Sunday, April 22, 2018

Earth Day: Not Enough

Today is Earth Day, an annual celebration of our planet's many resources and of our commitment to protect them.  There will be speeches, festivals, marches, fun-runs and other human activities, designed to highlight the threats to our environment and to educate attendees how to minimize their personal impact on natural ecosystems.

Of course, those efforts will be ineffective unless they challenge the financial power of industry and the political forces within our government that strive to derail the work of conservationists.  It is good that many humans will "show their green" on Earth Day but they must followup that demonstration by making "green choices" when they shop, as they manage their own property and at the ballot box.

It is fun to gather on a warm, sunny day to taste organic foods, buy natural trinkets and accept free trees and bumper stickers but it is harder to join community action groups, support conservation organizations and take part in the political process.  What better time to make those commitments than during the reign of King Trump, a man devoted to plundering Earth's bounty.