This Earth Day, We’re Choosing Realism -and Hope
“The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena… Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity – in all this vastness – there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.” –Pale Blue Dot, Carl Sagan
It’s April 22nd, Earth Day, although we believe all days are Earth Day. We don’t want to write another blog about the importance of having a livable planet (you probably know this at this point), or announce that your donation will have a double or triple impact and use this day as a fundraising opportunity.
So, what is the message we want to give today?
We recently posted on social media about the dark side of conservation: a space that should bring all people together ends up being a place where egos, envy, and jealousy sabotage, gatekeep, or harm vital conservation and research.
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And while we’re dealing with each other as conservationists, the economic and political system is dragging all of humanity and the nature that sustains our species and civilizations toward deeper inequality and a planet where climate chaos and disasters are happening every day.
We don’t feel Earth Day is a day to celebrate, unfortunately. Not yet.
“If working apart we are a force powerful enough to destabilize our planet, surely working together we are powerful enough to save it.” –David Attenborough
But maybe that’s exactly why we need to celebrate it -not with empty optimism, but by recognizing the quiet victories. The truth is, we’re always expecting a big change to come quickly, and when it doesn’t happen, we fall into frustration. So maybe, yes, Earth Day should be a day to celebrate all the little actions scientists and conservationists around the world are achieving, despite all the setbacks. We need hope to keep going. We can’t let apathy rule.
We should indeed celebrate the collaborations among organizations and conservationists that cross borders and languages. Yes, there are conflicts among individuals, but we want to believe that mutual aid and cooperation are much stronger than the differences.
For example, with our colleagues in Brazil from Projeto Conecta-Vidas, who, inspired by our Connected Gardens project, started installing canopy bridges in Praia do Forte to reconnect the habitats of the endangered maned sloths; and soon they’ll start their own tree nursery, a project we’re proud to support and fund.
This week we also received the news of a group of little girls from New Zealand, who, worried but passionate about sloths, organized a fundraising event in their town to raise awareness about sloths, an animal that lives far away from the continent they call home. It does give us hope to see the next generation actively working for the love of nature and wildlife.
So yes, in the end, there are many reasons to celebrate our planet, nature, and us, the people.
“I do have reasons for hope: the amazing human brain, the resilience of nature, the power of young people, and the indomitable human spirit.” – Jane Goodall
Happy Earth Day!
-Cecilia Pamich
Communications & Outreach
