Earth Day: A Celebration and a Warning.

How we worked to destroy our planet and how our enforced quarantine is helping to save it.

Author’s photo — This is how I see it from my home

Today is Earth Day in America. The first, 50 years ago, was, if you remember, a big deal. It was 1970. We were in the mood to celebrate the earth and to warn against the destruction of our natural places. Now we’re watching again as our supposed caretakers are licking their lips at the thought of all that land open to rape-for-profit.

I wrote and published this piece 10 years ago, so you’ll note some outdated references. I present it again today as a history, a warning, and a celebration of Earth Day.

You’ll notice I’ve avoided updating it to reflect the Trump administration’s wholesale attacks on our lands and our environment. I’m publishing this again while we’re in the midst of a pandemic, the likes of which we’ve not seen in our lifetimes. We’re attempting to weaken the COVID-19 virus by staying indoors and away from other humans. Businesses are closed and the economy is threatening to implode. We’re all scared — petrified — that our world as we knew it is coming to an end.

But the earth, after centuries of deliberate overuse, is showing signs of healing. The skies over big cities are blue again. Our waters are cleaner, our air is purer, and, while…