Tuesday, July 6, was the hottest day in human history. During that very hot month that has just ended, wildfires raged in Canada and Spain; floods inundated cities in Vermont, Italy, India, and Japan; and people around the world died of heat exhaustion. Meanwhile, China is building more coal-fired plants to accommodate the growing demand for air-conditioning, and the CEO of Shell informed a BBC reporter that it would be “irresponsible” to cut carbon emissions at this time.
How, as a lover of the Earth, can we possibly face such crises and all they portend for our near and distant future?
We can, of course, take as many responsible actions as possible to lighten our own daily passage on the Earth. (For example, even a tiny backyard beebalm plant attracts many beneficial insects.)
It’s also essential that we face the reality of what’s happening—and our own responses to it. Just as we begin any RadJoy Practice by going to a wounded place, such as a swath of trees toppled in a storm, so too must we acknowledge our grief and worry about what is happening on Earth. There may be those who tell us we’re depressing when we speak of such things, but others will welcome the opportunity to share their own difficult feelings.
We must also seek out and share the beauty we find around us. Even in the darkest days, the moon and sun make their ancient, reliable journeys. Birds sing. Some green thing insists on growing in a ravaged land. Our own human life force refuses to give up.
When we are open to beauty, it is more likely to appear to us. When we share that gift by pointing it out to others, we find we have even more of it to celebrate.