Today is Earth Day. Shouldn't every day be Earth Day? After all, it's the only earth we have (until NASA finds another one).
When we're good to it, it's good to us. For instance, when I plant something native, I attract lots of good native bees, butterflies and birds. This is important because native plants are able to adapt much better to local conditions than non-natives. This is turn saves the need for fertilizers, watering and pesticides. It's a win-win for everyone.
When I recycle bottles and other containers, it's one less bit of plastic in our landfills and in our oceans. I just read where scientists accidentally discovered plastic eating bacteria. Large scale use probably won't happen in my lifetime but it's a sign of hope for a huge problem.
All these little efforts add up after a while and just become a routine way of life. Some days, though, it seems like it's not nearly enough.
That's when I start thinking about other big picture issues, like wildlife extinction and climate change. Even if you don't believe in climate change, it's hard to get past the idea that 7.6 billion people, the current world population estimate, wouldn't have some kind of impact on the earth.
I've been fortunate to travel a bit and what I remember most from my trips is the wildlife and spectacular landscapes I've seen. I wonder if a few generations from now people will still see elephants, lions, rhinos, and so many other animals that I myself haven't seen yet.
Will glaciers still be around? Will we have clean oceans? Will we find better sustainable sources of energy? Will everyone have safe drinking water?
I hope the answer is yes to all of these questions. I think the younger generations are waking up to what's at stake (and how the adults in the room have made some serious mistakes) and will find answers to these vexing dilemmas. At the end of the day, their collective intellect and passion for a better planet may save all of us.
In the meantime, I want to share a few of those iconic animals from my travels to South Africa. Seeing them in real time in their own habitats gave me a much better perspective of how much we have to gain by making sure they stay here with us on this planet we call Earth.
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