Earth Day began in 1970. I was a sophomore in college then, and I still remember being excited about this new hippie holiday! And here it is, 48 years later, and Earth Day is still a thing! So how come the Earth is in worse shape than it was then?
For some perspective, I turned to Vox and found "Seven Things We've Learned About Earth Since the Last Earth Day." (Hang in there; it's only seven things!)
1. The Plastic Problem: Do you remember the one word Mr. McGuire had for Benjamin Braddock in 1967's The Graduate? "Plastics." It was 1967. Fisher-Price was using plastic for parts of its toy phones. We were being enticed to buy inflatable armchairs, pink plastic curlers, and Bic pens, all made of plastic. It was a brave new world . . . of plastic. Earlier this year, a 6-ton sperm whale washed up on the shores of southern Spain with 64 pounds of plastic in its stomach. And the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch," located in the Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii, has now grown to 80,000 tons. What's being done? Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, recently proposed a ban on plastic straws, swabs, and stirrers. It's a start. But we've a long way to go. If nothing else, bring your own non-plastic bags to the supermarket, okay? Every little bit helps.
2. Northern White Rhino: The last male of this species died last month at the age of 45. This is only one of the many extinct, endangered, or threatened species on this planet. While I don't know exactly what the average citizen of Earth can do to prevent extinction, I would guess that environmental regulations would aim at saving these creatures. With this current administration, the EPA has become ineffective, propelling us backward instead of forward in saving our planet. What is there to do? Vote blue!
3. But there's some good news: The California Academy of Sciences added 85 new species of plants and animals to its catalog last year! Long live the sulfur-eating giant shipworm that lives at the bottom of muddy lagoons!
4. Goodbye, Greenland?: (I'll wait until you google a map to see exactly where Greenland is. Got it? Okay.) One section of Greenland's ice sheet has started melting 80% faster than before. If the entire Greenland ice sheet were to melt, it would raise global sea levels by more than 20 feet. Looks like we might be saying goodbye to more places than Greenland.
5. The Return of Seagrass: The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. For years, it was suffering from pollution. But now, seagrass is regrowing, covering more than 42,000 acres, the highest cover in the Chesapeake in almost half a century. Unfortunately, seagrasses worldwide have declined by nearly one-third over the last century. Good news and bad news.
6. Natural Disasters: It seems we have not learned much from the onslaught of natural disasters we've been experiencing. In 2017, natural disasters (hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, etc.) caused at least $306 billion in damages across the United States. Are we any better prepared? One only has to look at Puerto Rico for the answer to that.
7. Another Earth?: According to Vox, we are getting closer to finding another Earth out there. Is this good or bad? I am too old to consider the possibility of moving to another planet. How about you?
It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart. ~ Rainer Maria Rilke
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