Today's MOZEN: Earth Day 4/22/2020

Words and photo F LoBuono

If we don't learn from our current crisis then all of our sacrifices will be for naught. We will be left with just pain and loss, having gained nothing. A waste.

Or, we could see it as opportunity to grow from the experience and be better for it.

We need to take whatever good that can be found (and, it always can be) buried beneath the wounds.

One of these things is the healing of our natural environment. It is becoming more and more obvious, both scientifically and empirically, that the reduction in human activity like driving has had a positive effect on our air quality. Oceans are also healing. It has been reported that even the coral reefs are repairing themselves. The pace of life is certainly slower, much to our benefit both physically and emotionally.

Of course, it's unrealistic to think that we can completely halt the inexorable march of the human incursion into the natural world. We are not going to erase the Industrial Revolution. However, on this Earth Day in the Year of the Corona, I hope that we remember the price we paid for our arrogance and use that lesson to slow down, adjust our lives, and show a lot more respect for our Mother Earth.