To Mother Earth

April~
Renew. Refresh. Growth and Rebirth.
Lovely words, lovely thoughts.
It is nice to come full circle through the year and to the time of year I love thinking of as the real New Year.

The last week or so has pushed many thoughts and feelings through my head.
Earth week is a lovely thought, until you start to realize the condition she is currently in. Last Sunday I was one of a handful of people who chose to sit in a dark auditorium in the middle of a weekend day full of sunshine and blue skies. I watched the movie (semi) debut of a film called "Bag it". This is a documentary a few people from some local ski towns put together about PLASTIC. It is very well done, entertaining and informative. When searching online I found a short clip of the whole video. So far, it's not very out there as far as availability, but if that day comes I would highly recommend you and yours spend the time to sit and have a watch. In the mean time, check this out: http://vimeo.com/5645718

I consider myself pretty well informed and a bit geeked out on environmental issues, but seeing this film nonetheless left my head spinning and my heart reeling in the amount of devastation we are doing to our planet.
The "gyres" of plastic we've all heard of out in the oceans (5 of them now) are not merely conglomerations of accumulated, floating plastic, but rather huge amounts of garbage (plastic) that are being degraded and broken down by the sun into smaller and smaller bits.. until they resemble plankton (ie fish food) and larger fish are EATING this and we are eating the larger fish. We are eating plastic! The ratio of plastic to plankton currently in our ocean is at 40:1- which means that there is now more plastic in our oceans than there is food.

Plastic is convenient, but we have become lazy about that convenience. Plastic is in personal care products that we use, slather and consume. It is currently in our bodies.. to be passed onto our children- in a physical and cumulative way. The amount of plastic in our bodies is beginning to show its effects as various birth defects and behavior problems in children. .. and I could go on.

But I won't end this on such a grim, gloom and doom note. No I won't.

Because- I spent the whole day working, volunteering and being utterly REFRESHED with our world. I helped out at and attended our town's Eco-Fair today. The amount of people that truly do care and are motivated to change things- that want to learn to shop and cook locally- to learn what is in their personally care products- to learn how the hell they are going to grow food in a 6300 ft mountain town- and to even those that are willing to get their hands dirty and start composting with worms at home.. Then I begin to feel the sprig of hope blooming this spring.. and I think maybe.. maybe it can all begin with small forces. Neighbors talking to neighbors. Hope. And a little action.

So- enjoy the springtime, let it renew your hearts, minds and souls. And then let summer sweep you away with happiness and health for you, and for your pachamama- she's the only one we get.