Recently, I watched a documentary about the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, an indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest. The documentary focused on this tribe’s revival of the cultivation of clam gardens. This tradition, passed down from their ancestors, serves many purposes. It provides a protected zone for the clams to thrive and supports more species such as crabs, sea urchins, and kelp.
Clams are being threatened by ocean acidification, the pH balance of the planet’s oceans. Increasing CO2, caused by human activities, has direct chemical effects. CO2 dissolves into the water, making it more acidic which in turn, makes it more difficult for calcifying (shell forming) marine life to form shells and skeletons.
The spirit of the Swinomish tribe made quite an impression on me. Coming together through ancestral teachings, sharing knowledge with other indigenous peoples interested in clam cultivation, dedication to maintaining a healthy non-commercial harvesting of clam gardens to name a few. The spiritual love of the planet and ancestral tradition of this tribe left a lasting impression and I began to think about ways I could help.
“We don’t command the environment, we’re part of it. The clams are used for community families to nourish not just the body but the spirit as well,” quoted from a community member.
I thought about that for a while. When the spirit is nourished, we all benefit. Not just humans, but animals, plant life, water, air- the very earth itself.
Earth Day, April 22nd, is an International Awareness Day, meant to draw attention to the environment. The earth supports life- with water, air, and land. When we ignore warning signs, we endanger our own lives. This day is meant to raise awareness about the climate crisis and how we can make changes vital to our existence.
Climate change or global warming? There seems to be some confusion about these terms so my research began.
From my understanding, global warming is long term and climate change is the bigger picture including global warming. Climate change, the continuing shifting of temperatures and weather patterns, is caused by human activities and behavior- how humans take care of their planet.
Evidence vs opinion. Sea levels are rising threatening our coastal and island communities. Increasing storms and natural disasters, strange weather patterns, and heat waves. Cause and effect- with increasing storms, we experience more flooding, more intense hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, and droughts which in turn causes air pollution, disease, hunger and poverty.
Burning fossils fuels (coal, gas, and oil) causes greenhouse gases to trap radiation heat in the atmosphere against the planet preventing it from escaping which results in global warming and climate change.
Thinking about all of this can be overwhelming. Then we have the controversy between those who believe in climate change and want to work toward solutions and those who believe it is all a hoax. It can indeed, be intimidating.
Let’s go back to Earth Day and the awareness of what is happening to our planet. Imagine the mounds and mounds of trash caused by human consumption every single day. Where does it all go? And have you noticed all the trash along the highways? Even my young granddaughters make comments. Fast food wrappers, plastic, what the girls call smoke sticks (cigarette butts), plastic bags, soda cans and a variety of other “disposable” items.
So, what can we do about it?
Even small changes can make an amazing difference. Recycling, sustainability, clean-ups, and instead of Taco Tuesday, why not Meatless Monday?
Fewer yards of manicured grass and planting flower and herb gardens to reduce mowing is a start. Washing clothes in cold water, wearing organic fibers instead of plastic based fibers such as polyester and acrylic, and eating more plant-based meals. Walking more and driving less, using glass instead of plastic, cloth napkins vs paper products, reusable water bottles, reducing plastics such as straws and cutlery, balloons, and disposable decorations. Shopping at thrift stores, buying from garage sales, repurposing items and composting food waste. And why do we put up with stores pre-packaging fruits, vegetables, and meat products in Styrofoam? Making changes not only improves the environment but can improve our health as well.
Last year my granddaughters formed their own club- The Clean Up Earth Club. My husband purchased grippers and gloves and designed a logo for their T-shirts. Not only do they love to clean up trash from parks and playgrounds, they have become more interested in ways to help. And you should hear their comments when they see trash along the roadside!
Involving our younger generations is vital for the health of not just the planet but also our children. In turn, younger generations are working on convincing their parents and grandparents to take action.
There are several phrases, quotes, songs, and movie titles using the word Earth- “salt of the earth”, another way of saying down to earth, “moving heaven and earth”- to try as hard as you can, and “earth shattering”- surprise or shocking.
Instead of global warming becoming an earth shattering and accepted phenomena, let’s move heaven and earth to keep our planet green and healthy by celebrating Earth day, every day.