Today is Earth Day. For those of us that believe that the world and all of it's resources belong to the human race, it is just another day like any other. For the rest of us that understand that we are only a small part of the Circle of Life it means that today we should be extra thankful and appreciative for what the Great Creator has provided.
Every day we are given the opportunity to care for our little piece of the world. Every day we have the chance to make the choice to make "our" world a better place or to continue the living like there is no tomorrow. Every day in some small way each of us can contribute something to the Earth that so generously sustains our lives year after year.
If each person would take personal responsibility to change even the tiniest aspect of their life that would benefit the natural environment, collectively it would make a positive move in the right direction. Ask yourself "what can I contribute" instead of "what is in it for me".
If you have the chance to watch the program on National Geographic Channel "The Human Footprint", please do. If you'd prefer follow this link: http://www.natgeohumanfootprint.com/, which details what resources are used up for each person in the USA over a lifetime. How much of an impact does your current lifestyle have on our world? How can that be modified? Do you take personal responsibility for what your existence costs in the big scheme of things?
As a side note: On this date in 1899, the Oklahoma Land Rush began. Numerous settlers rushed into the former Indian Territory to stake claim to land for their homesteads. Those who cheated and started before the scheduled time were referred to Sooners. Eight years later in 1907 Oklahoma became the 46th state in the USA. With that being said, how many people take into consideration how this affected the Native people who lived in that area before the Land Rush of 1899??? They were the people who believed that they belonged to the land instead of the land belonging to them. They were the ones who never took more than they could use and thanked the Great Spirit for everything they took. They cared for the land as Mother Earth. In general, those who inhabit that same land now days are living a life that is very disrespectful to their "mother". The repercussions of this may someday be very severe.
Every day we are given the opportunity to care for our little piece of the world. Every day we have the chance to make the choice to make "our" world a better place or to continue the living like there is no tomorrow. Every day in some small way each of us can contribute something to the Earth that so generously sustains our lives year after year.
If each person would take personal responsibility to change even the tiniest aspect of their life that would benefit the natural environment, collectively it would make a positive move in the right direction. Ask yourself "what can I contribute" instead of "what is in it for me".
If you have the chance to watch the program on National Geographic Channel "The Human Footprint", please do. If you'd prefer follow this link: http://www.natgeohumanfootprint.com/, which details what resources are used up for each person in the USA over a lifetime. How much of an impact does your current lifestyle have on our world? How can that be modified? Do you take personal responsibility for what your existence costs in the big scheme of things?
As a side note: On this date in 1899, the Oklahoma Land Rush began. Numerous settlers rushed into the former Indian Territory to stake claim to land for their homesteads. Those who cheated and started before the scheduled time were referred to Sooners. Eight years later in 1907 Oklahoma became the 46th state in the USA. With that being said, how many people take into consideration how this affected the Native people who lived in that area before the Land Rush of 1899??? They were the people who believed that they belonged to the land instead of the land belonging to them. They were the ones who never took more than they could use and thanked the Great Spirit for everything they took. They cared for the land as Mother Earth. In general, those who inhabit that same land now days are living a life that is very disrespectful to their "mother". The repercussions of this may someday be very severe.
2 comments:
You make so many good points. Thank you.
Thank you for your comment Caleb & Audria and for your question about what I meant by taking personal responsibility. In our daily life we make countless decisions which affect the rest of the world. When faced with any decision to buy, use or discard anything, I ask myself "how badly do I need this item", "can I do without it?", "Is there a substitute that would be more Earth friendly". If there is an item that we no longer need or something that is broken, I ask "can it be repaired or used for another purpose", "is there anyone else that could use it before I even think about throwing something away. I am aware of the fact by merely existing that I impact the planet. I am responsible for damaging the planet by living here. I work toward the goal of my existence making the least amount of negative impact possible, while putting forth effort to make a positive impact whenever I can.
I agree with you that anything done solely for political gain should be considered a move in the wrong direction. I also agree that there are MANY pressing environmental problems that extend far from the boundaries of the USA. Hopefully we can lead the rest of the world into an era of "thoughtful intelligence" when it comes to how we live on Planet Earth. Thanks again !!!!
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