How will you celebrate Earth Day?

I finally remembered to turn the calendar above my desk to April, and was rewarded by National Wildlife Federation's photo of two squirrels poking their heads out of a tree hole barely big enough for one, let alone two. The little fella on the left is definitely feeling squished. This quote from John Muir greeted me as well: "When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world." Since google just found about 20,300 occurrences of this phrase, I'm obviously coming late to this Muir quote. No matter, it still resonates. How to celebrate and protect these immutable connections as Earth Day approaches?

On April 22 keep in mind at least that your day-to-day survival is completely dependent on circumstances far too numerous to list. We aim for independence while ignoring the balance required to maintain the charade. You are here because there are plankton in the ocean, worms in the soil, bees in the pollen, and clouds in the air. Gravity, star dust, oxygen and carbon, caribou, mushrooms, dung beetles and water... all connected, contributing, making the whole so much more than the sum of the parts.

We, you, us - the people - are in the thick of it, of course. Not above, aside, or apart, but a part. We can be the part that works to the keep the whole together, or the part that tears it asunder. April 22, 2009 - the 39th Anniversay of Earth Day - is a good day to strive for the former.

Join the Countdown to the 40th Anniversary, and be part of the Green Generation.