Celebrating Earth Day

While I was growing up in the early 1970s, my parents were into the environment, and being conscientious about energy, healthy food and pollution. I remember the Whole Earth Catalog. It so permeated my life that a group of friends and I organized ourselves, and went to a park to pick up garbage.

As I grew older, somehow, I became less concerned. It was the ‘80s, I could still breathe the air, albeit through a brown cloud. My father was still yelling at me: “Do you have to have every light in the house on? 20-minute showers? Do you have any idea how much water that is?” I was convinced he was a raving lunatic. Then again, I was a teen-ager.

As with everything in life, it has all come full circle. My father says, “Don’t be an environmentalist in the abstract. Go down to the beach and look at that oil spill.” So, I look at it. But, perhaps, I share his vision now. And because of that, I am cynical about Earth Day. I know how easy it is to forget.

In order to care for the Earth as we should, I really believe that we must care for ourselves. We must be willing to make hard choices ourselves. Choices that are as hard as halting population growth, eating foods that are easier on the food chain (and our digestive systems), living close to our work, and recycling what we don’t use. Each of us will have to make the decision alone, and it’s terrifying to let go of old habits.

Putting a brick in the toilet, retrofitting your car for methanol, and letting go red meat will help. But, it will take a lot more than picking up stray trash in a park. We’ve got to listen to the warning signs, and make every day Earth Day. It’s really hard for me too, especially the shorter shower bit.

AMANDA MORRIS CONTI

Los Angeles