Earth Day Special: The Road to Recovery - The Courage to Hope for a Better World

On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day we are called to to rise above our concerns and strive for a better world. We are summoning the courage to dream and find the resolve we need to strive to make those dreams a reality. It is easy to be overwhelmed with hopelessness as our ecosystems are being destroyed by insatiable appetites and unfettered hubris. However, from within the womb of this dystopian nightmare a lofty hope is emerging. An inclusive narrative is being born that is forging heroic tales that call us to be heroes ourselves. 

We have achieved great things. Poverty is at it lowest levels in human history and life expediencies are at their highest. We have shown that we can make a difference. We are burning less coal and this has reduced acid rain and by eliminating CFCs we are helping the ozone hole to recover.  Dangerous chemicals like DDT and glyphosate are banned in much of the world.  Although glyphosate is still available in the U.S., cities across the country are banning it. This is due to the environmental activism of citizens. The same environmental activism that contributed to the clean air act, and the clean water act. 

However, we must act and we must act quickly. Extreme weather events and extended wildfires remind us of this urgency. Sea levels are rising threatening island states and coastal cities.  Humans have wiped out 60 percent of the vertebrate animals on Earth in what can only be described as a genocide against nature. The road to recovery starts with the acknowledgement of our interdependence with nature and understanding that what we do to the Earth we are doing to ourselves.

We do not have the time to wallow in despair, now is the time to rally and take charge of our future.  We first need to confront our fears and acknowledge that there is hope even in the midst of a global plague. While the coronavirus highlights the economic and political weaknesses of our system, it also illustrates the the speed and scale at which governments can respond.

Necessity is the mother of invention. We can remake our world because we must.  Part of the process involves realizing that we have the right to demand clean air, water and soil, just as it is our right to demand a livable future.  We cannot ignore the obstacles that block our way.

This means we must confront authoritarian leaderships who are trying to control the narrative to enrich themselves and serve their own political objectives. If their anti-science disinformation campaigns are allowed to succeed we will run out of time to address the crises we face.  In the U.S. the presidency of Donald Trump has been an environmental nightmare as he and his administration have systematically eradicated a wide range of safeguards designed to protect Americans. His fossil fuel powered politics is at war with nature. At a time when the country needs responsible leadership Trump continues to engage in the politics of hate and division. Trump's failure to act on COVID-19 and his mishandling of the crisis illustrate how he makes bad situations worse.

Our road to recovery starts with with holding political leaderships accountable.  If we want a livable future we need political change. If we want clean air and water we need to stop relying on dirty energy.

We all have different reasons to be part of the solution. Whether it is for ourselves, our children or simply because we love this beautiful planet, millions of people all around the world are committed to change.  It starts with finding the courage to hope that we can make a difference.

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