All communities on this planet depend on Earth to survive. What should be self-evident is too often lost in the noise of commerce and progress. Earth is a lucky living system we are integrally a part of. We depend on this, and uniquely, we hold the power to change it.

Take a deeeeeep breath.

Enjoy the comfort and relief of full lungs of air.

Today take a moment to feel your bare feet on the grass. Feel the sun warming your cheeks, and the wind cooling your brow. Notice how nature sings all around you.

Take it all in. You are home!

We come from this pleasure planet, and we will return to it. Let us be good stewards of our home while we are here―for all of Earth’s communities, and for generations to come.

…In other words, let’s wise up and unite to shed this sometimes fair assessment…………………

Happy Earth Day!

Here are some ways to participate in and encourage healthier relationships with Earth:

Localization―build and barter with local people, farms, and businesses to procure as many of your needs as possible. Grow food, teas, medicines, and valuable goods. Learn water management techniques to irrigate crops, restore water tables, and to be more independent.

Consume Consciously― where you buy things from matters. Support organic and local farms and businesses as much as you can. Some companies have ethical principles about the environment and well-being deeply imbedded in their mission and actions, so when you cannot procure things locally or do without, support those who are working to make it better.

Reduce Waste― do you need to buy something new, or can you share it with someone? There are many resources designed to facilitate more sharing and reuse. For example there are book, toy, and tool libraries, sites to ride share or garden share, and sites with free or low cost reused goods such as freecycle.org, craigslist, and our friends at Mass Mosaic.

Become Active ― there are levers of power out there, and decisions being made every day that determine how the environment will be cared for, which energy, water, and waste systems will be funded, where lands will be fracked or protected. Your voice and your vote, whether you like it or not, matters and counts, especially when it is united in action with many others. Talk with your friends and neighbors, plug into your local politics, and see where you and your community can get meaningfully involved in creating movements.

Permaculture―study up on this design science that uses principles of nature to construct  intelligent restorative ecosystems. Gaia’s Garden is an excellent introduction, Permies.com has tons of forums and information, and you can find design certification courses online.

Educate Yourself―teach yourself and your loved ones about planetary health issues. See Netflix environmental documentaries, and check out works by Bill McKibben such as Deep Economy and Naomi Klein’s ‘This Changes Everything .’ The more the people know, the more inspired to act they will be, the more creative ideas and solutions can be found, and the more the world can be shifted in a direction of living in balance with the planet.

Support Organizations―donate to , volunteer, or work for, or invent, organizations or actions to change laws and minds, educate people, and facilitate positive changes!

Our relationship with Earth can, and must, be rethought and healed. Let’s each do our part, and work together, to make the most of our stewardship of this lovely place called home.

Since 1972, Communities magazine has been the primary resource for information, stories, and ideas about intentional communities in North America—including urban co-ops, cohousing groups, ecovillages, and rural communes.

Communities now also focuses on creating and enhancing community in the workplace, in nonprofit or activist organizations, and in neighborhoods, with enhanced coverage of international communities as well. We explore the joys and challenges of cooperation in its many dimensions.

You can subscribe to the magazine here: http://www.ic.org/communities-magazine-home/