"Every day is Earth Day." Author Unknown
"The greatest wealth is health." Virgil
I find Humanity's relationship with mother earth similar to the relationship we have with our bodies. Many of us fail miserably to look after ourselves. We consume copious amounts of alcohol. We swear off exercise and worship at fast food counters. We push ourselves so hard we are literally consumed with stress and anxiety.
We just don't seem to care. Or if we do, we seem unable or unwilling to change. Our behavior repeats itself. Again and again.
The truth is we don't treat our planet any better.
Earth has existed without humanity for billions of years but we cannot exist without our precious green planet. With that stark fact in mind why do we dump millions of tons of waste into the oceans every year? Why do we devastate our forests? Why do we pollute through our cities? Why? I want someone to explain. Why?
One day this planet of ours is going to give up. It is going to give in to all our selfishness and short sightedness. It is going to suffer irreparably from our continued denial. Yes. I said it. Denial.
Most of us are in denial about the catastrophe we are edging closer towards; a catastrophe that may not transpire in my life time or yours. But one day it will come. And when it arrives we will all be to blame.
We have to treat this planet of ours with respect.
Yet we do not. Why don't we treat our planet, which sustains the mystery of life with dignity? Why don't we do what is best for us and those who will follow? Our Earth provides us with the ingredients of life: It gives us the air we breathe. The water we drink. It fuels our soul with its transfixing and majestic beauty: epic sunrises, brilliant sunsets and so much more.
It's ours. It's all we have.
It seems that we are on an unavoidable path towards self destruction. Sound familiar! Well, if it doesn't let me revisit the issue of the way we treat our bodies. There are definite parallels in our treatment of earth and the way many of us treat ourselves. Self destruction of the bodily type is an every day occurrence. I partook in it for years. Self destruction of the earthly type is also an everyday occurrence. I cannot claim innocence here either.
At the same time as we have a responsibility to ourselves we have a responsibility to those that come after us. We must protect our planet. Don't wait until it's too late. Let's find our way out of our denial and start to think smart.
The last I heard humans were the self proclaimed smartest species around. Maybe it is time to start living up to that lofty proclamation ... Both our bodies and our planet, are screaming for someone to listen!
Leon Logothetis