Earth Day
“We love the things we love for what they are”
-Robert Frost
Happy Earth Day everyone! Today, April 22 is a day that is set aside for humanity to take a critical look at the condition of the earth and try and understand the impact humanity has on the earth. Some of you may be ardent supporters of Earth Day and have it marked on your calendar as you would a good friend’s birthday and some of you may have never even heard of Earth Day and might be wondering what it’s all about.
The idea for Earth Day was proposed by Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin in the aftermath of the massive 1969 oil spill off of California’s Santa Barbara coast in which an oil drilling platform had a blowout spilling three million gallons of oil into the Pacific Ocean that had a huge impact on the local beaches and wildlife. Not only was the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) born in 1970, so was the very first Earth Day organized as a vehicle to help raise awareness of ecological concerns and provide basic education for the general public. As We Celebrate this 46th edition of Earth Day, the party has become an international event with over 180 countries participating and countless number of groups and organizations (5000 plus and counting). Through education and raising awareness, more and more people are taking a more proactive approach to acting in a more ecologically caring manner. As a very good friend of mine is fond of saying, “…progress, not perfection…” and for the environment, the trend over the last 46 years for the good folks who oversee Earth Day have seen just that, progress.
There are definitely different camps of thoughts and beliefs as to the state of the earth and the idea of “Global Warming”, does it exist, is it real, what’s going on…etc. and so forth. I’m not advocating one way or another, what I am advocating for is that by keeping a clean and healthy environment means better health for us and for our children. There is a reason that there are supposed to be stringent guidelines for the water we drink, the air we breathe and the food we consume. The safer and cleaner these items are, the healthier it is for the consumer…for us. I want to be able to go outside with my kids and go play at the park without having to worry about trash blowing around the on the ground. I want to be able to go to our local lake and go fishing with my kids without having to worry about toxic chemicals being in the water. There are volumes of medical evidence that show time and again that a clean environment is a benefit to our bodies…and that being exposed to certain chemicals have direct links to cancer.
By creating a clean local environment for ourselves, this leads to a clean local environment for our counties, our states and our country. This is truly one of those moments in which if everyone takes an active role, they really can make a difference. Start small, look to see what you might be able to do at home (even animals don’t dirty their own homes)…if you’re not sure what you can do or if you want to do more, there are literally thousands of organizations looking for volunteers to help with a mountain of projects. As Gandhi once said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
As always, thanks for reading and if you have any comments or questions please feel free to email me at wmreid@bhcshealth.com or visit our website, bhcshealth.com and see what we’re all about. I hope everyone enjoys the weekend, spring is definitely here! Take care of yourself and each other, remember, we’re all in this together.
Wm Reid
Best Home Care Services
325 N Eastern Ave
Connersville, IN 47331
765-827-9833
wmreid@bhcshealth.com