Happy Earth Day, Earthling!

As you may, and very likely should, already know, today is Earth Day! Not that we should need a day to be reminded of our planet, and certainly not that we should only care for it one day per year, but it can’t hurt to have a day to celebrate this, or this, or this, or this. It is, after all, our only home.
Yet we seem to be awful housekeepers, don’t we? At least when it comes to emissions and climate there are some volcanoes that have something to say about it, like the unpronounceable Icelandic one. Sure, such eruptions spew forth immense quantities of harmful substances, but they shape the Earth and, most importantly, are completely natural events, which means they can’t be “bad”. On the other hand, reducing the amount of air travel can only benefit the Earth, considering the tremendous amount of emissions that this form of transportation is responsible for and the fact that those emissions are much more harmful for the planet up there than at lower altitudes. Not to mention that such a fast and easy mode of transportation is indirectly responsible for the spread of disease and even partially for overconsumption.
But it’s not Earth who needs us, it’s us and all the other species we share it with who need it. And there may still be time to turn the tide. So try to think about the true environmental consequences of your actions and behavior patterns, as well as the real costs of your purchases. This last part is very important, because you don’t only vote during elections, but also every time you buy something. And fight for the cause, persuading, helping or even, if need be, forcing as many others as you possibly can to live sustainably from an environmental perspective, pressuring governments into passing laws that will truly protect the environment and companies into operating in an environmentally sustainable manner. The actions, habits and purchases of a single person may matter extremely little in a world with nearly seven billion of us, but everything adds up, every bit of help matters. Who knows when you’ll end up being just the one to make the difference?
And, of course, as a very militant GINK was bound to say, keep in mind that the single most important thing you can do for Earth is not breeding. (Though I obviously firmly disagree with the position stated by the author of that manifesto regarding those who do have children. Being childfree primarily for environmental reasons and yet saying that you have nothing against those who do have children is something like being a cop and saying that, while you are proud to state that you’ll never commit murder yourself, you have nothing against those who do. If those who want to have children could have and raise them on another planet, using that planet’s resources, then it’ll be all right, but breeding under the current circumstances is a crime on this little blue sphere.)