The paradox of Earth Day
For over 5 weeks, I have not laid on the earth, sat on a rock or under a tree. But I have felt the air on my skin, listened to bird song and looked up to the big blue sky.
Mother Nature loves paradox. She shows us this in her dance in light and dark, sun and moon, living and dying. And this Earth Day is one of those examples.
Earth Day marks the birth of the environmental movement as it began in the United States. So the birthplace of Native Americans whose deep connection with nature, meant they never created the conditions which required an environmental movement.
And what is more, this Earth Day marks 50 years of the movement. On one hand a celebration of enhanced global environmental awareness. But also a lifetime of escalating environmental degradation.
Furthermore, on this Earth Day, so many of us are inside. A lung infecting virus has escalated around the world. And is breathing life into the natural world, as humans stop their normal and often destructive ways.
This Earth Day, a little virus has a big message.
Little virus, big message
As the meme going around says…
Politicians and industry leaders:
“there’s absolutely no way we can simply shut everything down just to lower emissions, slow climate changes and protect the environment”
Mother Nature:
“Here is a virus. Practice”.
We are nature. Our nature includes the thinking, systems and institutions we create. But if we continue the predominant anthropocentric view that we are separate from nature. That nature exists for us humans. And that we are the measure of all things, we will continue to make decisions and behave accordingly. Creating crisis after crisis. Extinction after extinction.
But if we can see ourselves as part of nature, we return to ways of being and doing that are in harmony with earth’s natural balance.
This little virus has shown us we can walk more softly on the earth.
It is showing us we can accelerate systemic and structural change.
An invisible virus which is making us see clearly, how interrelated the nature of things are.
How our wellbeing and existence is inextricably linked to the wellness of the earth.
And to mark the day, here at Earth Converse we are hosting a ‘Well beings and non-beings webinar’. Join us.
Meme source: sorry I don’t know who created it, but thank you. It is very clever.
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash