We need to bring back caring about the Earth every day without the fear of politicization.
Parks are one of the most accessible locations for people to gather in the country. Visitors rarely have to pay fees, and there is no expectation to spend money on drink or food when at a park. Plus, if you have a car or tent, you don’t even have to worry about lodging while at a park.
People are also less glued to their phones and can properly detox from 24/7 surveillance at parks. We rid ourselves of the pressure to use technology while grounding ourselves in nature. According to the American Psychological Association, people feel more at ease or relaxed the more their exposure to nature increases.
Recycling, cleaning up trash and leaving trails the way you found them will not undo Global Warming – but these practices build a strong base structure for protecting the planet.
As a society, we can continue to fight for less carbon dioxide emissions, less single use plastics and more ethically and sustainably made products. We can also fight for the right to access properly maintained National Parks.
The destruction of thousands of hectares of natural land is only going to benefit the rich. They do not understand the worries of people who have no other option besides living through wildfires, hurricanes and major flooding.
The attack of the National Park Service and its workers is not one sweeping action that only affects its internal network of employees. It also affects people who actively seek out and rely on public land. The federal layoffs, which are now reinstated, impacted over 1,000 employees, according to Inside Climate News.
There’s still a lurking threat that Park Rangers or other workers could be fired. This, in turn, threatens the possibility of no one being there to rescue visitors when lost or when a wildfire breaks out.
Although the celebration of Earth Day is formally April 22nd, it is never too early to mobilize and advocate for a cleaner Earth. We as humans have the right to demand a future which will be on our side. We are beings who need nature to not only survive, but thrive.
Everyones mental, physical and spiritual health could benefit from exposure to nature. Whether through local programming or day trips with loved ones, growth can occur simply from conversing with others in environments which aren’t filled with concrete or sterile lights.
I could say we need to adapt to the Green New Deal as soon as possible as a society, and people would still give criticism citing the risks of adapting to environmental policies.
However, environmental programs can be tracked as far back as President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and modern political figures like Rep. AOC and Sen. Bernie Sanders support these initiatives full force.
Addressing infrastructure changes due to climate change, investing in renewable power, supporting family farming, adapting to sustainable transportation systems and working with communities to best tackle climate injustice are main pillars of the Green New Deal.
With the current state of the government as it stands, these initiatives may seem impossible, but individuals are still working everyday to maintain environmental action plans.
As a person who comes from a generation of coal miners, I understand the hesitance to change to cleaner and renewable energy. Yet, it is a much-needed shift. Extreme weather events, disruptions in food systems and biodiversity loss are not worth denying. We are all at risk.
According to the Climate Clock, we have 4 years and 117 days to take action to limit the global warming clock to 1.5 degrees Celsuius.
Utilize your resources to protect the planet while we still have remnants of one.
