I found that my iPhone’s App Store “What’s Hot” as Green Apps featured today, as part of Earth Day celebration and I am thrilled.
Earth Day is 40 years old today, and now it is almost ubiquitous. Everywhere there are thousands of events, so many that it is impossible to even get to all of them, or to even choose.
But that doesn’t mean the Earth has won! Heck no! There’s still more to achieve.
The next step (like women and blacks) is to get Mother Earth her own Month, one that gets celebrated at school and allows more time for learning and celebration. Some universities are already onto this craze!
After that we need to think about giving Earth her own holiday. It is observed around the world but nowhere recognized as an official national holiday. Why not?? Of course there are lots of holidays already that sort of honor her (Arbor Day, May Day, Easter –in the pagan tradition), but I am talking about a full-on bank holiday, where people take off work and agree to NOT drive or fly anywhere. Just stay at home, play in the yard, walk to the shop for an ice cream, and enjoy whatever the weather may bring.
And of course, once we get a day off, then we need to push for MORE days off–meaning that Americans need to revise our two-week vacation time culture in business. How does this relate to Earth Day? Well, right now, the MINUTE we get anytime off from work, we leap in the nearest form of transportation, burn fuel to go somewhere.
With more leisure time, perhaps we can have more stay-cations (Yes, I used that awful word!), the chance to be at home, dig around in the garden, update our insulation, or build that compost bin we always meant to get to. Slow it down. Pay attention. Give attention to what we have. Have time to be less disposable. More time to heal ourselves.
Of course, after that, we need to–
Well, actually, I’ll keep that one to myself for now. You may not be ready for it yet.
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