Earth Day: a focus beyond saving the environment
Mary Ackerson
Issue date: 4/22/08 Section: Opinion
I am the Earth
And the Earth is me.
These were the beginning lines of a poem that I recently read. Given the prevalence of environmental awareness these days, Earth Day should be more than a day to advocate the preservation of the environment. It should be used as a day to remember our personal connection to the Earth.
The modern, individualistic way of thinking about the earth views it as an entity separate from ourselves that we have to take care of. But whether one endorses Creationism or Evolution, our bodies were essentially formed from the earth. Thus we do not merely exist on the planet Earth; we are a part of it.
We are connected to the earth in the same way a baby is connected to its mother because it came from within her. In this way we are also linked to everything else that came from the Earth. Respecting the Earth it means taking the time to recognize and celebrate our relationship with it-swim in a river, lie in the grass in the sun, feed breadcrumbs to geese at a lake, hug a tree, smile at a stranger.
If we are disconnected from nature, we are essentially separated from a part of ourselves. This disconnection keeps people from adequately monitoring their daily actions that have negative affects on the earth.
A love for nature is the only thing that can truly motivate real and lasting environmental change. I am filled with a supreme sense of serenity and wonder when I watch water running in a brook, or observe the various contours of a tree. I feel as though my soul is connected to them, which makes sense when one remembers that we all originate from the earth.
It is out of this intense love for nature that I walk every day to school or work. This time, when I can feel my connection to the earth, is essential to my daily well-being. It helps me to feel whole and at peace with myself.
Driving essentially isolates us from nature. Many people drive because their schedules are so busy they feel they have no other choice. But the truth is, we all have a choice, and how we prioritize our lives is what determines our decision.
And the Earth is me.
These were the beginning lines of a poem that I recently read. Given the prevalence of environmental awareness these days, Earth Day should be more than a day to advocate the preservation of the environment. It should be used as a day to remember our personal connection to the Earth.
The modern, individualistic way of thinking about the earth views it as an entity separate from ourselves that we have to take care of. But whether one endorses Creationism or Evolution, our bodies were essentially formed from the earth. Thus we do not merely exist on the planet Earth; we are a part of it.
We are connected to the earth in the same way a baby is connected to its mother because it came from within her. In this way we are also linked to everything else that came from the Earth. Respecting the Earth it means taking the time to recognize and celebrate our relationship with it-swim in a river, lie in the grass in the sun, feed breadcrumbs to geese at a lake, hug a tree, smile at a stranger.
If we are disconnected from nature, we are essentially separated from a part of ourselves. This disconnection keeps people from adequately monitoring their daily actions that have negative affects on the earth.
A love for nature is the only thing that can truly motivate real and lasting environmental change. I am filled with a supreme sense of serenity and wonder when I watch water running in a brook, or observe the various contours of a tree. I feel as though my soul is connected to them, which makes sense when one remembers that we all originate from the earth.
It is out of this intense love for nature that I walk every day to school or work. This time, when I can feel my connection to the earth, is essential to my daily well-being. It helps me to feel whole and at peace with myself.
Driving essentially isolates us from nature. Many people drive because their schedules are so busy they feel they have no other choice. But the truth is, we all have a choice, and how we prioritize our lives is what determines our decision.
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