OP-ED
Earth Day Should Be a Day for All Sentient Individuals
Not just the human ones
Earth Day is a sign of eco-awareness. But as Joan Meiners of The Arizona Republic wrote, it’s rife with greenwashing. Companies scramble to appear friendly to our environment, while on closer look, many of their Earth Day proposals are underwhelming in terms of impact.
One explanation for why this happens is that CEOs are distracted by their own image and financial success. If the folks running companies can focus on the good of all, they’ll be more likely to create solutions that are effective.
This is true for everyday Homo sapiens too though. I, for one, can own up to the fact I am constantly worried about myself—my looks, reputation, control, security—even when I am more well-off than the majority.
As a human of privilege, I am by far more protected than the average non-human being especially. Over 99% of those who wake up on this planet each morning are the ones we call “animals.” Disruptive as it is to the human ego, we should extend our moral picture to include them. Human suffering and need is enormous, but theirs is no less enormous.
Earth Day should be a day for all sentient individuals. Whatever we do to try to help our environment, we should minimize any and all acts of violence against others who feel. We should seek solutions that are both green, vegan, and enforcing of human rights. Let us move forward with a genuine intention of solidarity for everyone.
