Resurrection Arbor Day: On Behalf of the Trees

I published this here two years ago on Arbor Day. It seems appropriate to give it a resurrection here today. Happy Arbor Day everyone - now, go plant a tree or two or three!

If the trees could speak in a human tongue, I have no doubt that they would have some pretty choice words to say to humankind. For a moment, please sit back, take a deep breath, and imagine this planet as a single, living entity. The waterways are its blood source. The rocks are its bones. The plant life, and most especially trees, are its lungs. The humans are its.....cancer. Yep, that's right, cancer. If each individual form of life can be viewed as a single cell that goes into making up this living entity, then we are the cells that have mutated and are destroying all the other "normal" cells that are going about the business of keeping the whole healthy.

The one saving grace that we humans have, when it is not being used to mastermind our downfall, is the ability to reason and create solutions to problems. In the past centuries, the perceived problems have revolved mostly around matters of convenience. The automobile, for instance has allowed us greater freedom. We have created industry to manufacture products that are designed to make our lives easier. Granted, through human ingenuity, we have discovered cures for diseases, we have set foot upon the moon, we have transformed food production, we have radically changed the face of this planet. None of what we have done, however, has been fundamentally necessary for the continued survival of the human race.

Times, they have changed. No longer do we have the luxury of a healthy planet with an immune system strong enough to rebound from all the toxic experiments to which it has been exposed. Our ancestors spent those reserves. No, we are the generation that will either make or break this planet. I will take the stance of the eternal optimist that I am, and state that if radical action happens NOW we still stand a chance of saving the lives of the generations to come. If we do not do anything, or do not do enough, then we are signing their death warrants.

And what is it that can be done, you ask? What is it that I, a mere individual, can do to start effecting the radical changes that are necessary to save this planet? Well, the first and absolutely most important step is to educate yourself. Learn how an ecosystem works, come to understand the fine balance that is necessary for each component of that ecosystem to maintain its individual health thereby contributing to the well being of the whole. A very simple and immediate action that each steward of this planet can take is to stop using chemicals. Period.

We use chemicals in many different ways in our homes, and home is where the changes must start. All of these chemicals, whether for pest management in our lawns and gardens, or cleaning the insides of our homes, or for covering up the odors that flourish inside the sealed atmosphere of a house, all of these chemicals are in some way toxic to the environment. There are alternatives, and all it takes is the time to educate oneself as to what non-harmful substitutes can be used. One small example, use plain vinegar on a regular basis to keep your drains from clogging. That will prevent the need to pour caustic chemicals into our water supply.

Much of the food we consume is manipulated in ways that are incredibly harmful to this planet. Organic is an alternative, but more importantly, the power of the almighty dollar is the most effective implement for change. Become knowledgeable about the food you purchase, and all the other products as well, for that matter. Let companies know why you are choosing not to spend your money with them and let the companies whose products you do consume know why you have chosen them. Educate yourself, and then speak up.

We must stop destroying the habitat that we have left. It is all we have, and it ain't much. I choose to support the Nature Conservancy with any and all charitable funds I have at my disposal. I do this because they are the folks that are buying up the fragile ecosystems and ensuring that they will remain in existence in order to support life on this planet for future generations, generations of not only humans, but generations of all life. Don't get caught up in the divisive and distracting politics that prey on human differences. Instead, see that we must unite in this common cause and hold our leaders accountable for their stewardship of this planet.

There are alternative technologies out there for just about everything, but some of the most important are the ways in which we generate power: electricity for our homes and towns and cities, fuel for our cars and boats and trains and buses and planes, oil for heating our homes. We do not have the time to allow these alternatives to become more convenient or affordable; we must start to implement them now. Change is hard, yes, but if we do not change the ways in which we live on this planet, we will not have a planet on which to live.

So, this Arbor Day, go ahead and plant a tree. It is a good thing to do, but also start to take steps towards ensuring the preservation of the trees, and all other forms of life, that already exist. After all, this is the only planet we have, and without it, we are nothing.

That's what the trees would say, if they could speak human.