Readers of Nine Cent Girl have rambled with me for years. Across snowy terrain, deep blue lakes, fields run wild with blooms, and on and off sandy paths for a moment of solitude. Nowadays I skirt along narrow dirt paths that zig and zag bordered by yellow shoots that invite plenty of bird play. Most days the ocean fog lifts and breaks to blue before noon, reminding me of the ease with which I can feel the glory of this Earth.  Common weeds bust through sidewalk cracks, saplings take root along stone walls, life teeming despite the abuse humans inflict across this tiny planet. Vulnerable and fragile as our biosphere truly is, we stomp across protected lands, dump our waste haphazardly, drive our monster trucks relentlessly, and nod in agreement as our President calls coal clean and paper straws dangerous. I hold on to a sliver of hope that Gaea has more strength and wisdom than anyone might believe and She will ride out this bumbling world-wide-corporation posing as a governing body.

When we moved to SoCal in late August I had no idea the dusty hills would brighten to emerald in Spring, and yet, here we are, with minimal rainfall emerging as a luscious landscape. Bird song often my only soundtrack as I traverse these well-worn paths, avoiding the lizards and squirrels scurrying too. How can we not make this beauty our priority? How can we not accept that a seismic shift is here, bringing more fires, floods, hurricanes and rising seas, and understand it is up to us whether or not we will step forward responsibly or push back in denial?

I drive a gas-powered car. Fly clear across the globe when I want. Buy disposable clothes when a closet refresh is needed. Don’t compost in this new community we find ourselves living in. But I still want an EPA that will hold the line on emission rules and environmental standards for the major polluters, of which we share our sky. Earth Day is a small reminder to do our part, whatever it is you can do, starting with a generous walk through your neighborhood to ignite your passion.