Tomorrow is Earth Day 2024. It will be the 54th Earth Day, now celebrated globally. I have been mulling over my thoughts for this post during the past week, especially ways to pull us all outside into the fullness of Earth as nature, as the "natural". However, Friday night I remembered each Earth Day has a specific highlighted theme that serves as a focus for locally based events around the world. In all the political messaging and news of the current wars, I had not yet run across Earth Day news. So I looked it up. With a deep sign, I now must turn our attention to the 2024 theme: Planet versus Plastic. Here is the irony: The brilliance of human creativity and discovery that brought forth plastic (1907), a material that served our needs and shaped amazing productivity and conveniences, has evolved into a pollution nightmare. This is highlighted with an increasing awareness of microplastics (named in 2004) threatening Earth's oceans, marine and wildlife, and it's uncertain impact on human health. The problem is compounded by lab created, harmful PFAS--used in manufacturing and various consumer products--known as "forever chemicals" that stick to microplastics and are carried wherever microplastics land. So there are layers to the problem of "Plastic" that settles and migrates throughout the planet and its life forms. Note that the dates here move us from an early 20th century discovery to our 21st century consequences. Where do we go from here?
We leap to a global solution. The day after tomorrow's Earth Day, April 23-29, negotiators from 175 countries are gathering to draft a global, legally binding, Global Plastics Treaty. This is the fourth round of the United Nations Plastics Treaty negotiations. The goal is to cut plastic production and end single-use plastic across the globe by the end of this year. This treaty is at the core of Earth Day 2024's theme. Environmental cleanup and climate change is multifaceted. It is the way of humanity to break the complex into understandable and manageable pieces; even though that way often leads to divisive polarization, in other ways, it is our strength. Of course there will be argument and maneuvering. Yet to meet to build such a treaty, with this vast array of countries, climates, and cultures... and agendas, in a time of warring peoples and nations, is simply miraculous. You and I won't be attending in person, but we can participate. We can offer our positive expectations, our prayers, our forgiveness, our blessings, and our gratitude for those who work for the health of our planet.
Then consider the other positive progress we collectively are making. (Here is one website's offering https://www.bobvila.com/articles/earth-day-good-news/) And do take the time to nurture yourself in nature's spring renewal. Renewal is a key word for inner reflection and one that nature offers outside your door. Your home is not just your residence. Every park, every tree, every river, mountain, desert, expanse of sky is your home when your home is Earth. Time to go outside. (Susan Nettleton).
For poetry:
https://poets.org/anthology/poems-light