Is This Enough?
Earth Day, 2020
#extinctionendshere
Whoa, where do I even begin? I saw this video by Global Wildlife Conservation and Sea Legacy a couple of days ago on the Instagram page of @PaulNicklen (check out his page, it's incredible. He's a contributor for @NatGeo so there's amazing visual content as well as information and conservation efforts there). I knew I needed to write about it, but honestly... where do I even begin?
I could start by diving right into the enormity of everything that's happening right now, but that feels stressful. Maybe I'll start by pondering how the kids must feel, especially the ones who are old enough to understand what's going on. What goes through their young minds while they watch our government sell away their future or they watch their parents keep working to put food on the table while also doing everything in their power to protect them from an invisible viral enemy? Or I could wonder how truthful the information we're being given about COVID-19 is while it seems that there's a new lie from our POTUS every day (are people really not concerned about the compulsive lying? 🤔). OR I could let my head spin off into space thinking about all the ways that what's going on right now in the world, but specifically in our country, is totally fucked.
I'm so tired of being angry. I'm so tired of feeling taken advantage of and forgotten about by the people who are supposed to be leading and caring for this nation. So, instead of rambling on about all the ways we've been abandoned by our government, I'd like to ask them and anyone who's on the fence about how they plan to vote, and/or the seriousness of the need to act now as a collective people FOR the preservation of this planet, to really ask yourself: IS THIS ENOUGH?
To the people in power (specifically Donald Trump): how many people have to die for this to be enough to change your shameful, exploitative, self-serving, egotistical ways?
"If apocalyptic fires aren't enough, if vanishing glaciers aren't enough, if super hurricanes aren't enough..." what will be... really? I fear another Trump presidency for a lot of reasons. One of them is the damage he's doing to the rights of women, LGBTQ, and people of color. Another one is the damage he's doing to laws and regulations put in place to protect our natural resources. Why is it that politicians and billionaires treat them as if they are infinite? We KNOW that they are not. Species are rapidly disappearing from this planet; what makes us so arrogant to believe that we will not be next? Mother Nature is speaking, and if we refuse to listen we can only expect that the speaking will become shouting and shaking until we have no other choice but to listen, but we know that by then it could be too late. Will we choose to do something now, or will we continue to allow a government who clearly has only their own fortunes and personal agendas on their mind to continue to exploit our planet right down to dust to further their own agendas?
What future do you choose? I assure you that while the paper money that the National Treasury continues to print may be infinite, our natural resources are not. We are killing our home slowly, day by day. Eventually, there won't be anything left to save. How can the people making these decisions even look their grandchildren in the face, honestly?
I'm no scientist, but I read... A LOT. I've seen countless clever ways that we could further reduce our carbon footprint on the planet. From single-use plastics that could be easily replaced with any number of other biodegradable substances, non-toxic asphalt, fuel alternatives, solar and water-powered energy alternatives, and recycling and repurposing programs. There's innovation happening all over the world. The government won't invest (or require corporations with large carbon footprints to invest) in these eco-friendly options for our country because it would hurt their bottom line. Don't forget — the government is a business now, not an agency for the people by the people (personally, I'd really like to see quarterly audits with receipts and transparency of the way our tax dollars are ACTUALLY spent). Here's a thought, if the government would stop eating avocado toast, maybe they could afford to invest more in renewable energy, huh?
Why is it that there are so many working-class Americans right now ready to throw themselves on the billionaire sword of capitalism so they can be "free" to go back to living life as it was before? Are the comparatively small scraps of success being granted really enough to put their lives on the line so we can "go back to normal"? I don't know about you, but I never want to go back to that normal. The normal that has been so generously bestowed upon us by trickle-down economics has done nothing except allow the fat cats to keep getting fatter, so they can buy our elections and dictate our laws. It's a bullshit story that's killing us and keeping us working so hard to stay afloat that we can only just barely see above the rising water.
Here's the thing: I do believe people can change and so tonight I will direct my energy toward hope for a change of heart in President Donald Trump. I hope his heart will see what's happening to this planet for what it is: A warning.
Think on your place in this world. I truly hope that somehow this sickness does open our eyes to the deeper sickness on this shared planet — Greed.
Mother Earth is bigger than you and she's been around much longer. We've already shown that we are capable of collective changed behavior for the greater good. I truly believe that we are bearing witness to a historical turning point and we get to decide what side we're standing on moving forward — the side of restoration and healing, or the side of corporate greed.
Nature doesn't need people and money doesn't matter if you're dead.
Be well friends. Let me know what you think and if you agree, subscribe to my blog and give this post a share to spread the word.
Thanks for reading.
— ✌🏻❤️
Check out this website to find information about how you can act to end government corruption: Represent.Us
#NatureisSpeaking