The Wednesday Word is: EARTH
Later today, I will be hosting my first Earth Day meditation online. I am happy for the opportunity to share with my followers, but a little saddened because I was supposed to be hanging out with my friend, Shannon Ditz, of Huron County Master Gardeners this week and hosting a meditation there. While I will miss that interaction, my commitment to making Earth healthy remains.
Earth Day began in 1970 as an idea by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson. He saw the need to make people aware of the environmental ignorance people possessed. Said ignorance was not always born of stupidity, but of not knowing best practices to keep Earth clean and healthy. He saw a lot of pollution across the globe and wanted to do something more to help. He asked people to gather and invited them to unite and clean up Earth. Some did clean, some protested for better environmental protection laws. On that first gathering, more than 20 million Americans participated!
So, as the header picture asks, what has changed since April 22, 1970? While it might feel to some progress has slowed, it has not. Every day people make positive changes and choices which affect the environment for the better. And, on that day, 50 years ago, Earth Day was born of this event, which has grown into Earth Week, Earth Month and movements to care for the Earth and celebrate Earth every day. People across the globe celebrate Earth Day and have amassed a global cleanup.
Also, since 1970, Senator Nelson’s efforts lead to the passage of environmentally conscious laws such as, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act.. Since 1970, environmentalists such as myself and my friend Green Laura Jean, Greta Thunberg, Alex Bellini and Boyan Slat, have been taking charge of making all people aware of the global responsibility to Earth, in small or big ways, every positive effort matters.
So whether you write letters or call your local EPA to insist upon change and report flagrant offenders, or you challenge county commissioners not to build a dump, or you vow to educate people on eco-conscious living or educate on environmental travesties, or live on an iceberg for a year studying the effects of greenhouse gases on the planet or you invent a mechanism to clean the oceans of pollution, or you pick up beer cans in your local park, or plant a tree… you AND your efforts matter.
Each year Earth Day celebrations have a theme. This year’s theme is: climate action. While this seems like a big challenge, it is also a big opportunity to take action on how your actions affect the climate and your environment. What can you do to help Earth and yourself today?