Weekly Insights: Our Sacred Planet...

The Earth is our home, our shelter, our source of food and water, and the vessel that supplies the air that we breathe. This planet is everything to us, and it was here long before the first person was incarnated. Before humans, the Earth evolved through various cycles and systems. It has never been a "perfect" place, as billions of years has proven the Earth to be ever-changing and evolving. Through the biology, chemistry, and physics of the planet, it has shifted greatly over time. These cycles worked together to manifest long-term harmony. Even though there have been Ice Ages, warmer greenhouse periods, and cooling events, they happened over great spans of time (thousands to millions of years) so that the ecosystem had that time to adapt to the changes. The ecosystem worked in a way that was able to balance itself in animal population, forest expansion or devastation, and even the extinction or evolution of life in all of its forms. This ecological equilibrium was always shifting, but it was able to return to harmony on its own after times of major change. Eventually, an ozone layer was created to protect living beings from radiation, photosynthesis helped organisms produce oxygen, and natural forces like volcanic activity, plate tectonics, and ocean currents helped to release gases, shape the land, and distribute heat around the planet. All major Earth disruptions and events helped to stabilize the Earth for the long-term. The Earth has always been a pace of change, but it has also always been able to regulate itself.

Humans entered the picture, and the systems had to adapt to the various ways that it was able to create harmony and balance again. We definitely stirred things up on this amazing planet, but the planet adapted to us as well. The truth is, the Earth is adaptable, and when the temperature shifts, the ecosystem shifts. When CO2 levels rise, the plants and waters absorb more than they used to. Whatever the disharmony may be, the planet works to find the balance to it. Humans cannot "break" the planet, but we do speed up the rate in which other living beings need to adapt. We also use resources quicker than any other species, so the speed at which the planet must work to help create harmony with us on it is much higher than it has ever been. Then we scroll to 2025...

The greatest roll-backs on environmental regulations ever recorded began in January of 2025. Pollution control was deregulated, fossil fuel production was expanded, climate science- based rules were both weakened and/or removed entirely, and federal environmental enforcements were reduced. From coal plant regulations to oil and gas oversight, there have been many rollbacks on policies that were created to protect all forms of life and the planet itself. Science and research efforts have been overturned, discredited, or eliminated entirely. Even programs helping low-income communities in regards to pollution and exposure to harmful or lethal wastes were downsized or cut entirely. Laws have been weakened to protect us from oil spills, highway pollution, and fossil fuel extraction. Public input has been eliminated entirely so that complaints won't be filed. On top of all of this, renewable and sustainable energy has been blocked, economic growth opportunities have been shut down, and environmental protections have been stopped. Why have we allowed all of these things to happen when we have taken so long to get this far?

Human priorities have shifted from wanting to care for and be stewards of the Earth for long-term results, to deregulations that help us receive more short-term benefits. Saving a quick buck, getting approvals to big projects quicker, creating more jobs and growing the businesses that we have already created, etc. have all contributed to where we are today. It is a lot easier to get instant gratification or make things cheap and easy instead of practicing patience to do things right and creating things more naturally. Whether we are just lazy, cheap, or greedy, or our egos have gotten so big that we think we are more important than other forms of life on this planet, there is a disconnect in the human consciousness We wear rubber soles in our shoes, we lock ourselves in buildings all day, and we have become fearful of the natural world instead of walking barefoot on the soil, spending more time outdoors in nature, and embracing the wisdom that nature shares freely. The truth is, if we were still living outside, hunting for our own food, and making our own clothing from plants and animals, then we would understand the importance of the natural world. Our disconnection to the planet is what has allowed us to be okay with polluting and destroying our water systems, air, and soil. Nature teaches us a Love that can only be related to the unconditional Love that Creator has for all forms of life. As soon as we reawaken and remember our interdependence with the sacred planet Earth, we will stop abusing Her.

The silver lining in this whole situation is that dark times bring people together for the sake of the Light. This is a wonderful time to come together and create positive change. We the people breathe the air. We the people drink the water. We the people eat the fruits and vegetables, animals, and fungus from the soil of the Earth. It is up to us to care for and nurture the sources that give us life. It is time for us to become humble servants of the land, caring for and protecting her in order for all forms of life to thrive. Without our health and wellbeing, we have nothing. Without the Earth, we do not exist.