Happy Earth Day, Earthlings



Happy Earth Day, my fellow Earthlings! Not to leave out aliens living here on Earth, nor to presume the internet doesn’t reach outer space, it’s simply probable that visitors to Earth are nicer to our planet than we home-grown inhabitants. We do tend to be more considerate in other people’s homes than our own (much to the chagrin of many a shared-dwelling occupant). As for those not living on this mostly blue marble, they’re not in a position to do as much damage to the planet itself though they’re hopefully not contributing to our already littered yard!?


As this isn’t Space Day, back down to Earth — in all her blue & green glory with a bit of white & brown. While it’s still being debated how much of an issue global warming is, with the blue parts encroaching on the white & green parts turning brown, it certainly seems a case of better safe than sorry. Simply put, the home we all share is deserving of a little [more] care. In our individual homes, many clean up when they know they’re going to have company (not me, mind you ~_^ but I digress). So, if we rightly consider our dear planet a home we’re all sharing, perhaps that consideration of others’ homes can combine with concern for our visitors’ impressions.

Fully exploring this estate called Earth is sadly not something many get to do which may well be why we don’t typically view it more inclusively. For those of us in the Americas, surely Australasia is our backyard & vice versa. Rainforests are absolutely everyone’s gardens. Asia creates an intriguing East Wing while the Caribbean provides an amazing spa & Europe makes for a brilliant parlour, if only Africa were a safer conservatory of late. Inasmuch as human conflict may be difficult to nip in the bud, the care we take of this planet which in turn cares for us may prove a uniting concern & starts far more simply.

Hugged a tree lately? Ever? Only when drunk? Whatever the case, anything we can do to promote the well-being of [possibly] less sentient living things than we & decrease the piles of debris we’ve left lying about our universal home, the better. Perhaps the hope of inspiring some spring cleaning is why Earth Day is in Spring north of the equator. Whether or not we are in the habit of sprucing up our personal homes, the world may not be suffering from neglect so much as hurting for a little consideration. There are various hues of green living & I’m not advocating any particular shade or pigment. Anytime we recycle, conserve, or keep from stepping on a fledgling plant; it’s a win.

It’s not always convenient to recycle or even possible to reach the far too few & far-flung centers; worse, using a vehicle to readily reach recycling centers may create a larger carbon footprint than you began with. Tis ironic indeed that the greener you live can make it harder to live greener. As we gain greener habits like unplugging appliances that aren’t in use & go greener routes with everyday items like chemical-free household products, the next goal is no doubt growing more greenery & it just so happens that Arbor Day is just a few days away. If you don’t have anything or anywhere to plant, consider helping others plant greener with compost (achieved by separating our trash) or just used coffee grounds. Japan’s upcoming Greenery Day — it seems May 4th was celebrated before Star Wars Day — is meant to provide time to commune with nature and be appreciative of its abundance. As appreciation is where all consideration begins, I’d say that’s really the goal. How about you?! What are some simple ways you’ve discovered to live greener?

“There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew.” — Marshall McLuhan


Space Debris via the European Space Agency; An animated spotlight

Dorian Rhodes [aka coffeesister |_|)] is a California native living in San Francisco tho’ she begrudgingly left a bit of her heart in the San Joaquin Valley where she grew up. Our Webmaster & Holiday Columnist, she also serves up ‘Quotationaries’ (quotations with commentary) at her site, Coffee for the Soul.

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