Earth Day 2020 - 50 Years

4/21/20

50 Years Celebrating Earth Day.  How far have we come?  How far do we have to go?

April 22, 1970 - I remember the first Earth Day, and the hope it brought for new awareness to the troubles our Mother Earth was experiencing.  In Santa Barbara, this celebration fell a little over a year from the horrific 1969 Oil Spill   In fact, it was this oil spill that inspired the first Earth Day.  At the time we thought, 'we will learn from this and nothing like this will happen again'.  But we haven't learned.  Or we are learning very slowly.

Santa Barbara has made an incredible recovery.  You can now walk on beaches without having your feet covered in oil

Scientists have learned a great deal about how to treat oiled seabirds

So I wonder what George would think of the how things are going with our cherished Mother Earth?  I think he would be angered but not surprised at humans continuing to place higher value on profit than the health of their fellow humans and the earth.  I think he would be incredulous at people who mock and decry scientific facts.   AND, he would be heartened by the widespread efforts of conservation movements and the acceptance of 'enviromental conservationist' - a term considered new and odd in 1970.  He would be encouraged by people embracing things like "forest bathing", nature-based preschools, and the need to connect to nature.  His hero would be Greta Thunberg.  

After this pandemic has passed - or at least quieted down - I hope we take some of the things we may have learned as we sheltered in place.  To slow down, consume less, take in more nature.