> > mail.google.com/mail/u/0/ > > We’re On It Together  > Even as we celebrate Earth Month and Earth Day, the U.S. government prepared orders this month that roll back the wildlife and environmental protections put in place over the last century. These orders will harm public health, increase air pollution and boost production of planet-warming emissions. They will decimate protected habitats and species. They also will hamstring the ability of states to provide safe, reliable energy at stable prices. > > This is not a political issue. It isn’t a red or blue issue. It is a human issue, a moral issue, a practical issue. Borrowing an approach outlined by Rev. Dr. Jesse Jennings in the April issue of Science of Mind magazine, we can and should pray to God to save our planet. And when we do, God won’t save the planet for us. Instead, we’ll realize we each have access to the tools we need to do this work ourselves. > > When we look at climate change and efforts to mitigate its effects, we recognize that we are in this together, just as we’re on this planet together. As the Nature Conservancy says on its website, “There’s just this one planet of ours, and it’s on all of us to safeguard a future with a livable climate, healthy communities and thriving nature — during Earth Month, on Earth Day and every day. Let’s put our heads, hands and hearts together and take action to preserve and protect the natural world for generations to come.” > > Happy Earth Day! > > Earth Day is a call to celebrate and protect the beauty and diversity of our planet. As stewards of creation, we are called to act with responsibility, compassion and love for the natural world. Initiatives like Project Everyone and Greenpeace remind us that every action, no matter how small, creates change. > > On April 22, 1970, Americans celebrated the first Earth Day. Before 1970, hard as it may be to imagine, U.S. factories could spew clouds of toxic smoke into the air or dump tons of toxic waste into a nearby stream, and that was perfectly legal. Why? Because there was no EPA, no Clean Air Act, no Clean Water Act. No legal or regulatory mechanisms had yet been put in place to protect our environment. > > U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-Wis.) created Earth Day as a way to force environmental issues onto the national agenda. On that first Earth Day, 20 million Americans demonstrated nationwide, and their voices were heard. In December 1970, Congress authorized the creation of a new federal agency to tackle environmental issues, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. > > Take time today to reflect on the origins of Earth Day, to engage with nature and to celebrate a victory for American activism. Walk through a park, plant a tree, pick up litter. Express your environmental concerns to your elected officials on the local, state and national levels. > > Reflect on the interconnectedness of all life and the ways Spirit expresses Itself through Earth’s ecosystems. Earth Day is not a single event but a daily commitment to sustainable living and conscious action. > Many Blessings, Kathy McConnin CSL CVILLE