April 22, 2010

It’s Earth Day. So Why Hate… Anything?

I woke up this morning and automatically reached for my cell phone to check my email.  And then I remembered: It’s Earth Day!  I should be taking it slow.  Meditating.  Stepping outside for a breath of air.  Taking a walk in sunshine.  Appreciating the Earth instead of being glued to technology once again.  And then I remembered something else:

My cell phone IS the Earth.  That’s where all its parts came from… the metal, both toxic and non, and even the plastic.  Yes, all that plastic I’ve collected and stored in boxes under my dining room table? It’s part of the Earth too.

Beth Terry's 2007 plastic collection

This week, I was happy to be included in Sarah Newman’s list of Ten Anti-Plastic Heroes on the Huffington Post. But really, I’m not anti-plastic. I’m pro-living beings. Plastic is not destroying the Earth. The Earth will be around long after we and all the other living creatures have ceased to exist. And the plastic will have become just another geological layer. But the creatures on the Earth now… we are all suffering because of the misuse of the materials available to us, and that’s why I do my work.

Suffering is part of the Earth too. I work to alleviate it because I’m human, and that’s one of the things that humans do. This Earth Day, remember that everything on this planet IS planet Earth. Even the American Chemistry Council. We eschew plastic out of love, so why hate?

blue flourish

April 22, 2010 by Beth Terry
Filed under: Musings
Tags: , , ,

Comments

Comments

16 Comments on It’s Earth Day. So Why Hate… Anything?

  1. Brenna on Thu, 22nd Apr 2010 9:36 am

    2. What a lovely reminder for today… love.
    Brenna´s last blog ..What do you take from Earth Day? My ComLuv Profile

  2. Happy Earth Day! : A Green Spell on Thu, 22nd Apr 2010 10:42 am

    3. [...] ::LOVE with Beth Terry [...]

  3. Ari on Thu, 22nd Apr 2010 11:03 am

    4. I hate plastic and the great big garbage dump of it in the ocean. It is not destroying the earth but it does kill wildlife.

  4. surviving and thriving on pennies on Thu, 22nd Apr 2010 11:18 am

    5. Love love it Beth! Will be reminding my friends and family too.
    surviving and thriving on pennies´s last blog ..How do you score? Mine was 24/25 Whahoo! My ComLuv Profile

  5. Lesley on Thu, 22nd Apr 2010 11:22 am

    6. One Love!!! Free the Land!!

  6. Taina on Thu, 22nd Apr 2010 11:43 am

    7. I love love, and I LOVE Earth and her natural materials (in their raw form)…but admittedly am all about plastic hate. But good thought-provoking post.

  7. Oldnovice on Thu, 22nd Apr 2010 2:11 pm

    8. Just had another hope “splatted” today. Had found a great “deal” on peat seed-starting pots for my garden, so got 300 and planted seeds in them. Watered them (because seeds need water) and one-by-one they started to grow white mold … on the dirt, outside the pot … everywhere.

    Reading about this problem today, I learned that experienced gardeners don’t use the peat pots for three reasons: 1) They mold, 2) They do NOT break down once put in the ground … at least not quickly enough to allow the plant’s roots to spread outside the pot, and 3) peat moss isn’t a renewable resource.

    Recommended by experienced gardeners: plastic containers.

    1 step forward; 2 steps back.
    Oldnovice´s last blog ..Earth Day is Thursday, April 22, 2010. How about we all use less? My ComLuv Profile

  8. Eleanor on Thu, 22nd Apr 2010 2:32 pm

    9. Oldnovice – don’t despair about the seed starting pots! You can use folded origami news paper to make pots, just make sure it’s soy based inks and not glossy. There’s lots of links if you google “origami seed pots”. Better luck next year! (hey, maybe it’s an opportunity to support a local nursery and buy seedlings to replace what would have grown?).

    Beth – I love your message of love. But I admit, I don’t love plastic. I’ll work on not hating it quite so much, though ;)

  9. margery on Thu, 22nd Apr 2010 2:48 pm

    10. Love it Beth. Love it. Thank you.
    margery´s last blog ..getting desensitized My ComLuv Profile

  10. Tracey on Thu, 22nd Apr 2010 3:15 pm

    11. Love & RRRevolution to you, Beth.

    PS The most ridiculous Earth Day offer I received in my Inbox was for “recyclable” plastic tea light cups. *sigh*
    Tracey´s last blog ..Healthy Contraception on sale at Anarres! My ComLuv Profile

  11. Isle Dance (One Friday night...) on Thu, 22nd Apr 2010 9:23 pm

    12. Very true. And that layer…ack!
    Isle Dance (One Friday night…)´s last blog ..How Many More Tulip Fields to Watch, Ma? My ComLuv Profile

  12. Rosa on Thu, 22nd Apr 2010 9:30 pm

    13. Thank you, I needed this.

    Earth Day this year was apparently a day for people to admit how much they hate greenies, around here.

  13. Rob on Fri, 23rd Apr 2010 11:52 am

    14. Well said. George Carlin use to say “the Earth doen’t need saving, The earth will be here for years after all the humans are gone”. I can’t agree more
    Rob´s last blog ..No Smoking Version 2.0 My ComLuv Profile

  14. et on Fri, 23rd Apr 2010 5:37 pm

    15. “The Earth will be around long after we and all the other living creatures have ceased to exist. And the plastic will have become just another geological layer. But the creatures on the Earth now… we are all suffering because of the misuse of the materials available to us, and that’s why I do my work. ”

    This is so well said. We humans need to both step up to the plate in conservation and get off our “Save the Earth” falsehood.

    Because of your blog my plastic consciousness has gone into hyper awareness. I am so much more careful about plastic use now.

    Thank you for doing what you do!

  15. Suzanne on Sun, 25th Apr 2010 3:22 pm

    16. Thanks for this article, I was told about you by Kitchen stewardship, I have a lot to learn about plastics and other better things to use, I’m learning, thanks.

    babeigotanidea.com

  16. friday-favourites-8 | blog on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 10:12 pm

    17. [...] It’s all about love on Earth Day from Beth on FakePlasticFish here. [...]

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