Earth Day 2024

EARTH DAY 2024

We've been reflecting on what it means to us to celebrate Earth Day. The main sentiment that comes up is that we are Earth. Each of us and all of us. We believe that recognizing this will help humans to care for ourselves, others and for the planet.

Breath

Each breath we take is a gift from the atmosphere and the plant realm. Through photosynthesis, plants and cyanobacteria generate the oxygen we rely on. In turn, we exhale carbon dioxide that plants breathe in. Our breath is a life-giving exchange with the green world. Reflect on that! We're in a reciprocal relationship with green beings, and our lives depend on them.

Food

Through the ritual of eating, we incorporate and embody the earth. All food comes from the earth. What we eat has a huge impact on our own health and on the wellbeing of the planet. What actions can we take to help ensure our food is grown with respect for soil, water and life? 

• Sign up for a Community Supported Agriculture program and shop at farmer's markets
• Grow some of your own food to whatever extent you can
• Learn how food is grown and processed. Some resources:
  • Sentient Media
  • Regenerative Agriculture

Everything is Connected

Nothing exists in isolation. All human actions are linked to the local and global ecosystems we live within. Buried below buildings and pavement is living soil. Above and within our cities and towns is a life-giving atmosphere. It's "easy" to take this for granted, as long as we're breathing and have access to food to eat. But consider for a moment, how much do we tune out as we go about our day fixed on a screen, in transit, in buildings? What changes are taking place all around us? Right now Spring is unfolding, buds are bursting into flowers, birds are migrating and building nests, amphibians are calling, plants are sending new roots into the soil, water is recharging underground reservoirs... we might think none of this has anything to do with us, but we are part of this web. We can act consciously and pay attention. We can honor the interconnections between ourselves and all life. 

We'll end this post with a quote from Einstein on the human delusion that we're separate from the rest of nature and the universe:

"...This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."

Wishing you a beautiful Earth Day, a day to honor and remember that we are of the Earth. May you be inspired and empowered by tuning into the web of interconnection.