The Fight

There are so many of us who are “fighting” for this planet. For its love. For its survival. For its justice. For its health. For its balance. I too, am one of those fighters. And I have been.

There have been thoughts and discussions both in my mind and with others trying to find the most ecological and sustainable way to live. Eventually, my only answer was to reduce. Not “reduce, reuse, recycle.” Just reduce. Reduce, reduce, reduce. The best way to get the planet to heal was to take less from it. To give less waste to it. I noticed I felt guilty doing anything and everything. Even driving somewhere to immerse in nature’s beauty poured guilt over me, simply because I had to use more fuel to get there. My logic came to, Wouldn’t it be better for the planet if I just stay around home instead?

It got to the point where I felt we humans had to be less. I felt that just by being human, I was causing destruction for our planet. Just by being alive…

And that is no way to think. And I know that there are other planet-lovers and tree-huggers out there who have come across the same dilemma and process of thought. It makes it difficult to carry on.

But who are we as humans to think we can truly damage this world? This Earth, this planet, is sopowerful. More powerful than humankind. As humans, we have the ability and strength to use all resources within our capability to the point where we drain our kind from all resources. But Earth? She will live on. And she will recover. We simply do not have the power to destroy this planet, just the power to destroy the means by which we survive and enjoy this planet.

So what are we fighting for? Who are we fighting for? We know that this planet will win.

Earth will outlive us.

The fight, I’ve concluded, is for our children.

For our children’s children.

For the generations beyond us to see a blue sky. To walk along beaches of sand and not micro plastics. To eat food that has grown out in nature and been ripened by the sun. To watch dolphins and whales. To witness wildlife thriving in the wild. The fight is for them. The life beyond us. The wildlife. Our children. For their health. And for their experience in this ever so powerful planet called, EARTH.

“The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.”

Gaylord Nelson