FOR THE EARTH
- Betty Garcia
- Apr 22
- 3 min read
FOR THE EARTH
The little things matter
By Rachel Sloan
A young girl was walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up and throw it back into the ocean.
She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You can’t save all these starfish. You can’t begin to make a difference!”
The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated. But after a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean. Then she looked up at the man and replied,
“Well, I made a difference for that one!”
Adapted from "The Star Thrower" by Loren C. Eiseley
As we watch the new administration wipe away years of work toward some kind of solution to our climate issues, though they are nowhere near perfect, Coloradans must remain vigilant in our commitment to sustaining an environment that can sustain us. It is very difficult to continuously expose yourself to the news each day and easy to lose hope if that is all you do.
April 22 is Earth Day, and the executive branch was a bit too distracted to say much about it. Though, I know Colorado is out to create our own change. As we continue to fight for the constitutional rights of all, while we stand up against possible tyranny, we must also remain aware of everything we can do in our daily lives to protect our precious Earth, which we call home(otherwise, we may have to join Elon on Mars).
Many may feel worn down on day 92 of the new presidential administration, but Earth Day is about the whole earth, and hopefully it can bring some perspective of how much the small actions matter. It's a good strategy to remember that we cannot always rely on the higher-ups to fix the problems within our lives. The more people realize their own power, the less fear what our government can hinder.
Whoever is in office, whatever ridiculousness the executive cabinet is presenting each day, our world continues to need everyone. Earth needs us to clean up after ourselves, and limit our water, electricity, and gasoline usage. The everyday actions we take and the messages we share to others are 100% within our control. Everything we do to show kindness to others, to the environment, to our common good, will be better than yelling at the news stations as they report the latest absurdity.
Colorado has long been known to be first in the country for many wonderful things: first to give women the right to vote (twenty-seven years before the amendment was passed), first to legalize recreational marijuana, first chipotle, and first to introduce the "xeriscape" (low-water landscaping). We have a lot to be proud of.
The fears are big these days about where our country may be headed. Everyone should do their best to stand up against the wrongdoings of our government. Do what you can to voice your opposition, talk to your representatives, attend a rally, donate, write your opinion, etc.
However, when you are feeling hopeless to change our country and fight the oligarchy, when you feel like your voice may not be much in the grand scheme of things, when you can't be the one to protect everyone's rights...go out and work to protect your environment. Clean up trash, recycle, compost, work in a community garden, consider xeriscaping instead of your green-grass lawn, time your showers to use less water, watch how much you are driving if you can be walking or taking public transportation instead.
There are many times we may feel like the people in charge are leading us down a certain path. This Earth Day, more than before, I remember Mother Nature has the final say, and that's really who we should be supporting and protecting. It's the small actions we take that guide the world in the right direction, even when we see all the wrong things happening around us.
Be good. Love the Earth!!
You’re Invited: Party for the Planet 2025!
Hosted by House District 9 Democrats
Location: Hillside Community Church, Denver, CO
Date & Time: Saturday April 26th 2025
Join us for our annual Party for the Planet, a celebration of community, climate action, and progressive values! This family-friendly event brings together Democrats and neighbors who care about protecting our environment and building a more sustainable future.
Enjoy:
Delicious meatless dishes
Eco-themed trivia games
Great conversations with like-minded folks
Inspiration and ideas to take action locally
Let’s come together to uplift environmental initiatives, learn from each other, and have a whole lot of fun along the way.
Don’t miss this chance to make a difference and be part of the change!
