Day 21: Words and Pictures: Earth Day
When I was little I remember asking my mom, “if there is Father’s Day and Mother’s Day, how come there is not a Kids’ Day?” To which she replied, “because every day is kids’ day.”
Today is the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day. Fifty years ago, Senator Gaylord Nelson recognized our deteriorating environment and thought to organize college students in some sort of protest. In developing a team, the plan was expanded to include all Americans. Originally it was a demonstration against industrialization and its impact on the environment and human health. While that is still at its core, Earth Day is now globally recognized as a “day of action to change human behavior and create global, national and local policy changes.”
I find it interesting that a world wide shut down has caused a change in our environmental rampage. Scientists say that East Coast of the US has about a thirty percent reduction in air pollution. The NYC skyline is much clearer since people are staying home and not out in their cars. Venice’s canals are clear enough that fish can be seen in them. Endangered hawksbill sea turtles on the now deserted beaches of Brazil are able to hatch without human interference.
All this change and unintended benefit has happened in quite a short amount of time. While it has been a dramatic pause, it makes me wonder what would happen if a smaller pause or change could occur monthly, weekly or daily. Rather than shutting down everything, what if individuals (or at least those who have the means of choice) decided to not use the car one or more days a week. Or to go meatless one day or more a week. Things that have been mentioned before by health advocates but never was implemented on such a scale as this forced pandemic.
We have seen through the spread of the corona virus that it can take just one to infect other people. The decision of one can fatally impact many.
A small action impacting a larger population.
If we all take one small step in our consumer behavior, there can be a large gain in improving our overall environment. Rather than being confining, I find that idea liberating- to know that each one of us in our small way can be part of a bigger picture and can contribute to the greater good.
What about you? Have you ever practiced small changes in your behavior? What happened? Do you ever feel that you are alone in your “sacrifices”? What small changes can you implement in order to improve the earth’s health?
If any good has come from this pandemic it should be the recognition that we are all together on this planet; that our individual actions do impact others; that we only have one showing in our life’s play and there is only one stage- our great big beautiful Earth.
In a way, every day is and should be Earth Day.
