I remember when Earth Day used to seem like a celebration only relevant to people from another planet. I remember when I would see people dressed as turtles, or with signs in the shape of the planet, and think they were a little nutty. I was a kid. Those were the average citizen canaries in the little coal mine of my childlike dreams for myself.
I remember then when I began to develop a distinct need for justice -- in every interaction, from those with authority in the militarized environment of my youth, in my family which had two distinct stories of injustice, from the nation I was expected to represent no matter how far I left it behind me physically, philosophically. Justice, when I was coming out of college into a world ripe with injustice, seemed to have nothing to do with those sign carrying turtle/polar bear/spotted owl loving white people.
I remember when I was taken to a wild place, and was shocked to find buried in my own memories the wooded places of my youth. I remember the first time I really sat and comprehended the thousands of years of life in an ancient tree. I remember the juxtaposition for some time between the natural world I was falling in love with, and the beautiful urban wilderness of my home, Brooklyn. I remember the growing incongruence between my adoration of massive spaces -- plains, oceans, mountainscapes... and the equal but different adoration of all that was capable in the palm of my hand with new technology that could hold every song I'd ever loved and reach every person I currently love. Could I have both?
This Earth Day I am committed to striking the balance. I don't think our right move at this point is back to the land, or back to the ways of our ancestors. I think it is forward to the land, forward with work for every single person that has space for vision, dignity and actually contributes towards a healthy planet, forward with the ways of our near and ancient ancestors locked into our genetic code and helping us consider the fusion of technology and nature. It's forward to a space where all that we create serves what we did not create and cannot replace.
I am still not dressed like a turtle, and cringe a bit when I see little signs shaped like planets. But I love the people in those suits and holding those signs, and see them as part of the same movement I am now in. I tend to lean towards the folks within that movement who have a particular undeniable need for justice in their future planet.
And I admit, I want some new high tech picket line sign that will scroll the faces of people impacted by ill-formed and selfish decisions on the personal, communal and federal level. But until such time, I post my sign right here -- Justice for the planet will come through justice for the people.