Earth Day Advice
Today is Earth Day, a day full of advice on how each of us can live a “greener” lifestyle. Today is a day for raising awareness of our planet and how we should balance our needs with its protection. In the spirit this day is supposed to be about, I’d like to offer a bit of advice on how you should treat our planet.
My advice: Use the earth and all of its resources to fulfill your every need and want, and don’t feel guilty about it.
For the truth is, your life and happiness depend on your ability to use the earth’s resources. The things that you need to live (such as food, medicine, computers, automobiles, oil, electricity, etc.) are not made out of thin air; they are extracted from the earth. Luckily for us all, the earth has plenty. Our planet is an enormous ball of resources that could not only sustain us, but make our lives last longer and be immeasurably more enjoyable. We haven’t even begun to realize the true potential the earth has for our betterment. The true limit is not the amount of resources the earth contains, but our knowledge of those resources and our imagination.
If the earth deserves our appreciation, then it’s for the great value it offers us. And therein likes the flaw in the way Earth Day is celebrated. Instead of celebrating Earth as a source of human prosperity, it is treated as something that should be protected from humans. We are told that we should aim to limit our effect on our environment. This might seem like a noble goal, but if your life is dependent on your ability to use the environment, what is really being limited? Your life and your happiness.
Some people might think that is a fair trade to make, but I do not. We each have a relatively short time to spend on this planet, and I think it’s unfair to ask anyone to sacrifice even one precious second of that time for the sake of plants, animals, or inanimate matter. We all will be one with the earth eventually, so let’s make the most of our lives while we can.
So this Earth Day, don’t be afraid to take advice. Save gas money by carpooling. Get some exercise by riding a bike. Lower your utility bill by adjusting your thermostat a few degrees. Just don’t forget why you’re doing it.
Tags: [earth day, environmentalism]