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05/16/2002 Archived Entry: "4/23/02 Earth Day"

Yesterday was Earth Day. I did not do enough with respect to the day. Indeed, I barely acknowledged it, except to write "Happy Earth Day" on some of the emails I sent out. Perhaps some of the lack of observance comes from my early Creating Our Future Days (back when COF was a youth organization), and from my Rainforest Cereals business.

We would spend months, organizing activities in many high schools. Then when the day came, there would be nothing to do. Everything would be in place. The same is true with respect to Rainforest Cereals. Each year we do a promotion and a PR push, both to promote our cereal sales and to awaken people to the issues, for Earth Day and also for World Rainforest Week (in October). Generally, we work on these promotional activities four to six months in advance, so when the day comes, it is rather anti-climatic. Shall I be able to consider that having my cereals case-stacked here and there in Health Food stores, with Earth Day related posters, is doing something for Earth Day? Perhaps its is, but I feel the need to do more.

Next year, either I will organize an event, or speak at one. I know what I would have liked to have done, now that I think about it. I would have liked to organize an event in the Bay Area for Israeli and Palestinian advocates, activists, and peace workers. In that event, I would try to arrange a ritualized expression of grief and anger. I have a pretty clear picture of how to go about doing that. It would be optimal to work with Rabbi Michael Lerner and Joanna Macy, amongst others, to make it happen well. I would ask people to share their grief, fear and anger, and then to pray together.

We must learn to recognize our common humanity, or we will not be able to make it as a species. We are, literally, playing with fire in the Middle East. I am not very much into "would have, could have, should have" these days. The thing to do is to organize such an event, and see what happens. If it works, make it bigger, spread to more places. If it doesn’t work, things won’t be any worse.

Always in me, there is this thing that I must "do something." No, I do not think that I am the center of the universe, filled with great powers, able to right wrongs. I am just "me." Sometimes, fairly wise, sometimes far from wise. Nevertheless, I feel called to do what I can. And, so, I shall.