Today's Earth Day falls on a New Moon day, and new moons symbolise a chance for a new beginning, a fresh new start, a much-needed change. It’s almost as if the Universe is telling us it’s never too late or too early to change our ways and start anew. Just as Mama Nature does. Everything in Nature is cyclic; a constant rhythm of death and rebirth, a constant pattern of change.
Earth Day is devoted to our Mother, the giver of life. She gives us the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat. To me, she is God/Goddess. Yet, we treat Her with disrespect. We pollute Her lands, rivers, and oceans, we chop Her forests, we drill Her, we exploit Her. We treat other sentient beings she breathes life to as slaves. We treat each other, Her children, as enemies and not as brothers and sisters we are. We have moved away from Her and Her laws and created our own. We have invented other Gods and Goddesses we bow to, and relinquished Her. The giver of life.
This blindness will be the end of us. But, she will survive. She will go through her cycles of death and rebirth as she has done since the beginning of time. She will breathe life into different forms of life again, just like she always has. Hopefully, they will be more aligned with Her laws, they will bow to Her, love and respect Her.
As we all experience challenges the world is facing right now, from wars, poverty to climate change and this pandemic, let us not forget that we have done this to ourselves. Some say she has sent us this virus to teach us a lesson, but I don’t see it that way. This is just the law of cause an effect; every action creates a reaction, and our actions have created so many problems we are facing today. Our disrespect to Nature did this and we all share the blame.
But, it’s not too late to change our ways, to change the direction we're headed. And in order to change direction, we need to slow down, we need to stop, all at once and all together. And this is exactly what is happening right now. We have been driving in 5th gear for too long, mindlessly and dangerously. But, now we were forced to slow down, the world has slowed down, and we have come to a standstill. A perfect time to think about the direction we want to move towards when we start to move again. We shouldn't get back to our old ways - they are what got us here.
Change takes time and, if anything, that's what we have right now. So, use this gift to find ways to live a healthier, more sustainable life aligned with Nature's ways which you are an intricate part of. To live in peace and prosperity. We are all a drop in the ocean, an ocean in a drop. For the real change to happen we need to come together as one.
Below are a few things you can do today. For yourself, your family, your children, for the health and prosperity of all beings and of Mama Earth.
Switch to a plant-based diet
The pandemic we are facing right now is a zoonotic disease, meaning it came from an animal, just like around 60% of infectious diseases. It is a human activity that enabled the virus to jump to people, and specialists are warning that if nothing changes many other pandemics of this nature will follow. This time it was a wet market in China, next time it will be a pig farm in North America, chicken farm in Europe, or cow farm in South America. Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and other killer diseases are linked to our consumption of meat, dairy, and other animal products. Animal agriculture is the second-highest source of greenhouse gas emissions, greater than all transportation combined. It also uses about 70% of agricultural land, meaning land that can be used to plant food for everyone (which can eradicate world hunger) and is one of the leading causes of deforestation, biodiversity loss, and water pollution.
It does so much damage to Mama Earth and all of us and kills innocent beings in the name of tradition or our taste buds. The world has changed and we need to follow that change. If you can have a few chickens in your back yard, that's good for you and can be sustainable, but how many of us can do that? A plant-based diet is a future. Let's hope we all live to see it.
Reduce waste
Plastic, microplastic, aluminum, fabric, you name it… We pollute so much on daily bases and feel better if we put it in a recycling bin. But, a large majority of those recyclables will not get recycled even if you wash it and put it in the appropriate bin, and of those which will, many will not be sold. Those which do get sold only become plastic or other waste again. I'm not saying don't recycle, of course. But, just know it isn't the answer. The answer, however, is to stop buying anything plastic as much as possible and opt for glass for example and move towards reducing waste all together. Moving towards zero waste is my next step and as I move along I will share my process and give you tips about it.
Plant a garden
I am grateful I live in a house with enough land to build a garden which is my next project. I am also grateful I got old seed sorts from my friend and her mum who has been gathering them for years. But, if you have a terrace and a few pots, you can create a small herbal garden, or start growing small things like cherry tomatoes or salad. Once you start, maybe you will want to expand from there, buy some fertile land close to where you live, get together with some friends, and start a garden together. There is so much life and joy in that, but it will also help reducing waste, pollution caused by transport, etc.
Reduce traveling
People have never traveled more than they do now and this is a two-edged sword. On one hand, traveling broadens our horizons, literally as well as figuratively, on the other it's not great for the environment. Air travel especially. A few years ago I realized I am traveling way too much, both for work as well as for pleasure and my carbon footprint is getting bigger. So, I decided to do something about it. I connected business with pleasure and stayed longer after an event I would teach to get my travel 'fix'. Moving to Portugal was the next step; to build a life I don't need a vacation from, to be in a place I can explore without going far.
When all of this is over, we'll all feel the need to move, to go somewhere, to go see family and friends. And this is normal. But, try to find more sustainable ways to do that. Take trains, do road trips instead of flying, take longer holidays instead of many shorter ones… Explore your country before you head off to another, I am sure there are amazing places still to be discovered!
See the Earth as sacred
And last but not least, reconnect to Mama Earth, see her as sacred, see her as a giver of life. Next time you are thanking God for the food on your table, thank Her too. Next time you go to take a walk in the woods, see those woods as a temple and say a prayer for Her. Prostrate to Her, love Her, cherish Her. Let her grow abundant so she can continue to do what she has always tried to do - nourish us, heal us, love us.
