Earth Day

    Earth Day was started in 1970 by then U.S. Senator of Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson.  He proposed the first nationwide environmental protest, addressing such related issues as endangered species and pollution.  On April 22, twenty million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment.  The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts.

    As I sit here and write what Earth Day means to me, I am reminded of a poem and a song Michael Jackson wrote--Planet Earth and Earth Song.  The video to Earth Song illustrates well what Earth Day is all about, as it shows the various ways Earth has been destroyed and the affects of the destruction.  The words to his poem and song will follow.  For me, Earth Day is not only a day to commemorate addressing environmental issues and the establishment of environmental organizations.  It is also a day to thank G*d for our planet and to remind us how we should appreciate and take care of what G*d has given us--trees and plants, animals, water, air, and soil, and each other--rather than just take all these for granted.  We all need each other and all these things around us to survive.

    In the small community that I live in in south central Minnesota, there are people who are trying to make a difference, such as the use of wind power and solar power.  For example, solar powered street signs are being installed.  The streets are also cleaned on a regular basis to remove the litter, dust, and other debris.  Every spring, I look forward to hearing the birds as they return from the south.  Micaiah and I always have a bowl of water and bird food scattered in our yard.  We have counted at least ten or more species of birds who come to partake of our generosity.  It is amazing when we forget to put food and water out.  The birds peck at our screen and chirp loudly until we respond.  They even seem to know what room in our house we are in at the time.  Geese also fly overhead, and we see the older geese teach their young.  Every summer, Micaiah and I always walked to the dam, which is two blocks from our house, to watch the fish swim and watch people fishing.  On Rosh Hashanah, we performed our ceremony at the dam.  However, instead of throwing the fish back into the water, like the fishers used to, people started leaving the fish they caught on the grass to die.  Micaiah and I started seeing an increase of dead fish.  Then, last year, the dam was turned off, leaving the water to remain stagnant instead of free flowing with the waterfall created by the dam.  We enjoyed going to the dam because listening to the waterfall was like being in a different world.  Now, that "different world" seems to be out of our reach.

Earth Day is not only for demonstrations and speeches, but it is also for Tikk olam, which is Hebrew for "making the world a better place".  We can make the world a better place in numerous ways--planting more trees and other plants, picking up litter in your yard and the streets, teaching people about the different kinds of birds they hear in their backyards so that they know what they are, etc.  As The Late Michael Jackson said, "make a better place for you and for me." (Heal The World)

 

Makedah bat Leah.