As we come up to another 
Earth Day on April 22nd, the mainstream and social media are all abuzz about taking Eco-Action and celebrating our love for the only home we as humans know. Given the environmental struggles we are facing at the moment, there is often a common rallying cry around the day which is that we must all take action in order to save the Earth. While the sentiment is necessary and something I applaud, the fact of the matter is that Earth Day isn’t really about saving the Earth.
Now in it’s 41st year, Earth Day was created to inspire and motivate individuals and organizations worldwide to demonstrate their commitment to environmental protection and sustainability. It was designed to create awareness amongst human civilization as to how we are negatively impacting the ecosystem that we exist and thrive within. Earth Day was intended to precipitate a healthy dialogue and series of actions to create positive and lasting change. What it WAS NOT designed to do was save the planet.
You see, our planet has been around for over 4.5 Billion years. It has seen and experienced natural occurances far more severe than what human kind has ever been able to thrust upon it. It has experienced 7 Ice Ages, the mass extinction and eradication of other species of life such as the dinosaurs and has lived a violent and generally brutal existence. Humans on the other hand have been around for only about 160,000 years. For all but the last fractions of that time we have been able to exist within the parameters of what the Earth had thrust upon us. Mostly we lived an existence where human kind had a respect for the planet and an understanding that we were just inhabitants who were not fully entitled to all that the planet had to offer.
While events such as the Industrial Revolution began to turn the tide, the healthy relationship we had with the Earth really didn’t begin to turn negative until about the mid 20th century. It wasn’t until the end of World War II that humanity began to exert its growing knowledge against our planet. As we began to grow our technological know-how in leaps and bounds, we also became a race that continually felt more and more entitled to whatever we wanted – especially in the developed world. The end result is that we continue to live with a short term mindset with selfish motivations, and we are now beginning to recognize that the planet isn’t taking too kindly to what we are doing to it.
Earth Day was created to wake people up and to make them realize that ultimately by harming our planet we are only harming ourselves. While the Earth can take whatever we do to it and throw at it, we are in actuality creating a situation where the alterations we make to our ecosystem will be so severe and permanent that we will no longer be able to thrive or possibly even exist within it.
Earth Day isn’t about saving the planet. No, Earth Day is actually about saving ourselves.
Perspective is one of the most valuable traits an individual can have, and when preparing to celebrate the 41st Earth Day on April 22nd my hope is that individuals can use a little proper perspective when considering what this day really is all about. For some people the thought of trying to save the Earth is far too daunting to comprehend. The result is that we instead do nothing. However if we were to adjust our perspective and recognize that Earth Day is actually a rallying cry designed to help human kind save our own existence from our own gluttonous and self absorbed practices, then perhaps we might be able to make it personal and begin to make the necessary changes.
This Earth Day I’m asking you all to become selfish and think about what actions you can take to save you from yourself. I’m asking you also to think about your children and how as a parent you are ultimately responsible for their future. It’s not just about providing for post secondary education, it’s also about stewardship of the home you plan to pass on to them when you’re gone.
Happy Earth Day one and all!
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