Happy Earth Day

Today is a great day to be alive.

Okay, I had to get up at 5 am to get to work on time, and it was cold this morning. I kept hitting the snooze button, but once I was out of bed, and had ingested two espressos, the delight of a sunny spring morning filled my heart with a joy that could not be dampered by school shootings, or a war that seems endless. Standing in sunlight with the scent of lilacs all around me, I felt a boundless sense of gratitude for the privilege of living on such an amazing planet.

We are living in a time of great uncertainty. It is perhaps a unique moment in history when our everyday decisions have momentous consequences. An individual action as simple as separating a bag of trash to recycle our precious resources can save a huge amount of energy when it becomes a habit repeated for a life time. Changing a light bulb is a simple act, it takes a minute, but when you change to fluorescent, you not only save energy, you save on emissions. Walking to work, walking to the grocery store, walking anywhere, is an act of radical change, your action gives us more time to enjoy this wondrous place we call home.

As worried as I am about the state of the planet, I believe that all of us are making a conscious decision to take action. We are waking up to the seriousness of the environmental issues that face us. We have a great opportunity to make history with our actions, and reverse this danger that threatens our very existence. There has never been more support for change than there is today. There are people and governments all over the globe working to preserve the amazing beauty of our natural resources. And sure there are giants like Exxon Mobile, and our own American leaders in the Administration and Congress who have put obstacles in the path to a healthier environment. But these folks who trash the planet are slowly being called to account, and it won't be long before we will shame them into doing the right thing, or by our actions, force them out of business.

Tomorrow, go out and take a walk. Savor the spring, enjoy the wonder of nature, celebrate the planet. And after you have felt the boundless joy of a spring day, make a commitment to this place we call home.

Take Action. This is the most important thing you will do this year, even this decade, and quite possibly, in your lifetime.

Happy Earth Day.

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