The Blue Marble ~ provided by NASA
I’m always amazed at how beautiful our Earth is ~ it really never gets old to see pictures of the Earth or watch a television show or a YouTube clip like Petie put up in his latest blog, seeing the Earth in all Her glory.
The mountains and rain forests, the rivers and streams, the majestic deserts, the beautiful hills and valleys, and all the magic Mother Nature shares with us ~ this brings me to a place of awe and gratefulness.
And this weekend, I’ll be celebrating the Earth with lots of other people as it’s the 42nd Earth Day on Sunday, April 22.
There were many encouraging acts passed to help preserve the environment after the first Earth Day in 1970. Sadly, in recent years, the government and large corporations have not been focused on environmental issues.
More trees are being cut down; there have been major oil spills contaminating the water and killing our wildlife; genetically modified food is being introduced; more pesticides are being used; and something called fracking, a process used by pushing at high pressure, a massive amount of water mixed with sand and chemicals known to be toxic deep into the Earth to find natural gas, which is contaminating the water supply in the towns where fracking is happening.
This makes me so very sad and brings tears to my eyes.
I don’t like writing about this ~ I don’t like knowing about this … but I want to be sure that I am still able to breathe fresh air and drink clean water and eat healthy food now and when I’m older and that my family and you and yours and the next generation and the one after that and after that and on and on are also able to do the same.
Have you read The Lorax by Dr. Seuss? In a nutshell, it’s a wonderful right-on tale about how we all need to be stewards of the environment.
You see, in the tale, there is a Once-ler who, to me, seems very similar to quite a few people in our government and large corporations. Once-lers have, unfortunately, a sense of entitlement and greed living in their hearts and minds. They believe that more is better and aren’t able to see beyond their nose ~ to know that what we do affects all ~ that we are connected and interdependent.
I wish I could do what Dr. Seuss did in his book ~ give the Once-lers here in our world a sweet-heart and conscience, so they begin to see with clear eyes that it is important for all of us to care for the environment, for our Earth, and take responsibility for each other.
The theme this year for Earth Day is Mobilize the Earth™. I’ll be joining lots of people to demand action from the world’s governments for a sustainable future that includes:
- embracing renewable energy:
- improving energy efficiency;
- creating green jobs; and
- providing a healthy environment for all.
The environmentalist Paul Hawken explains sustainability in a simple but profound way:
“It can also be expressed in the simple terms of an economic golden rule for the restorative economy: leave the world better than you found it, take no more than you need, try not to harm life or the environment, make amends if you do.”
I know in my heart, we can do this together ~ so let your voice be heard as well this Earth Day ~ let’s all be the Lorax who spoke for the Truffula trees, the Bar-ba-loots and Swonee-swanns who were unable to speak on their own.
Come on, I’m pretty sure there will be an event you can go to, maybe volunteer to clean up a park or beach, help plant trees in your neighborhood or even your yard and sign those petitions. Let your congress-person know you want to preserve this beautiful Earth of ours ~ for you and for all generations to come.
Now that you know what I’ll be doing this Earth Day, let me know what you will be doing!
The way we harm the Earth affects all people,
and how we treat one another
is reflected in how we treat the Earth.
~ Paul Hawken
What a great post! I always learn something interesting from your blog & your FB posts. Thanks for stopping by The Moxie Bee; I appreciate your support!
Maura Alia Badji recently posted..The Moxie Bee Loves: Mary Lou Quinlan’s The God Box, Sharing My Mother’s Gift of Faith, Love, and Letting Go
So good to see your face Maura … and very glad you enjoyed the post.
Supporting friends makes me quite happy!
To paraphrase, “Everything I needed to know, I learned from Dr. Seuss.” Happy Earth Day!
Aging Gal recently posted..Five Ways to End Job Stress
So very true ~ and Dr. Seuss makes it fun and play-filled! Glad you stopped by!
Twitter: classicnycgirl
says:
Dr. Seuss’ books were filled with all kinds of deep lessons, weren’t they? It’s really a pity that more people don’t see how the simple things they do every day harm the earth, and how simple changes could make such a huge difference.
Classic NYer recently posted..On an unexpected angel
I’m delighted to be re-reading Dr. Seuss’ work and realizing what an amazing man ~ teaching in such a colorful way. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that more and more people will open their eyes and hearts and make those simple changes so we all can enjoy our precious Earth for a very, very long time.
So delighted to have found your site through your comment on my blog. Such richness!
Tess Giles Marshall recently posted..What would you do with freedom?
That’s exactly how I felt when I found yours! So glad you came by to visit.
Dear Pattim
What a wise child you are. Our mother earth is such a precious place.
You have made me want to read The Lorax again. I think Lucas will love it.
Thank you!
Love,
Darla and Lucas
what a brilliant post! most definitely something i needed to read today.
you have a wonderful blog with rich content. i really enjoyed my visit here.
have a great day!
p.s. thanks so much for visiting and the lovely comment
Wow! Reading this first thing in the morning put a big smile on my face and now I’m ready to face the day. Thank you for your kind words and for coming by for a visit! ♥
I love when you and Lucas come by. You don’t even have to read the book yourself ~ there’s a link on my post that will take you to a fabulous e-book on YouTube. It was so fun to hear The Lorax read to me like that ~ try it, I think you and Lucas will really like it! See you soon. xoxo
Twitter: MOLM2011
says:
A great post, and a lot to think about. I am going to walk to work now that the weather is nicer. Saves the environment and wear-and-tear on the car!
Making Our Life Matter recently posted..Thankful Thursday~April 19th
Walking to work isn’t just good for the environment (and your car), but you get exercise ~ you are certainly multi-tasking! Thanks for visiting ~ hope you have a great Earth Day weekend.
Dear Patti,
Wow, thank for sharing the ebook. We both loved it and were so glad the message in such a fun way is getting out to the world. Thanks for taking care of the earth and encouraging others to participate in loving their Mother Earth, too.
See you soon!!!
Yeah! So glad you both loved the ebook as much as we did! xoxo
Great post, great lyrical voice! If each and every one of us made just a few small changes in our routines and took just one day to get out and tell “the powers that be” what we will no longer tolerate, we could make such a difference in our lives, health, and well-being and that of generations to come. the power of 1 + 1 + 1 + … has been well-proven!
We did nothing particularly special for earth day this year. We’re trying to make every day a little Earth Day in our household. Some days we succeed better than others.
Thanks for this posting!
Corinne recently posted..Interruptions
Our church was hosting a hike at our local park, but it rained today, which is a way, is a good thing, because it means what I’m NOT doing is watering my garden, because mother nature did it for me!
Sorta Southern Single Mom recently posted..Friday Fragments: Too Much Unexpectedness???
Awwww, thanks for the compliment Corinne.
We too are making every day Earth Day and remembering to do random acts of environmental kindness wherever, however and whenever we can. Our voices need to be heard, especially that it is an election year here in the US. I know that what you and I do and what others do to help the Earth will trickle out to more and more people who will see that making Earth Day each day is not that difficult and makes a difference for all.
I say the same thing when it rains and it just seems so much more fun for Mother Nature to do the watering!
Twitter: nighlon
says:
That is my mom’s favorite book- she always instilled in us the lessons that Dr Seuss taught best! Thanks for this post! Mother Earth is our greatest resource.
Cari recently posted..Umbrella: Blogging from A to Z
I love your mom! I just started reading (well listening) to Dr. Seuss. I knew about him and his work, but never read his books when I was younger, so it is such great fun. What a guy! Always great to see your face Cari!