Simple Steps Forward: Earth Day and Beyond
by Kyle Roman
With the arrival of Earth Day and its 40th anniversary today, one must contemplate how much more abuse our beautiful and abundant Mother Earth can withstand? War rages on in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Palestine. Multinational corporations continue to pillage natural resources from the third-world, destroying the natives and polluting the environment. Politicians in the United States continue to inch us towards a corporatocracy which corrupts our democracy and is destroying families and communities. Capitalism continues to fail while delivering a wealth gap that is startling even when compared with history. And yet, today is Earth Day.
40 years in, after the consciousness raising of the 60's leading to the Earth Day legislation in 1970, there have been marginal changes in policy towards sustainability in our world. In the United States we have done nothing but accelerate the effects of Climate Change with our culture of consumption and greed which of course was designed for us, not by us. We continue to stall out on meaningful Climate Change legislation in our congress due to the unimpeded influence of the oil industry on our representatives. We continue to support nuclear power and "clean coal" as alternatives to oil although both are significantly dangerous to our well being. We continue to ignore sustainable solutions for power such as solar, hydro power, wind, and bio fuels. And yet, today is Earth Day.
The environmental movement is clicking on all cylinders nowadays. And who would have thought that going "green" would become trendy. Even with all of this support from the public as well as a substantial portion of the private sector, interference is rampant. We have long depended on ancient ways of solving problems in society. We have let governments and corporations do for us what is necessary for survival. What we must acknowledge is that these power systems are doing that which they are designed to do: corrupt, steal, blame, lie, kill, repeat. Over and over we have watched the systematic deconstruction of our democratic values in the name of "free-market" economics and "free-will". This must end if we have any chance at survival as a species on this great planet.
We should start thinking in a new way about our problems and their solutions. Now that we have gone green, we must go "local". The strength of the American people has always been a sense of community and loyalty to their neighborhood. Well lets start in our own community, each one of us. Local programs, even those with minimal time and money, can make a difference. There is already so many local programs established in your own community right now to join, you would not have to start one yourself. The key is to get up out of the house and get involved.
I myself am guilty of going home and retreating within. This is not the way to live in a country or on a planet that has serious problems. In fact, it is that retreating mentality that the corporatocracy depends upon. You have to be at home in front of the TV to watch the commercials to tell you what toothpaste to buy, what clothes to wear, how overweight you are and how much money you don't have.
These strategies are specifically designed to make you feel insecure about yourself and subservient to companies and products. They manufacture your consent and make you irrationally submit to authority. After all, you can't keep your own teeth white, you must use Crest to do so. These corporations want people to be confined to their own box so they can construct a view of the world for you. It is time to break out of this prison of the mind.
Everybody should look at Earth Day like New Years Day. Make a resolution for the new year... again! Every Earth Day we should all pledge to be involved in some way to make our own community sustainable.
Whether it is growing organic food in your garden, or buying from the local farmers market, every bit helps.
Whether it is installing solar panels on your home or business, or caulking your windows to reduce energy consumption, every bit helps.
Lobby your local government officials to use abandoned properties as public gardens to feed the hungry, homeless and unemployed.
Present a strategic plan at a city council meeting for any ideas for sustainable projects. You will be surprised how quick an official will steal your idea and make it happen!
Just leaving your house during sunlight and using minimal light at night will reduce your energy usage significantly. Enjoy the night, enjoy the darkness. Recreating the daytime with lights at night is irresponsible to the environment and wasteful. It will also create more time for you to be active both physically, and in your community. Think about that for a second. The interdependence of a simple change in your life can be a lasting solution.
Going outside during the daytime will save energy while all lights and appliances are turned off in your house. You will be outside burning calories and becoming healthier, thinking healthier, making healthier food choices, and becoming confident in yourself again. You will take that confidence into your community and get involved in a project that will help others sustain their lives. Building up others makes your community safer, more desirable.
All of this can happen starting this Earth Day if we simply decide as a people to put down the remote control, leave our homes, and start rebuilding the communities that we love. After all, it is love that will triumph in the end. We still have that love in our hearts for each other as human beings. Lets start sharing that love with each other and recreate our communities in a sustainable, caring way that is respectful to Mother Earth.
