Earth Day—April 22

By Alice Christianson
Staff Writer

“More than at any time in history mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness, the other to total extinction. Let us pray that we have the wisdom to choose correctly.” –Woody Allen

It’s amazing to realize that April 22 marks the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. It has taken that many years to ignite the interest of one billion people in 174 counties who will be celebrating this year’s events. We still have a long way to go to inspire the remaining almost six billion people to get involved.

Earth Day Network understands that to secure a healthy planet, it requires people who are educated and energized. It also means that people have to care beyond their own immediate gratification.

We know that the planet is in peril. We know that the rainforests are being decimated to graze cattle and to grow corn and soy beans which are used for animal feed. Animal agriculture in the world contributes 37 percent methane and 65 percent nitrous oxide, contributing to 18-20 percent of the global warming effect.
We know that 1,221 species are on the Red List, threatened with extinction because of hunting, agriculture and pesticides, and habitat destruction.

The oceans are being plundered. 90% of the world’s fish stock has been removed from its eco-systems, and thousands and thousands of fishing vessels scour the seas and oceans with banned drift nets and bottom trawling nets that damage everything in their way including turtles, dolphins, whales and sea birds. World fishing is expected to collapse by 2048, and some predict much earlier. So fish are now being “farmed.”

Shrimp are farmed in tropical coastal areas, destroying tidal estuaries, wetlands, and mangrove forests which previously protected land from tropical storms.

Shrimp farming uses antibiotics, pesticides and detergents, then flushes those harmful chemicals into the coastal environment. Salmon farming uses similar chemicals to ensure survival when they crowd anywhere from 15,000-90,000 in single pens, creating an enormous amount of fecal waste. Endangered whales continue to be illegally hunted and slaughtered by the Japanese, the same fishing corporations that bring sushi to U.S. restaurants. One third of the world’s coral is dead or dying.

I could go on. Do you see what Woody Allen means by despair and hopelessness? But he doesn’t mention helplessness. The antidote to despair and hopelessness is to educate yourself, and then get active. There are many initiatives all around the world to promote clean energy and water, sustainable agriculture and green, healthy communities.

Your plan of action should include a vegetarian or vegan diet. Here’s why: according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one acre of land can produce 356 pounds of protein from soybeans, or 265 pounds from rice, or 192 pounds from legumes. Or that same acre can produce 82 pounds of protein from cow’s milk, or 78 pounds from eggs, or 20 pounds from beef cattle. Another way to say this is that it takes 3.25 acres of land for one person to eat the standard American diet (heavy on the meat, cheese, eggs, milk, and light on fruits and vegetables), or one-sixth an acre for one person to eat a vegan diet (vegetables, fruits and grains).

Understanding how precarious life is on this planet will help to prevent the extinction of other species and ourselves.

“Anything anyone does anywhere affects everything everywhere. Things derive their nature by mutual dependence on each other, and are nothing in themselves. One person is nothing in himself because his existence is supported by the whole world, yet, he too alone can destroy much of the whole world. The world’s existence depends on everyone. Everyone plays a part. What part do you play?” -The Daily Enlightenment.

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