To Save The Planet, Save Each Other — Reflections On Earth Day

“What’s it like to be you?”

Posed by the brilliant philosopher Charles Eisenstein, this question naturally evokes empathy with people unlike us, other species, and the planet as a whole.

More than a quarter of all birds in the United States have vanished since 1970, a loss of nearly 3 billion animals.

As you listen to birdsong or admire a red cardinal, spend a moment wondering — “What’s it like to be you?”

According to the latest research, it will take 3 to 7 million years of evolution to rebuild the biodiversity of mammal species lost in just the last 10 years.

What’s it like to be the last living Indochinese tiger in Laos? Or one of the last two Northern White Rhinos, a species which survived millions of years until human havoc destroyed their habitat.

A child born in the last 6 years who earns her advanced degree in marine biology will be studying oceans of the past; There will be almost no living coral left and as she grows old, she’ll be unable to see any of the beaches you’ve visited in your lifetime. They will be gone, along with most marine life.

What’s it like to be a child, a teenager, or a new parent in this changing climate?

Our planet’s natural ecosystems have been abused and are now deranged, pulling at the chains of former limitations like King Kong on the stage. 500-year storms are now routine.

The earth was never just an “environment” for humans and animals; When we consider earth as a living being rather than a background, we begin to notice her muted brilliance. Now that we’ve slowed down due to shelter in place orders, we see clear canals, blue skies, and quieted landscapes, but most of the damage is done. As carbon build-up relegates exquisite natural balance into unstable chaos, we will be confronted by more wildfires, hurricanes, and dead zones.

To adjust to this new, less reassuring way of life, we need to find our center.

“The question ‘What is it like to be you?’ is a way to heal the separation — not something you do to be a good person, but something you do because it brings you to the truth and brings you to your creative power as an agent of change in this world.” — Charles Eisenstein

What’s it like to be you, living through these changes?

Yes, brilliant technologies and innovative solutions are on the way, but even if the worst catastrophes are avoided, our planet and her beings (including us) are badly hurt.

Maybe we should add “fall back into love with earth” to our shared bucket list.

Many of us have become discouraged — we can’t begin to imagine carbon capture machines or other undesirable solutions to this crisis, so other than a few halfhearted attempts at using less plastic, recycling what we can, and being more responsible with travel, we just go on and hope for the best.

There is more we can do, though. If you are kind to your neighbor or you encourage a friend who is struggling with depression, you are healing the planet. If you educate children or visit detained immigrants, you are playing a pivotal role in change for the better. When we lend a hand and lift a person’s spirits, we are enabling different views. When you’re fighting for survival, you can’t really worry about something as surreal as climate change. People who feel supported and healthy are more likely to include planetary health in their list of concerns.

Contrary to popular beliefs, the loss of our species would be a disaster for most denizens of earth. We are the cavalry. Only humans can engineer the restoration of a wildlife preserve or envision solutions to problems with nuclear waste, ocean warming, and carbon pollution. The planet needs us just as much as we need the planet.

If we disappear, will the spinning ball called earth survive? Sure, but most of the planet’s current inhabitants won’t. And there’s the clarion call to action — we matter. Every action helps, from leading a team to green energy to smiling at a stranger.

You never know — your small contribution might be leveraging goodness and positive change for generations to come.

To save the planet, save each other.

I love you. Keep going.

Happy Earth Day.

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