EARTH DAY AT 50-LET'S START THE 2ND FIRE

                              April 22, 1970 was a big day in American history. Senator Gaylord Nelson came up with the idea to celebrate and protect our magnificent planet. Imagine 20 MILLION people around the country (10% of the population) demonstrating on that day. Today, we would need 32 million people to equal that same percentage.

 March/April 2020 
Sierra club magazine

1ST EARTH DAY 1970 DEMONSTRATION
(SIERRA CLUB MAGAZINE 4/20)

LCCHS EARTH
DAY 2011

The outcome from that rally cry in 1970 was the passage of far reaching legislation such as: the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, amendments to the Clean Air Act and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. These Acts were implemented  by the Bipartisan Congress and a Republican president - Richard Nixon. So what has happened today? There is no bipartisan support from our Congress and a President that does not comprehend the primary flow of energy between the ecosystems and their relevance on our planet earth.
My hope in this blog, is to give each of you some ideas on how we can make a difference... that is ...if we care enough about our earth, our home.
As a society, and in many parts of the world, we enjoy the benefits of these forward thinking ACTS of a Congress that were supported by our President in the 1970s. But, we have become complacent, entitled, apathetic, and consequently we are not living sustainably.

UGANDAN YOUNG MAN
RIDING MILES TO GET WATER

The human population in 1970 was 3,369,492,000 and now in just 50 years, has basically doubled to over 7,655,957,369. We have been adding 1 billion extra people to the earth nearly every 12-13 years. Although the rate is declining, it is still exponential, especially in places like Africa that has 50 percent of the population under 25, and where clean drinking water is a luxury.

WATER STATION IN UGANDA 2009

Consequently, with this population pressure, we are beginning to see the effects of disabling factors like climate change, pollution of ground water, plastics in our oceans, bleaching coral reefs, and a safe way dispose of nuclear waste.
The Decline of Resources and increased pollution will surely become a major game changer in the future for our children. We are learning today with the CoronaVirus, that we are all interconnected one way or another (no man is an island). Heck, we are even having a hard time getting toilet paper. I still have a picture forever imprinted in my mind; walking the streets of Katmandu, Nepal in 2013, when a delivery truck pulled up beside me, two armed guards unlocked the back slider door, another person jumped out of the back and ran a few boxes of toilet paper up to a nearby hotel.  I paused and thought, WOW, the things we take for granted in the US.

NEW TESLA Y MODEL SUV 

There are solutions, and the visionaries like Elon Musk, and Thomas Friedman have put ideas that can bring about influential changes.

Elon Musk and his revolutionary Tesla automobile has revived the push for electric cars. The Tesla is set up to go 500,000 MILES on the current lifespan of the batteries and then recycling them at the end, with the possibility of reaching 1,000,000 miles--have to wait and see. Other manufactures, like GM, Toyota, Volkswagon and Ford are starting to follow his lead--just think of the possibilities! Add some solar panels on your home and you are beginning to take yourself off the grid and decrease your environmental impact.  PS. Electric cars like the Tesla are FAST. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAXDcTH6hPw

Thomas Friedman has written one of the most insightful books I have ever read. His book, Thank You For Being Late (a road map for how we can survive the future), incorporates the advances in technology that is based on Moore's Law; predicting that technology is now doubling every 2 years.  Because of this factor; I don't get mad at my cell phone when it doesn't work properly :) Friedman has been a Pulitzer Prize winner and writer for the New York Times. If ever there is a book that can help humankind survive and incorporate a SUSTAINABLE  FUTURE, it is this one. Available on Amazon for only $10.00 (written in 2017).

RAINFOREST BURNING
RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES

"Thank You For Being Late", reminded me how technology can have an environmental impact besides making our life easier. Back in 2017, my kiwi friend Jay and Aussie friend John, took a phenomenal trip to Madagascar. At that time, it was the 4th poorest country in the world with some of the greatest biodiversity on the planet. One day we were hiking through the magnificent rainforest in search of Lemurs when the most mind boggling experience happened. We had stopped for lunch at the "Fire Starter's" house. While we were eating, I noticed the head of the household had disappeared and was now on the hillside, and was actually starting to set the rainforest on fire right before our eyes! Just coming from the 2013 San Diego fires (four years ago), I was quite alarmed. All I could think of was, what if the wind shifts ...we're dead! So we packed up as fast as we could and made it out through the back door behind us. Around the corner, in the next canyon (a previously burnt area) we came across a Ring Tailed Lemur stranded in a charcoaled tree.  I will never forget hearing the sound of the Lemur's pathetic cries. He was stranded, distraught and crying for his lost friends and family that were in the forest. Jay and I were flabbergasted at this sight, and I remember saying to him, "What the Fuck."

LOCAL RICE FARMER

ROSCO THE LEMUR

In Madagascar, forest burning is a common scene and a regular practice. After the burning, a rice planter comes along and plants seeds in the ash. This was very disconcerting, and I remember thinking I had to do something. Jim Carey, the movie actor, already was involved in getting rice developed that would be more productive and therefore require less rainforest destruction. I always had an idea that we could develop an Amber Alert for 3rd world countries. But in this case, it would be filled with ideas to plant rice, update weather, fertilizing techniques and include family planning services. I designed a website called: "2 to be Cool". The website provided information for family planning, but I just didn't have the technology background to launch it via cell phone. Well, after reading Friedman's book, there is now a program called 3-2-1 Service program that does just that, and it is launching in countries all around the world---Technology happening and saving the earth too! http://321service.org/
This months National Geographic (April 2020) - has some visionary insights for the human species and our choices we can make.... Lose the planet or Save the World. Depending on which side of the magazine you start; you get to see these choices laid out and what can be done in the next 50 years (2070).
On the WE LOST THE PLANET SIDE: several factoids stand out:
1. THE ARCTIC ICE CAP: Has shrunk by more than a million square miles in the past 50 years.
2. THE POPULATION HAS DOUBLED in the last 50 years. Oil consumption and power usage has also doubled. Global wild fish catch has increased by half, pork consumption doubled and chicken consumption-quadrupled.
3. WILD POPULATIONS:  of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, & amphibians has dropped  60% since the first earth day (50 years ago): WOW!
ON THE SAVED THE WORLD SIDE: these ideas stand out:
 1. THE CONCEPT OF CONSERVATION:  This in full swing with organizations like the San Diego Zoo- they have more than 140 projects worldwide (many through local villages in Africa).
2. NEW ENERGY: ITER-- a non-polluting energy plant using FUSION power is being built in France in collaboration with 35 countries.
3. ALTERNATIVE AGRICULTURE:  like growing under water tomatoes in Italy-using no soil or pesticides.       
4. PLASTIC OCEAN POLLUTION: Researchers have found 10,000 MICROPLASTIC PARTICLES per liter of Arctic sea ice.  THERE IS A 4 OCEANS ORGANIZATION founded by 2 young surfers who surfed in Bali and were disgusted by the plastic pollution of the ocean. They have organized people around the world to help pick up ocean trash--(we were off to Bali to help, but our trip was just cancelled)-- https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/07/4oceans-cleaned-up-1-million-pounds-of-ocean-garbage.html      
CORONAVIRUS: Well, just like the financial crisis in 2008, which stole the thunder of Al Gore and his environmental movement and movie: Inconvenient Truth, it appears that we are once again faced with yet another challenge. The Covid-19 virus has caught the world by surprise and now we are suffering the consequences with isolation in our homes and social distancing. This probably means all large gatherings for the 50th year celebration for Earth Day will not happen.  BUT MAYBE IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TOO. MAYBE THIS IS A WAKE UP CALL! Earth provides us everything we absolutely need to survive and much more. It gives us air to breathe, majestic mountains, beaches, oceans and deserts. Just go outside and look around; watch the a fluttering hummingbird extract the nectar of a flower or a honey bee pollinating plants. Smell the sweet scent of orange blossoms lingering in the air. Listen to the morning birds as they chatter about spring. Savor the food that grows on the earth that gives us nourishment. Our earth is truly amazing!
It's time to take a step back, evaluate our personal actions and take accountability.  What if this is  the time we take a pause from our busy lives, to really look at what is happening to our earth.  Let's get involved and start practicing a more mindful lifestyle in our efforts to support a sustainable approach to our daily lives. Watch planet documentaries, utilize social media and look for pictorial evidence of the now beautiful skies of India, and China. We need to ask ourselves the HARD questions... How important is economic strength as a country, if in the end our Gaia (our earth home) has lost its ability to provide for our survival? There must be a way to restructure our global demand for goods, and find a balanced approach that protects the planet's biosphere.

CHECK OUT THE
FACEBOOK CHALLENGE

Here is the challenge for me and my family to you and your family. WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AT HOME?  Everyday starts from home, each of us can take individual actions at home. With accumulated efforts combined from our individual efforts, we can make a collective difference, like the ripple effect. We can be on the "right" side of the National Geographic Magazine by our conscious choices we make each day. Please take a minute and look on my Facebook page for Jerry Trust and join the EarthDay 50 challenge.
THE 3 STEP APPROACH to ENSURE OUR CHILDREN will have a planet full of Wonder:                                                             
1. Do your homework: make observations on your environmental footprint. This website (below) will help you to evaluate your individual environmental impact-- https://www.footprintnetwork.org/resources/footprint-calculator/
2. Practice Earth Wisdom: We know what body wisdom is---understanding how our body works, listening to it, getting enough rest, eating a healthy diet and exercising. So Earth Wisdom---such things as: shopping locally-at Farmer's Markets, eliminating plastic products, knowing that shopping online and having a package show up at our doorstep (like magic) requires a lot of Energy use to make that happen, etc. If we cut our Energy consumption.... we our taking that first step.
3. Start the 2nd Fire: As discussed in the video,"Living in the Future's past", on Amazon Prime, the first time humans started using "Fire", for cooking etc., it signaled a major step in conscious evolution. Now that humans have started to harness the wind, the sun, and various other energy sources, let's incorporate love, and compassion for other species, plus bring into play with our own footprint, and Earth Wisdom. As Jeff Bridges's says in the "Living in the Future Past video, "the question is, "What are you willing to do to make a difference?" And, then teach our children how to pay attention and make mindful consumer, energy decisions... let's Start that 2nd Fire, it only takes one match!
OTHER IDEAS WE CAN DO AS CITIZENS OF OUR UNIQUE PLANET:
1. Get out and vote: your candidate needs to endorse the GREEN NEW DEAL:   https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/109/text
2. Watch this inspirational documentary narrated by Jeff Bridges: "Living in the Future's Past ". On Amazon Prime.

EXCELLENT PRODUCE BAGS

3. Make that change, Loraine and I, at the urging of her daughter, Shannon, has convinced us to get rid of plastic sandwich bags and start using Tupperware type containers to save food, and getting rid of the plastic bags. Earthsider- promotes a zero waste world-https://earthsider.com/
4. Yale has an excellent website addressing our ecological future. https://e360.yale.edu/
5. Try the Wim hof method to find your inner power: https://wimhofmethod.com/
 Actually, you could probably put Wim Hof at the top of the things to do, through his methods, your  anxieties will diminish --perfect to do during the Covid-19 isolation.
6. Carefully consider the Source of information and their credibility to allow you to make informed decisions.