I write and think about the effects that human beings are having on the health of this earth almost every day but it was still shocking when, in preparation of this month’s eBulletin- Personal and World Transformation through Environmental Stewardship- I did a simple google image search on the environment and pollution. My heart sank and a rancid nausea rose in my stomach upon seeing images of children picking though gigantic piles of garbage, of sea animals swimming through the muck of spilled oil or suffocated on plastic bags, of smoke stacks sending infinite waves of toxic plumes into the air, of brown skies due to endless streams of cars on huge highways, of gorgeous, century old forests being completely erased, of piles of trash floating down water ways, of chemical and industrial factories dumping waste into our rivers…and on and on.

Our earth home is innocent, it is a perfectly balanced system that provides all that every creature needs to thrive, and the plain, simple truth is that we are destroying it. We are also, in the process, destroying the chance of our future generations to live happily and well on this green-blue planet. I have no desire to hear about moving to another planet- to me that is the response of a spoiled child who didn’t care for his toy, broke it and now wants to get another one. This is our home, this is the incredible, miraculous gift we have been provided. This gift includes plant medicine, food, shelter, water, beauty, art, music, clean air, resources to warm and protect our body, adventure, and Spirit manifested. As humans we have the final piece to the puzzle – the awareness to both appreciate it as well as nurture it.

Personal transformation occurs every time you enter into nature and stop to delight in its inherent divinity. World transformation occurs when we serve and protect our earth home. And, my friends, this CAN be done one person at a time. Our earth heroes and heroines have been showing us the way- it is time for us follow their lead, or become the new leaders for our future generations.

There are so many ways we can make a difference! Just pick a cause that you care about and gather with your community or neighborhood to plan a project that focuses on that cause. One mother in CA cared enough to get Roundup out of her neighborhood in just 60 days. Plant a tree today and join millions others around the world pledging to Plant for Earth Day. Your money is a powerful tool- use it wisely! Read labels, research companies, and choose carefully who and what practices you support with your money. Gather the teens in your community and plan a clean up day at a park, river, or beach. Take your children for a walk in nature. Walk slowly, notice and appreciate the divine gifts that abound. Try going trash free for one week- or make it one month! You will be surprised at how much fun it can be to go trash less… it will save you money too. An easy way to begin is by learning how to make your own cleaning products, bringing reusable shopping bags to the store, and by bringing containers to buy bulk. What matters most is that we do SOMETHING…ANYTHING.

The time is now. What can you do?