An old man walking along a beach at dawn noticed a young man ahead of him picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. Catching up with the youth he asked what he was doing. “The starfish will die if they are still on the beach when the sun roasts them with its mid-morning heat,” came the answer. “But the beach goes on for miles, and there are millions of starfish,” countered the old man. “How can your effort make any difference?” The young man looked at the starfish in his hand and threw it safely in the waves. “It makes a difference to this one,” he said.