Photo By Anahy Gutierrez / Staff
By Anahy J. Gutierrez
A Perspective
“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”
— Native American Proverb
Earth Day is perfect. A warm sun illuminates a peaceful morning. Gentle winds rustle the young leaves of a dawning. Fresh air off the cobalt ocean fuels the verdigris plants and array of animals scurrying about their day. Beauty abounds.
Mother Earth loves us. Why do we treat her with such negligence?
Our lovely planet is deteriorating right before our eyes, but humanity continues its plundering, destructive ways. Littering, pollution, plastic waste, fast fashion and wasteful consumption chip away at one of the most remarkable places known in the cosmos.
The terrible human habit of discarding things once they are worn out has taken on an alarming new scale. Now we have people talking about discarding Earth. Religious fanatics preach that God will save us from ourselves so we needn’t worry. The “Star Trek” crowd says not to worry, we will move to Mars then other planets to live among the Klingons and Vulcans.
Pope Francis says God expects us to be good stewards of the Earth. Steven Hawking said humans evolved on Earth and are meant to live on Earth, not some far flung life-supporting world that may not exist. Elton John was right, Mars is “cold as hell.” Trashing Earth and hopscotching to the red planet is a fatally fantastical fetish.
Fortunately, it is not too late to save Earth. We all need to pitch in. Here’s a few things we can do right away:
ν Dispose of car oil properly. Auto Zone locations across San Diego County offer free oil recycling services. Likewise for O’Reilly Auto Parts, Jiffy Lube and Pep Boys.
ν Save Our Water, California’s water conservation campaign, advises us to save water by fixing leaks, using recycled indoor water outdoors, turning faucets off when not in use and taking short showers.
ν Proper waste disposal is critical. Sort discards into three bins: blue bins for recycling, green for compost, and black for trash.
ν Travel by bus and trolley benefits the planet and is cost effective. San Diego County’s Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) is improving its service intervals from 30 minutes to 15 at night and on weekends.
ν Pick up trash in your neighborhood one day a week. We can all help keep plastic out of the gutters and away from the drains before it gets into a stream and then the ocean.
It is only fair that we care for our Earth the way she cares for us. Every day is Earth Day. If we all do a little bit we’ve all done a lot.
