Why we celebrate Earth Day
And how chilling out can alleviate global warming
When it comes to holidays, I am usually in. With some exceptions, I can usually get past any of the misgivings about holidays being an excuse to pressure people into spending money and engage in obligatory gifting. You know the cynical take, that most modern holidays are inventions of the greeting card companies used to boost sales and manipulate the populous. Old school holidays (the ones that correlate with the equinoxes and solstices and have been blended with religious holidays) can also be said to be populous manipulators (the religions being the first to co-opt the special days for their own recruiting and retention practices). It’s a very cynical approach to think that times of collective celebration are nothing more than times where collective manipulation can be maximized. But, I can see the argument.
However, in my own heart, I do kind of like holidays. My personal favorite is Thanksgiving — yes it’s full of bad energy and was birthed as a cover story to watercolor over the atrocity of America’s genocidal founding — sure thing I have felt conflicted and guilty about “celebrating” it in years past. But for the most part, I still enjoy it, mainly because I love the dinner — all the parts of it — and I enjoy that there is no obligation to buy any presents, replaced with an encouragement or expectation that everybody think about their blessings for one day instead of lusting after what they don’t have — that is reserved for the day immediately following Thanksgiving (Black Friday) a most foul holiday, which I usually observe with a counter holiday (Buy Nothing Day).
When it comes to Earth Day — I have never formally celebrated it. Being an organic farmer, you would think that I would — if not because I personally love the Earth and want to celebrate it, that I might want to take advantage of the marketing opportunity where a lot of the public is being pressured to think green thoughts and support Earth loving endeavors like my own. Trust me, I have thought about it, all the 16 years I have been doing this work almost all my peers and competitors host a farm day, do some special marketing, or somehow try to jump on the Earth Day bandwagon. I opt out usually out of — laziness and lack of planning. Plus, I kind of think Earth Day falls into the bogus holiday category, invented in 1970 it was originally celebrated on March 21 — the first day of Spring, which made more sense but was later changed to April 22 in a move to focus on college students (who would be in between Spring break and final exams). Many of the original Earth Day celebrations focused on college communities and promoting environmental activism, not a bad idea to begin with, but also not without ability to be manipulated or overlaid with specific agendas. Today the main focus of many Earth Day celebrations is, you guessed it, global warming and climate change. Which if I am honest about, I am not 100% sold on.
People are often shocked when I raise even one eyebrow about the global warming argument, but the Al Gore Power Point aside, not much real scientific evidence has confirmed the fears that global warming is the biggest environmental threat to the Earth AND that carbon emissions are the culprit. My own opinion (not a fact, and I am willing to admit it) about global warming is yes it is happening, and humans are a part of why — but it’s because of our collective stress and inability to live harmoniously with one another and the Earth itself that is causing the warming. I read this once in a metaphysical book which I deeply respect and buy into wholeheartedly. It was in response to a question about global warming and Earth changes, the answer (from channeled material from a higher life form) given was — Yes the earth is heating up and going through climate changes, the main reason being where we are at in our larger planetary cycle (moving into another density) and the inharmonious relationship the people of the Earth have collectively with themselves, each other and the planet. You know how when you get really upset emotionally, some call it getting heated, your body actually heats up and releases sweat and stress. Yeah, well that happens to a lot of people all the time and the Earth absorbs it. Yes, that is what I think is the connection between humanity and global warming. I know it sounds unscientific, but I have less respect for “science” than most modern people who worship it. To me science is the new kid on the block and like most adolescents, think they know more than they actually do.
So instead of buying a carbon credit or swapping out your light bulbs on Earth Day, if you really want to make a difference in the global warming equation you may try just chilling the hell out (for one day). Think about how you can think differently about the Earth, your fellow Earthlings and the whole collective swirl we are all in. It sounds cheap, but there is freedom in the idea of the power of right thinking and meditation. If someone you trusted told you the greatest impact you can have on cleaning up the environment was cleaning up your own trash thinking and purifying your spirit (of anger and hatred and wrong thinking) would you be willing to do your part?
Sometimes we ask ourselves, why it is so difficult to have world peace, why we can’t all just get along collectively? Have you ever asked yourself why it is so difficult for you to have peace in all your personal relationships? To practice love and forgiveness with the people you know? To just get along with your loved ones and associates. While I am not minimizing this challenge in any way — anyone who is a member of a family or relationship can relate to the difficulty inherent in cultivating an attitude of perfect peace and love — it is an area where we have more agency and power to change than most.
The Earth is our home and the place where we experience our lives. It’s very important. Our effect on it is vibrational and energetic as much as it is physical and tangible. It takes a lot of wisdom to be conscious of your vibration and energy — what you are putting out subtly in the environment, and it takes your will to master it. The reason why you should look into it is because this is one thing that only you can do.
The problems and difficulties that the Earth is undergoing are exponential results of the problems and difficulties all of us who inhabit it are creating. What do we want to create? Why have we come here in the first place? What gift can we give the place where we live? For me, I fall into the category of people for whom “Everyday is Earth Day”, everyday that I am blessed enough to be here on this planet. I don’t believe that life sucks or the Earth is a dying shithole. I think it is the most magnificent place I can ever remember being. I am grateful for the opportunity to be here in this place, especially at this critical time. All of us who find ourselves here together at this moment are incredibly blessed and privileged (my personal opinion) and in a position of immense evolutionary power, personally and collectively. If we want to make that a fact — we have to start acting like it.
HAPPY EARTH DAY to all my fellow Earthlings. I am grateful for each and every one of you.
