My Thoughts On Earth Day 2022

Today, April 22, 2022, Earth Day is 52 years old.  (I am older than Earth day; I am NOT older than the actual Earth!)  I don't recall any Earth Day celebrations or notifications when I was young (younger).  I certainly wasn't focused on being "friendly" to the planet/environment when I was in school.  Thankfully, I have changed and my son (without much guidance from his father or myself) is environmentally aware.  He doesn't throw items into the garbage can; he rises them and puts them in the recycling bin.  (Although sometimes he throws items in that cannot be recycled...but we're working on it and his heart is in the right place.)  He is (somewhat) into gardening and is responsible for the landscaping/plants around our (newish) patio.  Together we picked out plants that were perennial and suitable for our area.  (We also tried to pick items that were not palatable to deer.  As a side note, due to the overdevelopment of our area, deer, which were a rarity at the end of the last century, are now regularly gazing in our backyard.)  He is more aware of how his actions impact the planet than I am.  (Although I am trying to catch up.)  He is somewhat fatalistic, which saddens me.  What we have done to this planet (or what we haven't done and/or ignored) is very much on his mind.

It's on mine as well, perhaps in a selfish way.  When I was younger, I had planned on retiring to the Jersey Shore.  As I get closer to "retirement age" that doesn't seem possible.  The main reason is of course finances.  I don't see myself being able to retire period.  However, even if I was able to do so, I would not.  It pains me to say that.  

It's not because my love of the jersey coast has waned. 

I still love the smell of the ocean, the sounds of the waves hitting the sand and the seagulls calling, the feel of the sand beneath my feet and the sun on my face.  I still find peace and tranquility.  However, living on the plot of land that I spent nearly all of my summers on does not seem like a wise decision.  The ocean and the sand have changed over the years (as everything must), but what has really changed is the landscape behind it.  The land once dotted with small summer homes is now littered with "MacMansions" that practically touch each other.  (Nothing against large homes or even "MacMansions;" I would love to live in a larger home someday, but would want to do so wisely.)  Open space has been too quickly filled.  The idea of escaping the rest of the world on a sunny beach is no longer possible.  Indeed, I do not think (and I'll admit that I am no scientist) that the small(ish) coastal isles of New Jersey can sustain for much longer.  I'm not talking about land crumbling into the sea tomorrow or the next day, but possibly disappearing in some way if not in my lifetime, or extremely possibly in my son's.

After Superstorm Sandy, I would have thought we would have learned.  Nature is a force that cannot be tamed and should be treated with respect.  As I see, there is very little respect and what was learned was only that homes should be stronger and higher off the ground.  Again, there is nothing wrong with building stronger homes or planning for the inevitable floods that WILL come with storms.  What is wrong is building them one on top of each other with no open space and with no consideration for the future.

The land that I once loved no longer exists.  Am I a whiny old lady?  Perhaps.  But I do mourn the loss of the seascape that once was.  I am saddened by the lack of thought and care.  If we treat our planet as we have in the past and as we (seemingly) continue to do so at the Jersey shore, there is no future.

I do not despair though.  There is hope for the next generation and the generations to come if we act and continue to act with consideration for our planet.  And we ALL have to act.  We all have to do our part; whether it be big or small.  We need to work for the good of the Earth.  We don't need to be perfect, but we do need to be considerate.  

We've all heard that we should treat our neighbors as we wish to be treated.  It's time we treat our planet as we would treat ourselves.  We need to care for ourselves and our home, the planet Earth.  We need to care now so that we (and our families, friends and descendants) can live happily and safely.

It's Earth Day.  Do something good for the planet today.  Do something good for the planet tomorrow.  Take care of our home so that we will continue to have one.