Mother Earth

It's been 50 years since Earth Day's inception. Yep, in 1970 environmental activists wanted cleaner air and water which resulted in the creation of both the Clean Air Act and the Environmental Protection Agency.  As someone recently shared a photo of 1970's New York City, these steps have greatly improved air quality as NYC had previously been shrouded in a polluted haze. We know that the state of California has the highest emission standards in the country because people want to breathe clean air rather than damage their respiratory system with a polluted environment. Yet, we know it's not enough. We can do better and instead of celebrating Earth Day, it's time we truly fight for it.

This week's theme wasn't solely inspired by Earth Day, but by two separate interviews linking the environment to the current Covid-19 pandemic. One was by Tim Ferriss with Dr. Jane Goodall, (podcast link is here) and the other was an interview on The New Yorker Radio hour with Bill McKibben and Elizabeth Kolbert. What these two interviews had in common was the idea that if the planet is sick, so too will be the beings who inhabit it. If we wish to have healthy lives, it's imperative that the planet is healthy. One of the challenges has been human beings encroaching on the habitats of entire ecosystems, not only disrupting them but placing us at risk for sharing diseases. As humans pursue more land, oil, and resources we are bumping up against and destroying habitat.

One of the most inspirational messages that Jane Goodall shares are that each individual matters. How we act individually doesn't tip the scales in any significant way, yet how we collectively act does. So the choices I'm making on a daily basis combined with the choices other individuals are making creates a synergistic power which is one of significance. This idea ties into last week's theme of Indra's Net (click here if you missed it), that all beings are linked together through an energetic web and what happens with a single point in the web affects all other points.

It seems trite to say that these are challenging times and I can't help but experience a sense of sadness and inertia regarding all of it. I notice that as human beings have withdrawn into their "cages and caves", Mother Earth seems to be enjoying the respite. Skies are clear, waterways seem cleaner and even the local suburban wildlife seems to be out frolicking. As Evo Morales said, "What mankind must know is that human beings cannot live without Mother Earth, but the planet can live without humans." I think to myself, why can't it always be like this? What will happen when we are freed from our self-captivity? Will we simply emerge and go back to doing the same things as before or is this a time of awakening?

Perhaps one lesson we're learning is that if our basic needs are being met, we really don't need much else. Our society encourages us to acquire more and more and we are an indebted society. What we really need is less and less. All of this has an immediate impact on the health of not only our planet but our psyche. All of this consumption leads to a sicker planet and if we circle back to the initial thought, it will lead to sicker humans living on the planet.

During this time when Mother Earth is getting a much needed planetary rest, we can also give ourselves permission to do the same. Can we simply be? Can we more deeply experience a pause in what we have always known to be true (life pre-COVID) and entertain the idea of putting our bare feet on the earth and giving back to her?

What are you doing to say thank you to Mother Earth? How are you keeping yourself grounded during this time? And when we're finally released back "out there", what will you have learned and do differently?

I'm curious as to what comes to mind in reading this. Please feel free to share. You can email me here.

Until then, let the energy of the Mother of all mothers seep more deeply into your bones. Moon and stargaze. Walk barefoot on the earth. Dig your hands into the soil. Let the wind touch your exposed skin. Smell spring in the air. Feel the sun warming your back. Look to open and moving bodies of water. It's time to get grounded and get grateful. 

Thank you, Mother Earth.