No more Happy Earth Day for me

Unfortunately for me, Earth Day is no more a celebration, but a reminder that we have totally lost the reverence for the Earth that our ancestors once had, and that if we don't find it, as a species we're destroyed.

We're not just ignoring the Earth, but many even see it as our enemy. Also this disrespect for our mother and home called Earth has been devastating for us. The reasons we have done this are many, but I think they all revolve around our arrogance and pride.

Look at this mess. With the explosion of our unchecked overpopulation, we are swarming the Earth like locusts to wipe out all plants and animals everywhere. (You cannot deny that our overpopulation is a huge player in this, and nobody cares.)

Parallel to this has been rampant industrialization using the easy energy of oil and coal to fuel it. This has caused increasing pollution of the land, air and sea, and we're even being encouraged to populate more to feed our sacred economy and progress. Obviously no thought at all is given to our responsibility to our planet and its ecosystems of which we are a part.

Let me stress again that we continually abuse the land, water and air to destroy animals, plants and our ecosystems without any thought of the future or concern for our mother Earth. The exchange we call money has replaced the Earth in the importance and worth that our ancestors once gave to the Earth. Of course there is no indication that any of this will change, leaving us to conclude that this abuse of our birthing place and home will soon eliminate our species.

Fresh water is becoming scarce. The oxygen level is dropping as the CO2 level rises and the Earth warms and the ocean grows. Food is increasingly scarce as millions roam the Earth with no place to lay their heads. Nations are feeling threatened, testy and prone to revolutions, wars and atrocities as their resources are stretched to feed their people and build bigger armies. Half of the animal population and even more of the forestation has been wiped out, and we could go on and on.

Most people know all of this, but nobody is able to stop it. Earth Day for me is no longer a sentimental time to reflect and give thanks for the glorious Earth's beauty, which of course we should be doing every day. For me now it's a time to deeply grieve for our species’ insane behavior in its abuse of the Earth. It's a time I want to run out into the streets to sound the alarm at what's happening, because unless some of us start doing that, and unless all of us can wake up, our children's children may not be here at all.

I used to say, “Happy Earth Day,” but alas on recent Earth Days, I have been able to say it no more.

The writer lives in Murrells Inlet.

This story was originally published April 21, 2016 at 9:17 AM with the headline "No more Happy Earth Day for me."