Earth Day 2025 Image

 

50th Earth Day

Happy 50th Earth Day everyone.

People around the world are going through a lot right now, and something that has helped a lot of people is listing things that bring them joy, and I’d like to challenge everyone reading this to over the next week make a list of 50 -it could be anything.

Whether it is what you see or feel on a walk, or see or feel when you look at a photo of lichee yourself in your favourite place outside, there are many things provided in nature that I hope will bring you joy today.

Wishing everyone a happy Earth week 2019!

[repost/updated 2019-05-14]

Day-After-Earth-Day, Featuring: Plastic Pollution in the ocean

Happy Day-After-Earth-Day, all. It feels kind of like the day after coming home from a vacation, party, or seeing a friend you don't get to spend time with as often as you like. For treehuggers and nature-lovers it's close enough because we want every day to be Earth Day, so here's a day-after post to extend the inspiration and good feelings.

Within the last few years I've lived vicariously through divers who post photos and videos of their adventures having peaceful, voluntary interactions with wildlife. Divers on Instagram like @kimkertz and @its.krystalclear are inspirational not only as athletes and explorers, but artists and advocates for ocean conservation, and conscientious interactions with wildlife.

One of the biggest problems facing Earth's oceans is plastic pollution, so reducing consumption of plastic is always a great resolution to renew, and definitely one I intend on revisiting more this year.

Recently a newsflash hit explaining that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is actually even more hug than originally estimated... it's now estimated to be three times the size of France. Plastic all around the oceans will keep floating, keep releasing toxins, and keep ending up inside the bodies of animals.

Doing things like remembering to bring reusable shopping bags in-store and remembering to bring a reusable water bottle, and coordinating everything to pack a litterless lunch make a difference. Personally, I know I have a hard time remembering things; I was notorious at an old workplace for forgetting my reusable water bottle at our booth.

The most practical things that have helped me include investing in a glass water with a bright orange cover; it's hard to forget, and easy to clean without gross smells last-minute if I forgot to the night before. (Sorry if that's TMI, it's true.) And for reusable shopping bags it's pretty easy; keep it in another bag. The thin, foldable ones that wrap up inside themselves nicely have been great to keep in a purse, and their very presence in my canvas bag helps serve as a reminder to bring other ones.

Here are a few links to more information if you're interested in reading more and seeing their visualizers (I highly recommend the video in link #2 in particular).
Sailing Seas of Plastic interactive map: http://app.dumpark.com/seas-of-plastic-2/
TWN how to really make a difference Earth Day feature: https://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/what-earth-day-means-when-humans-possess-planet-shaping-powers/99911/
5 Gyres information on plastic continents and how to help: https://www.5gyres.org/ 

For this Earth Day, I resolve to remember what to do to reduce plastic consumption, and remember why I'm doing it (with the help of the divers and ocean photographers of instagram). What has inspired you this past Earth Day?

Hope you all enjoy basking in the Earth Day afterglow and carry it forward, lighting the way to better living.

(Repost) Types of Treehuggers

(A belated*) Happy Earth Day!

In honour of Earth Day, here is an updated repost originally from to Nature-nimbus.blogspot.ca for May 24, 2016, but with the found original doodles to go with it. Each illustration is consciously exaggerated just for kicks so please don't takes offense to what is written here... hope you have fun reading them :) 

The reality is all of these roles have helped raise awareness on environmental needs -that is how they are so recognizable- and a person can combine the traits of any number of them, but the coolest part of sharing this with friends was seeing everyone feel out where their niche is and perhaps even feeling re-inspired to participate in green activities that they enjoy.

Hope you enjoy reading this, and have a lovely Earth Day every day.
~~~

All these characters were drawn on cue cards I cannot find yet, but that can be another post for another time. (2018 Update: Found them, here they are!)

It was a lot cooler when I was sitting at the kitchen table explaining it in a extemporaneous babble to relatives and my dog a little differently each time, but it and went something like this and I hope you find it amusing :)

The Hippie/Flower Child

The classic treehugger stereotypee right out of the 60s who really got environmental movement started. Clad in tye-dye and hemp, and sitting cross-legged in front of trees preaching their message of love, peace, and unity, they are also known for making some lovely tunes to get people in a mood and mindset of unity.

The Rebellious Radical

Sometimes seen as a close younger cousin of the hippie, The Rebellious Radical is loud and grabs attention, and sometimes that might be the exact push people need. Louder the better; think activists chaining themselves to trees maybe with some funky coloured hair. These people make bold statements pointing to the goal of drawing attention and spreading awareness of big issues that really matter.

The Wild Child/Conservationist

It's that kid that's always climbing trees and running around exploring outside with messy hair. They really are in their element/natural habitat outside, probably making mud pies and isn't afraid of getting dirty or touching creepy crawlies. These are the ones who probably know the common, maybe the scientific, and given personal names of backyard wildlife. These friends of the forest, conservation officers, camp counselors, and more have a contagious sense of wonder they are often eager to share with others.

The Humanitarian

The Humanitarian  recognize that people are part of the ecosystem just like other animals, and sincerely care about the wellbeing of fellow humans. Whether they be doctors, aid workers, or concerned citizens, they see how people around the world are affected by environmental issues and are ready to see how can to help. From pollution putting people's health at risk to climate change displacing entire communities, they recognize sustainability as a must, and clean air and water as basic human rights which they will fight for and seek to see as many people as possible having access to.

Engineer/Technician

These are the ones that really make all these advancements work. A lot of what they do is behind-the-scenes, but they use the power of their minds to make it possible to drive new sustainable technologies forward such as in renewable energy. The research they do also gives treehuggers the world over something to actually work with to show the world that what the heart says is the right thing to do also makes logical sense.

Politician/Consultant

"Work The System" is the name of the game here. These guys in the big leagues kind of have to be disguised in big business suits sometimes and they work undercover. Sometimes they develop "green" products, creative marketing to inspire people to take to them, or policies to help change the world. Among politicians and corporates, the suit-wearing or clip-board-yielding ones advocate for the environment in the big leagues using the system to further their agenda, to help the environment on a big scale.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to share your thoughts on which treehugger stereotypes you and your friends relate to in the comments, as well as any ideas for green activities people of different types might like participating in!

Originally posted by Melody Tadeo to Nature-nimbus.blogspot.ca for May 24, 2016
Edited April 9, 2018... also finally uploaded the photos!
*Reposted day after Earth Day 2018 because I forgot to pre-schedule on NN in addition to lunar-winds... sorry!

What Will You Do?

Whether it be about environment, poverty, social injustice, or another issue, one of the worst feelings at the end of many documentaries is this feeling of "now what?" Let me explain.

The term 'informed citizen' is a relatively common term. In school that was a term used a lot in the social science departments. I remember at least two first-day classes where the teachers asked something like "how many of you actually read the newspaper on a regular basis, and not just the comics?"

Some have pointed out how memes like this suggest
that people in third world countries never have these
'problems',  when that is not necessarily true. However, 
the purpose seems to be more to point out how small many
common inconveniences really are in an amusing way.

What the teacher was probably getting at was having a big-picture perspective. When we are an informed citizen and are aware of the bigger picture, it's easier to appreciate what we have and increased appreciation for what we do have and not take things for granted.

While that brings some personal benefit, reading about what happened in the news or seeing it in a documentary doesn't change the problem. When we are personally touched, empathizing and feeling for the issues we hear about, the best thing we can do is take action. Allowing both your mind and heart to be affected is what brings changes, even if small.

On a personal level, after a few years of involvement in school clubs and environmental education, I became a little disenchanted for a while with certain parts of the environmental movement. In both of those classes on the first day it was a bit of a rainy day and the cool, basement classroom with cracks in the walls still smelled like geography, but didn't feel like it any more, if that makes any sense. Everything seemed to become so technical, always a matter of measuring and predicting, budgeting and diplomacy. You can have all the facts and figures you want but if people don't care then what difference does it make?

Sometimes reading the comics can give you something that the article didn't.

I'll admit that this is laced with some remaining bitterness that I am fighting one step at a time (the same way we make any sort of progress), and it's is kind hard to express. The purpose is certainly not to diminish the value of keeping up with world events or having knowledge of people and cultures and things outside of our own bubble, because that is very important too. What I do mean to say is that head knowledge is not enough, but being moved to act is what will help.

Hearing a fire alarm is not enough. Knowing what the fire alarm means is not enough. It's getting out of the building or fighting the fire that gives you a chance. In the case of most humans and other living things caught in the midst of a global issue, a calm and orderly exit is not a viable option.  Despite the daunting  messes humanity finds itself in time and time again, there are still people who care and even if taking that small step can't save the world, it can still help make a difference in someone's life.

There is something amazing about the way children look at nature. The wonder of watching dandelion seeds drift away from your breath, seeing the wings of a dragonfly glint in the sunshine, hearing not only the call in a bird's voice but a song. That it powerful, motivating, and makes us happy. Science is generally associated with words like 'logic', 'left-brained' and 'facts', but that doesn't mean you have to ignore the part of you that loves nature from the heart in order to explore or save it.

Opening up to hope or anything else can be very hard. Making yourself vulnerable to disappointment and the judgement of others such as those who say 'be realistic' is hard; recovering from being someone who said 'be realistic' is hard, but even if the difference is small allowing yourself to hope and to give the benefit of the doubt to a perfect stranger can make you and them a better person.

Carry a better world inside of you and let it come out through your eyes and words and actions. See the world and see people for a positive potential and your eyes will be more beautiful. Base your actions on those ideals and you will have a more beautiful life. Potential isn't something that is already there, but seeing it means being willing to make yourself vulnerable and though it won't always work it still makes a difference.

As a kid once my mom and I went to the closing of a Laura Secord shop and they had a little Chicken Soup for the Soul book which contained a memorable story. Here is a variation of Loren Eisley's The Starfish Story:

     One windy morning a man was was taking a walk across a beach that was littered with thousands of starfish.

     Along the way he saw a boy stooping picking up starfish and throwing them back into the water to save them from the heat of the sun. 

     "There are thousands of starfish," the man said to the boy, "it won't make a difference."

     The boy picked up another starfish and threw it into the water and  said, "It made a difference to that one!"

We won't always save the world, but a big difference is made up of many small changes the same way a long journey is crosses with many small steps.

It is worth it.

After being informed of something through a newspaper article or thinking 'now what?' after a documentary, you don't have to go numb so as not to be overcome by anxiety. Worry less about what we can't do and focus about what we will do.


(p.s. If you're kind of feeling like that right now, here is a link to an older post with a collection of practical green tips.
http://naturenimbus.blogspot.ca/2014/02/50-green-tips.html 
... Put together many steps will go a long way!)