Get back to basics. The basics of how laws, like gravity, govern this planet. It doesn’t matter if you think of them as laws of science, laws of nature, or God’s laws. Like gravity, they were part of the planet when we humans arrived. Like gravity, these laws are nonnegotiable and nonpolitical. We have climate, energy, and biodiversity problems because we don’t understand how these laws applied to our lives.

In short, dozens and dozens of seemingly separate issues can be explained by five “secrets” or ideas. All I needed to do was translate the abstract science laws into everyday language. Everything comes from somewhere and goes somewhere. There is no such place as away help explain the Law of Conservation of Matter/Mass. This secret also helps explain why sulfur in coal triggered acid rain, CFCs (chemicals) in spray cans enlarged the ozone hole, and carbon in fossil fuels contributed to global climate change. The sulfur, CFCs, and carbon all went “somewhere” and caused the problems that face us.

Our challenge now is to find ways to meet our needs without destroying the very things that make our lives possible. The best way to do this is to turn the five laws into questions. Where did this come from and where will it go when I am done with it? Will it cause any problems? This new, nonpolitical approach can prevent us from making the same mistakes over and over. And it levels the playing field because every single one of us can ask important questions that impact our future. For more details, check out the Overview section.

Expect science knowledge, nods to religious teachings, and other words of wisdom.

It will take all of us working together to create a better future. Saving biodiversity (the plants and animals that are part of our critical supply chains) isn’t a new idea. It’s what the story of Noah and the Ark were all about! Science explains how our planet works. Religion and spirituality inspire us to act with courage and morals, to do the right thing. Earth’s Forgotten Secrets can help you think about ways to secure the future for today’s children and teens. Please, please do not keep these ideas secret. Tell everyone you know! There is no big publishing house with a giant publicity machine for this eBook. The only way others will gain the knowledge to protect their family is if you spread the word. Remember, the eBook is free. So, it isn’t about money. It’s about hope.

A special thanks to Nancy Rosenthal Stewart and Dr. Jeannette Batz Cooperman for helping to make the manuscript readable. Thank you to Major Luke Barker, USAF Ret., for tech support. Their generous gifts of skill, time, and encouragement helped make Earth’s Forgotten Secrets possible.

Thanks for reading,

Susan “Sus” Barker