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Chief Seattle, Earth Day, Ecology, ecosystems, environment, Healthy Happy Loving Life, In-joy-meant, Kebba Buckley Button, nature, organic foods, Seventh Generation, Silent Spring, sustainability
© 2024 Kebba Buckley Button, MS, OM. World Rights Reserved.
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Sixty-two years ago, in 1962, an American biologist named Rachel Carson published a book called Silent Spring. Carson was concerned about the effects of pesticides on the Earth’s collective biological systems. She could see a day coming when, due to pesticides, birds’ eggshells would be too thin to be viable, and thus no new birds would be born. Bird chatter would get quieter and quieter and finally go silent. Ecosystems would collapse without birds, and the World would be in a biological systems disaster. Thanks to Carson, we began to think about ecosystems, the interconnectedness of all living things.
On January 28, 1969, off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, an offshore oil well blew out during drilling. The volume of crude oil released was around 80,000 to 100,000 barrels. It blackened the coastline from Pismo, north of Santa Barbara, south to the Mexico border. Images of baby ducks coated with crude oil became embedded in our cultural consciousness. We learned that Dawn dish detergent is stronger than crude oil and can save the waterfowl. Cleanup efforts took months. This spill remains one of the Planet’s 3 largest oil spills ever.
A year later, the first Earth Day was launched on April 22, 1970. People had become aware of the pollution of the air, the land, and the sea, and how pollution affects all Earth systems as well as human health. Poison in one ocean would lead to the poisoning of another ocean. Air pollution over Asia was now known to get to the US in 3 days. Food co-ops popped up on every college campus. This movement, at that time, lead to the first marketing of organic foods, now widely available in mainstream stores. People began watching their water usage and re-using graywater. People began realizing that using more electricity meant more power generating stations of different kinds, which would all have different environmental costs.
The idea of Planet Earth as a spaceship hurtling through space, alone, with no backup planet, led to expressions like “Spaceship Earth” and “there is no Planet Number 2.” Some began to think we had better take care of the one planet we have.
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Fast forward to 2024, and much has evolved. I will name just a few advancements. We look for environmentally friendly solutions for almost every challenge. We have cleaning and laundry products that won’t hurt river systems, or the oceans that the rivers empty into. We limit our pesticide use. We have air pollution limits and advisories, and we have no-burn days. We try to live closer to work, or to telecommute. We quote Chief Seattle, the Native leader and diplomat, for whom the City of Seattle is named. He said,
We cannot simply think of our survival; each new generation is responsible to ensure the survival of the seventh generation.
And now there is a line of cleaning, laundry, and body care products under the brand name Seventh Generation. What a great reminder, every time you pick up one of the bottles. We now have biodegradable packaging and even laundry sheets that dissolve in the wash process. The largest delivery company, Amazon, has converted all of its packaging to recyclable paper and cardboard, and plastic tape and peanuts are no more– only recyclable air cushions and paper mesh. We have low VOC paints and organic soil for potting plants. Farmers’ markets are thriving with local produce and organic baked goods. Many people are starting to keep chickens, to assure their eggs are organic and cage-free. Many are growing their own edible gardens, to have fresh, organic produce at hand. Innovators are working on environmentally perfect cars and on ways to clear the plastics from the oceans.
We are now greatly aware of the interactions among Earth systems. Everything touches everything. Everything interacts with everything. Would Chief Seattle be pleased with our progress? I hope so. Keep doing what you can for your family, for the biome and for the Planet. And that will be you, ever more Healthy Happy and Loving Lifesm!
Kebba Buckley Button is a stress/energy management expert, holistic healer, and award-winning author who celebrates life. She has a longtime holistic healing practice and is an ordained minister. Among her books are: Discover The Secret Energized You (http://tinyurl.com/b44v3br), Inspirations for Peace Within: Quotes and Images to Uplift and Inspire, and Sacred Meditation: Embracing the Divine. The books are available on Amazon and through Kebba’s office. They are also available in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the Franciscan Renewal Center bookstore and at the bookstore at St. Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church. Or simply email us to order: kebba@kebba.com . Thank you!
Books by Kebba Buckley Button
Healthy Happy Loving Life! 