Treat Every Day Like Earth Day

Spring is a time of renewal, highlighted by Earth Day this Friday. What if we didn't reserve just one day for our planet and treated every day like Earth Day?The earth is offering us a strong message. The ice caps and glaciers are melting. The oceans are rising. Species are going extinct. This planet, our home, is demanding that we see her as a Living Earth. She is a biological member of a living universe. And she is sending a message: repent, reform, love her.I'm encouraged by the International Energy Agency's preliminary analysis of 2015 data that shows global carbon emissions have stalled. To me this highlights a growing shift to renewable energy and that it's possible to curb coal and other fossil fuel usage. Economic growth was up, too, which shows that carbon usage and economic growth don't have to be linked. The endless growth demanded by our old economic system–a Death Economy–isn't sustainable, but it CAN be curbed. We must continue along this path.In my new book, I offer ideas for helping to create a sustainable, regenerative environment and a Life Economy. You can start with your individual behavior (recycling, driving less, turning off lights, and so forth), but do not fall into the trap of believing that those things alone are enough. See such actions as good, but also view them as portals into new ways of relating to the world and everything around you.My friend Tracy Apple told me that she felt a deeper connection to the earth when she stopped using plastic bags and started hanging her laundry outside to dry. Those small actions led her to much bigger issues, including becoming a key developer for the Pachamama Alliance's Awakening the Dreamer program.  Giving up plastic bags was important by itself, but it also was a portal into a new level of consciousness.The world is as we dream it. Dream of love for ourselves, nature and our planet. Spread this message in your own way. Brag about carrying your own bags to the grocery store or installing solar panels on your home. Insist that companies know where their source materials come from and that they are sustainably made. Seek out others who are looking to change the story. Connect with them and the living Earth. Let this Earth Day raise your consciousness even higher and make a commitment to waking up everyday of your life and spreading the word, “Today is Earth Day again.”