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The Story of "U n I versus the Earth"
The story...
At eight-thirty in the morning, we all sat around the table staring, mouths gaping, rather dully at each other. Still groggy from lack of sleep, we mulled over the topic of "Earth". "What do you guys think of the Earth?" Bittin asked us. "Earth? Ummm...well...uh...", was our succinct reply. For the first five minutes, it seemed she had bitten off much more than she could chew. Suddenly, as if we had spontaneously combusted, the words started pouring out of us. Sad words like depletion, death, pollution, money, disaster and fungus. Happy words like flowers, moon, sun, air, water, and fungus. Even technical phrases such as food chain and life process came out. Wow! We sat staring at our list, astonished at what we were able to accomplish so early in the morning. We were impressed. Now it was time to conjure up vibrant, expressive images to go with our equally expressive words. It seemed as if we could never tie all of these topics together if given an entire week to work. A four by eight (feet, not inches) canvas is big, but is it big enough? It was amazing to see our project evolve from the simplistic, scattershot rough plan we had at the very beginning into something so refined and alive! It started off as a separation : dark and light; good and bad; ideal and realistic; healthy and polluted. Then someone brought up the point that our ideas were too separate, that we needed to tie them in more. That's where the symbolism of the rings came into play. We wanted to show that each facet of the world couldn't be separated into two distinct parts. We fiddled with the rings, separating them into four parts, eight parts. Then someone said we were still separating the world too much. We couldn't separate the world into good and bad because something as complex as life couldn't be thrown into just two categories. Life harbors a seemingly infinite number of categories; because Earth is made up of life, the Earth is contained by more categories than we are able to imagine. This seemed to multiply the problem of space (or lack thereof).
As the sun rises, it casts its warmth upon this planet. also known as earth. We, the people of this great loand have abused this gift to a point where we soon may not be able to live on it. What of the animals who used to live in perfect balance, harmony and peace. And the trees that used to harbor birds. and other animals that are now enveloped in flames as we burn them to clear off the land. Where can they go? Nowhere. We have closed them in cages, confined them to parks where they are supposedly safe. Yet we always find a way and a reason to kill. And so my fellow earthlings, ask not what earth can do for you but what you can do for the earth.
Earth. Our land, home, supplier.
Day School
Shalin Desi
Earthday '95
My favorite day of the year is the first day of spring. It isn't the set calender day, but something much more magical. One day each year, I can step outside in the morning and smell spring. Sometimes its after a warm spring rain, or a cool one, when the grass looks like a field of diamonds, and the trees look soft and cozy. It could be a beautiful, sunny day: the sky would look like a sky blue crayon, with clouds pure white in the shapes of bunnies and lambs. What the weather is, and how the earth looks isn't important, though. All that matters to my senses, is the sweet smell of spring. It's the smell of nature's nectar, more glorious and perfect than any other aroma I know. I think that's nature's prize. That smell is the smell of the grass, and the trees and flowers, and of everything the season is. the season is perfect. The earth abounds with beauty. Flowers blooming, trees budding, grass wakening, and birds chirping. That scent is magic. It livens all of us, creatures big and small. It enchants us into a drunken happiness. We drink the sweet nectar every time we breathe. It's my favorite scent, on my favorite day of the year
Jessica Riley
Probably the best experience that I've had with nature was two weeks ago, on the Appalacian Trail. I spent a week (6 days) hiking through the woods in North Carolina and Tennesee. The six days I spent outside exposed me to nature and wildlife I'd never seen before. We hiked up to 7 or 8 miles each day, and camped through the night. We'd sit by the campfire for hours everyday, talking about what happened each day. Things we thought funny, or that upset us, or something we liked. The hiking throughout the day got tough by early afternoon, but then we remembered about the dehydrated food we'd get when we got to camp. and that kept us going. Being with my friends, and being able to relax was so fun. The best feeling was to take off your backpack after a long tiring hike. When we were out on the trail, it rained for almost a day and a half. We had a soggy hike off the mountain, but it was so much fun. I would definately do it again!
I think the world is an important place and we should take care of it. I know that I don't really do that much to help out with presurving the earth, but in some ways feel that may be some one higher up is making the earth they way that it should be. We once at our house recycled for about a month, but got board with it because it was time consuming. it took time out of our daily lives to drive over to the recycling center to recycle our trash. In parts of the city of toledo they don't have curb side recycling which I feel would make it alot easyer to recycle. I think that we need to find a diffrent way to get rid of our trash somehow but getting containers that can crunch up when you are done with them can come in handy and save room in our towns landfills. I feel that people who use canned hair spray are fools because the other kind in the bottle works just as well. There are a few other things that you can do to help out the environment that dosnt cost any more or is at all diffrent to do that can help. So try one and it might work for you.
Rachel
Out the window, and across the way
through the trees and over the bay
can you see the birds flying high
on their way, soaring through the sky?
Do you know the beauty you see?
Can you explain this wonder to me?
Ask yourself, "How far must they go?"
Think to yourself, "How little I know."
The birds are a sign of things to come
they have a sense, I know not where from.
They come in the spring and they leave in the fall
of where they go I know nothing at all.
When the ice melts away and the sun shows its smile
they will come back to stay, but only for awhile.
When again comes the cold and the ice and the snow
it will be time again, as even the babys know.
Again they will take flight, over the bay,
only to return again on a warm spring day.
Childhood woods to explore, stake out, and claim as a kids only territory. Only imagination through a child's eye, no adults allowed. _____become windows, bumps on a tree become _____ "booby tree", wire fences become boundaries _____the most daring to climb. Stephie once pricked her finger on the fence. She wasn't allowed back int he woods ( the woods where Kelly, David, and I dared each other to go to the bathroom while the other two watched), but _____protein rich blood __________ floor.
The breeze imparts a sense of cleanness as it brushes against my face. In my ears, I hear the rhythmic sound of the waves lapping against the shore. The day is overccast, the clouds are dark, telling all of the coming storm. The birds have ceased to chirp their happy sound.
The calm before the storm. A peaceful time that is always present in these moments, yet is always out of place. Even the waves take a time out during this period. The crests are small, their sound is gentle.
The sand is cold never having been kissed by the buried sun. The grains are not visible for they mesh into lumps that squish audibly between my toes. I know I should go. The storm will come quick and forcefully. Yet, the peacefulness is addictive. My legs become heavy with this drug, unable to carry me to shelter. One lone drop drips upon my face like a sad lonely tear. a second passes, and the skies open. A torrent of water falls. The wind whips wildly, stirring up the waves. The crests rise, and crash hard and loud.
I begin to run. The storm instills an urgency into my stride. The wind helps me fly across the beach. My toes jsut barely feel the hard, wet sand. Within the trees a stand, becoming a member of the forest. It is my family, protecting me from the storm.
I stand and watch.
Standing atop the high grounds of Mt. Blanc, I peered down upon the cities, seeing then with all their complexities, their crowding, the narrow roads. and the densely populated neighborhoods. How different it was from where I now stood, the place where I had ambled slowly upward to reach. Here I stood upon Mt. Blanc, with it's fresh, clean, rushing water, it's openness and nature and so many other wonders that are indescribable.
For all these beautiful wonders that are indescribable, one indescribable wonderland there are countless cities and towns and villages that cannot and do not appreciate it. Yet after only a few hours spent in this wonderland, I am able to remember every detail and envision it in my mind after 3 years.
By Ben Zoll
Greenish-brown, falling. The sodden floor rustles to receive. One more leaf on the ground. One of millions. Laying there, under my feet. Years are a short time to this floor, short indeed. For how many have drifted down on a fall breeze, on their one, fatal fall? More than numbers speak. Nature itself could not recall these infinite sums. Not even nature.
Yet with one sharp axe, more than leaves fall. With one bulldozer, the floor is tossed about. The life which once flowed so readily from those lofty heights is no more. What once was cool shade is nothing now but-hot, scorching ball of fire. The soft floor, carpeted with the leaves turning to soil, is gone. Feet do not sink into life, but slap onto cold hard pavement. Death.
Death of leaves. Death of trees. So alike. Both fall. Both decay. From one comes life. the promise of a spring, filled with new leaves. The promise of fertile ground, sprouting new trees, new life. The other death is death. No more leaves. No more cool shade to shelter life.
How many more will fall? Leaves and trees, both fall down. How many more trees will, until the floor is no more? No more leaves, no more floor. Without a floor, their can be no house. Without a house, you have no place to live. Maybe only little things have lost their houses now. What will you say when you lose yours? Will you think of the leaves, no longer falling? For they are no more. Funny how we used to use axes to cut off peoples heads. Funny how we're still using axes for our own deaths.
Standing alone on the silent plain.
Watching the falling pattern of the rain
As it hits my face and runs off
Catching on my eyelashes
Dropping down to nurture the ground.
Silently I stand, looking around
Wondering how we can dismiss the beauty that abounds.
He before us.
The birds sing a chorus.
Sweet melodies fill the air.
Cool. calm. Cleansing.
I life my hand to salute this land
that disappears with increasing human demand.
I lift my hand, brushing away the drops
my feeling, all feeling, stops.
Erasing my union with nature.
Sarah Summons
I think what was really cool about the 13th century of recorded history was the lack of knowledge about our planets geography. There is still something to be said for going where no man has gone before, and traveling to a place that no man of your ethnic group (or even no man at all) has ever been.
With our world of presice satellite measurements, state of the art media, and written accounts and maps of about every place on Earth, every nook and crany of this planet will seem mildly familiar. People today will never see firsthand, totally foreign ecosystem or biome that they had never before read about, watched on T.V. or movies, or seen pictures of. Following the age of exploration and the past Reinnisance period (up to about the 17th century I think) these was no more great unknown.
By the turn of the 19th century, accounts of scientists, travelers, and explorers had already given detailed accounts of seemly every acre on Earth. The days of fabled lands of spices and exotic people have given way to advanced cartography, sciences, and National Geographic.
Today, scientists are cataloging new species of planets and animals, but the days of discovering an entirely new food chain are over. In this day of pictures, entire continents from outer space, down to a fraction of a microbe, not many profound geographical finds will be made. I fear that in my lifetime, no more frontiers will remain.
Nature by itself is great. Nature with people loses something. Few days are more frustrating than going someplace to be with nature and to find yourself surrounded by people with strollers and little kids and dogs and whatever else they bring with them. It seems like to be around nature I have to subject myself to an atmosphere better suited to Disneyland than the forest. There are people everywhere are I think to myself, "didn't I come here to get away from people?" I try to move away from them by following some remote trail and I find myself on some boardwalk with plastic signs telling me where to go and what everything is. How can I be alone with nature when everything around me is man-made. I can't relax next to a lake that is a perfect square. That isn't nature, it's the product of someone's destruction of nature. Trout and sand do not a lake make. They make a dirty swimming pool. I don't want to be near a swimming pool. I want nature. I can' t escape humanity. It's everywhere, it permeates everything and I'm sick of it. Whe I go to be with nature I wnat to be with nature not a lifelike recreation. And I don't want other people around. Nature doesn't include bratty 4 year olds running around and shooting each other with squirt guns. It's not just America either. I've been to Costa Rica and I find some of the samd things. Sure it's not as extreme but it will be. Give it a few years. Before long every area that has some nature will be turned into some theme park gone mad. And then where will I go to relax?
I've seen alot of her. I have sailed her winds, I have rode her waves and I have felt her rains. I have been there when the sun first shows his face on the land and I have been there when he has said good by. I have stood on her mountains and climbed in her caves. I have been burnt in her deserts and frozen on her glaciers. I have seen her streams racing like time. I have caught her fish, and killed her animals. I have planted her trees and I have polluted her land. I have done all these things and I have not realized one crucial thing. One very crucial thing. I am the earth. No different from the trees that sway in the wind. The same as the animals that live on her land, I am the earth, we all are.
We as humans have attempted to disconnect ourselves from her -we have tried to rise above her with our "knowledge" but no matter how hard we try we will never be disconnnected from her. She is our mother a right handed to us at our birth and no matter how hard one tries, no matter how tough one fights one can never break the bond of a mother. so my mother for one day, for one day in time. I will honor you, on this day, all your children will.
Nicholas Hirt
I am very lucky to have been able to see one the biggest freshwaterbides of water in the world, lake Erie. I have drove by it, walked on its beaches and even been able to swim in it. I know it know it is a huge body of water and when I look out onto it I see water forever. I have never seen the whole lake at once so I do have an exact idea of how big it is. I know the oceans and seas of the world are much bigger but I have yet to see one.
About twenty or 30 years ago lake Erie was referred to as a "dead" lake. This condition was brought on by the dumping of tons of row sewage into it. Back then you could not even swim in it or eat fish that was caught in it. Nowadays you can eat the fish you catch in it.
I was unaware of the problems that lake Erie had so many years ago. I now know that the environment can withstand some pollution, because Lake Erie flushed itself out. It was not cleaned by mom, it was nature that took care of itself.
EARTH
I have only lived in Toledo, OHIO my whole life. In case you have never been in Ohio the one word I would use the describe it is FLAT. Flat not necessarily in a bad sense but Flat. Actually open spaces is a nicer way to think about noth west Ohio.
I actually live in Metamore which is considered in the country. Metamora is a small town but it is abundant in nature. It is surrounded by fields. Cornfields, bean fields, tomato fields and more. The best though is walking down main street on a summer day. You are shaded by huge oak and maple trees. People are outside, the bees are buzzing, and birds are singing. That is harmony-a beautiful sunshiny day in the small town of Metamora.
The farm. I live on a farm. It actually belongs to my grandparents. They have a big pond that I used to spend my summers in. I remember when they had a huge weeping willow tree. It was my favorite tree out of all the trees on their land. I used to sit under the tree and read. It would shade me and keep cool. I was always mesmerized by the long leaves of the tree. It was almost like the tree was grabbing out for me. Grabbing for me, to hold me. from a distance the tree looked sad, I always felt it needed a hug. Then maybe it would have stood up straight. That tree is gone now. It was struck by lightning about 5 years ago. I miss that tree. The yard looks so bare without it now.
I spent a month in New York during the winter, I remember the view. I would wake up in the morning and walk over to the school I helped at. I would wake up in the morning and walk over to the school I helped at. I would walk down a path and then all of a sudden I would look up, and there it was, THE VIEW. I took a picture of it one day, just to make sure I would always remember it. But, I know I will never forget. It was of mountains. A huge mountain ridge that I could see from campus. And it was covered in fog. But jsut the middle, for I could see the zenith of the mountain pointing out above the clouds. The colors were so beautiful. Gray, brown, blue, green purple. Every morning the same view.
Nature is very concrete. Not in the literal sense, for it is always changing. But you know it is always going to be there. I know that no matter how long winter is I know Spring will come. That the sun will come out tommorrow and the bird will come back north. That the flowers will bloom in my mother's garden. These are things I can depend on. No matter how worried I get over grades and money or what people think about me, I know that nature and the Earth will always be there if I need it. To help me relax or show me what is good and pure in our lives.
Have you ever grabbed a tomato from a tomato plant, dusted it off, bit into it, and let the juice run down your face? Tht is goodness, pureness. It makes you feel good to know the land you live on and work on can produce such a delicious and pure thing. Nature and what nature produces are beautiful things that every person and animal should take advantage of.
In the beginning was a God.
This God was the beginning.
And he created.
Not just anything
but everything.
Including the earth.
And he saw that what he did was good.
And from the earth he carved a man.
Just as he had carved himself. A project.
A chunk of diety to roam the earth.
Something happened later on which sort of ruined things
on earth for man.
and we will never regress or regret
again
and God's people said, "So what?"
Earth
Birth
grill
worth
mirth
earth
Holey Creation
offspring earth
offspring man
offspring heavens
offspring of nothingnes
s?
or something?
Or COURSE NOT.
Offspring of itself.
good answer. proof, too.
neat.
Earth seems sort of trivial, doesn't it? and who needs to figure it out? Why waste my time pouring over the details of the minutely temporary? What if I don't care about money? What if I don't want a diploma? What if I die/ What if I don't die for a while? Big deal? But what if I am nasty? What if I am lying to my brother? Does earth come? Why answer a question like one of these? Huh? Oh well.
We all like a big ball of iron,
a big ball of iron,
a big ball of iron,
we all live on a big ball of iron,
that's underneath some dirt.
The Earth is kind of Round
And kind of Cool.
But it's Warm sometimes.
And it's kind of Big, too.
hr/ >
Those Who Pass
By Maya Green
Nature is never seen by the passer-by,
But by only those who have careful eyes
Earth is nature and nature is earth
For it was God who gave it birth
But what about those passers-by
Who never hears Mother earth's cry
For it is God's child who they hurt
Because we take advantage of its dirt
So let the winds blow fierce and strong
Let the water rise, 'til dawn
And let the earth shake, and the human race die
For now eath has no pity for those who pass by.
this may not be the best poem, it is most likely that it is not, although, if you can read it and understand, then take it to heart and practice keeping earth a sacred place.
hr/ >
In the natural world their are so many great things to see and do. From scuba diving on the ocean floor to hiking to the top of a mountain. These beautiful wonders will exist for years to come, allowing for many more people to enjoy them. I have gone scuba diving along the ocean floor and there is noting greater to see than life taking place all around. You can swim with the fish and experience the type of life they live. The color of the coral is absolutely amazing when the light from the sun shines on it. The array of colors mixed with the glisten bodies fo the fish make for a great setting. When you've come to the surface at the end of the dive and you realize what you've seen, it makes you wonder about your next experience and how wonderful it could be.
I've enjoyed many great experiences in the wilderness and I hope to have many more. They are able to grab your attention and forget about all your problems because the sheer beauty of what is around you is stunning. With every sun rise and sunset the extraordinary views and experiences are unmatched. From the falls of Niagara to the rocky mountains, across the ocean and around the world, nature surrounds us, we need to protect and cherish it, so that the entire world can see and enjoy.
Van Gunten
Staying at home will be the downfall of every living creature around us, and it is all my fault. When I say it is my fault I speak for all of humanity. I am no leader, and haven't been elected to speak on humanties half, but that is my least worry.
My biggest worry is that our staying home, upon our home planet, earth, will destroy us, and all things that live here. It is far too late to try to save the earth if we are going to continue to live here. We have polluted everything we can think of we have cut mother earths trees from the ground, and those we haven't cut we have burned. We have caused the extinction of more life forms then I could count in a lifetime, and are continuing to do just that.
Every single one of us should be considered as an endangered species and the only way is to either move man from this earth or destroy him altogether. If we don't then everything will die, as a human there are certain things I "need" to survive, and everyday the creation of these basic things (shelter, food, clothing, clean water, and the need to reproduce) is destroying our planet, and in affect us. It is too late to help the easy way, but life is sacrifice. Deal with it
Jashonte Aldridge
The status of the Earth today is something that I'm worried about. I find myself wondering if the air that we breathe and the water that we drink will be safe for us in the future. I especially care about the Earth being safe and healthy for younger people like my one-year-old baby sister. Even though these things are important to me I don't feel like I'm doing enough about it. When I'm at school I always put my paper and aluminum cans in the bins to be recycled. But at home my family doesn't do much to help our environment. Part of the reason why we don't recycle more at home may be because when we look outside we don't relly see many things that you'd instantly think of as bad for the environment. I think if I live in a place like Los Angeles where there is a known and visible pollution problem (such as smog) I would be more motivated to work harder for the environment. However in Toledo, Ohio I don' t see many of the things that are really harming our environment (things such as smog or litter). and I hope that environmental problems will remain under control in Toledo as well as throughout the rest of the Earth.
Pine trees look like no other tree when being blown about by the wind. I don't know, I'm supposed to write about nature but I really have nothing to say other than we take it too much for granted, not that we don't appreciate what it does for us or standard eco-response. But the complexities and beauty contained within. When mankind can make anything that has the sublimen of even a daffodil or our own bodies in form and function then we can feel superior. We must not forget that we are no less a part of nature than that same daffodil even our minds-I mean by this that our minds and the rest of us are no more unique or special than the flowers on an orchard or the neck of a giraffe-soemhow I think that the assumption that God made us with any different importance than anyhting else is dangerous. It gives us a sense of detachment and power we do not deserve.
Peter Tubbs
I feel that nature is involved with the way people release stress naturally for example, this summer I had the opportunity to go to Mertil Beach South Carolina and it was so relaxing. I was able to get up at 5:00 in the morning and go fishing. The combination of fishing and watching the sun rise was so relaxing. Watching the sun come up with its orange and yellow rays reflecting off the horizon made me appreciate the Nature much more. And while I was fishing I had time to sit back and think about everything. about Life, Nature, anything I wanted to. the water was relaxing also. The gentle waves kept splashing against my legs. I kept thinking about how far Africa was from where I was. It seemed as if you could just swim and find it.
Another relaxing experience I had involved the stars. I love looking at the stars in the sky. I feel that it is so romantic to be with a girl friend or someone and just look at the star. When I was in Alburquerque it was a clam night and we went out side just to relax and we noticed how beautiful the stars are.
I was only about eight years old when I had my first snorkling experience . It was off hte coast of one of the islands in the Caribbean, and it was an environment that I knew very little about. It was probably the clearest body of water that I've ever seen, a cool light blue with the sun reflecting off of it, accompanied by the rounds oflight waves breaking on the shore. As we entered the water, the instructor showed us a native, friendly white stingray that would allow you to swim alongside it, very close to the shore. Then we were led off into the deeper waters, with schools of fish darting left and right, avoid being eaten. We stopped going out when the waters were around 20 feet deep. That's when we were allowed to wander about on our own. I remember watching the soft coral sway back and forth, and watching small animals pop out of holes in the coral reef. At one point, the instructor asked all of us to pick up a handful of sand, and then kindly informed us that around 70% of it was fecal matter from fish. At another point, he pointed out a pair of fish, one male, the other female, they were mostly blue, with some black stripes, and maybe some yellow too. We were told that when the male companion died off, the female would somehow change its sex. I don't really remember a whole lot else, it was a long time ago, and I've rarely gone snorkelling since, but I don't think I'll be able to forget how fascinated I was by what I saw. It was beautiful.
As I reflect upon the earth and her natural wonders, I think to myself that this is a dying earth. As I look around at all the polluton and destruction of the land and oceans, I begin hating the people who made the mess. I think to myself, this has got to stop or else there is not going to be an Earth for my grand-kids and on. But, that is before I realize that all this is created by those who want to stop it, ironic isn't it? Every one in this world who wants to stop the pollution, death, and disease, they are approaching it in the wrong ways. Demonstrations, rioting, and killing solve nothing. Mass organization of people to clean up a city or area has little effect because it all returns to it's original state or worse. There is nothing, that as a united mankind we can do to stop this destruction other than stoppiing sin in the world.
People who are non-believers of the Christian faith try to trap me in questions about my faith and my God. They ask me why my God is a loving God yet he still brings death and disease to the world. They ask me why do innocent people suffer. They think they ahve got me by then, they think they have me cornered and that I don't have an answer, but I do. My reply is , You are the reason for hte death and suffering as am I, as the whole human race is. All the sin in the world is created by the temptation of Satan. Therefore satan is given more power and room to bring people closer to him. Our sin provokes Satan to turn us ( people of the world) against each other. Think about it. Think about all the death and destruction that is happening to this world. It is caused by greed, intolerance, adultery of all the people in the world. We can turn all the damage we have done to the Earth around. The Earth will always survive because God created it along with everything else. The erath has no sin but the human race does. Eventually we will destroy ourselves if we stay on this path we are on. A person who was on a tv show whom I watched said that in any environment were a species has an adverse effect in what ever it does, it eventually leads to the destruction of their environment, that is sin. God created us sinless, but as we know in the book of Genesis we were tempted by Satan and sin destroyed the garden of Eden.
The only way to make this earth better we must stop the sin. There is no other way. All this seems very negative but, I think that we can stop the sin and if we don't succees in saving this world I know trying will give me the chance to live on a more glorious world.
Earth day is a wonderful thing
We planted some trees as the churchbell rings
For dinner tonight we had some pheasant
We pondered our actions and knew they were pleasant
We went out early to feed the birds
Blue ones, Red ones, Green ones too.
Their beauty made me at a loss for words.
I was soo happy, I went to the zoo.
The celebration of earth is quite special
I'll draw a picture of us burying this earth...
(picture)
Has earth day served it's purpose? 25 years ago Earth day was started to make the world aware of the problems that faced the earth. As the years have progressed, Earth Day's importance has declined. At one point, Earth Day was a time-honored tradition. Now Earth Day is just another day that no one really cares about. There are some people who care about the day and go out and do something. This movement has caused a great deal of awareness. It seems as though now more and more people care about the earth everyday and not just on a day in April.
We need to be alot more careful about the earth than we are currently doing in America. We still have a system that overwhelmingly favors business's desires to pollute the environment for economic gain. If this country do not get a grip on the environment, it will come back to haunt us later. This sounds very trite, but I can't think of anything else to say.
(picture)
Earth day should be recognized throughout the year. It's a pity that we only think about it once a year. Our species are the ones destroying the earth and it seems almost a slap in the face, to say once a year, "Oh, look, thank you Mother Earth." Many people it seems celebrate Earth Day and drive their home in pollution. But Earth Day is a great idea, it's just too bad more people don't really appreciate it. In fact, I think Maumee Valley should observe it with more zeal. In fact, I think we should all get the day off of school in order to talk a walk in the park and appreciate nature. On something of that "nature", no pun intended. (Picture of tree)
{picture}
I feel guilty writing on a non-recycled piece of paper for Earth Day. The earth is precious and important to me. I love what it does for me and my community-always there and helping us. Oh what a joy it is to look out the window in the middle of a deathly boring class and see a beautiful tree. It just takes your breath away. To have something so amazing to watch and admire helps a lot when it's a sad day. Hundreds of trees line the outside of the window that I'm looking out of and it seems like they all are staring right back at me. How big and beautiful this wonderful world is it always amazes me with it's delights.
(pictures)
THE POLLUTION OF THE WORLD
Everyday we get up and get dressed and go wherever we have to go. It's a routine we never "stop and smell the roses". It is time to take a break and look out the window. Seriously, go open a window. Look outside, at the trees, flowers, or grass, take a deep breath. Does it smell like rain. Or maybe its cold outside. Do you feel the chill? Don't take for granted what you see. Because one day it might be gone. Remember the sunshine, the rainbows, the flowers, birds, chipmunks, and everything else.
When I was young, I took for granted the sunrise, the walks through the park, raking leaves (and jumping into them.) Nowadays, when I wake up and see the sun streaming through the window, I smile and think about how lucky I am.
Nature, like most things, is taken for granted.
Jacinda Lec
Earth-When I think of it, I get a mixed feeling. Right off, I can't stand being in it. I once went on a camping trip in nature. And came back a swollen piece of meat. I think that's what really turned me off to it. At the same time, I love nature. Everytime I look out of my window at the rain, I admit, I'm fascinated. Everytime I look out the window inspring time, I love to watch everything, the trees, the clouds, and even the small birds that land on our trees to lay their nests...I could watch it all for hours (just seeing one thing) so, to me the idea of liking or not liking nature isn't a matter of being only black and white...To me, caring for nature is grey.
BE GOOD TO THE EARTH
By: Anika McCants
Be good to the Earth, it's the only one we got. By picking up your trash and recycling would sure mean alot. If you pick up your trash, the world wouldn't look like slum. Then one day we can walk down the street without stepping in a wad of gum. Recycle your cans and paper instead of throwing them away, You can use them to make something on a rainy day. So do your job to help the earth, it will sure mean a lot, Be good to the Earth, its the only one we got.
E Russell
On one of my familys frequent visits to Mackinac Island we experienced a frightening encounter with nature....sort of...
After walking around most of the island we had to ascend to "higher ground" we were low the "city" was high. The only way to accomplish this was to climb some raddy looking wooden steps/staircase clinging to a side of a "cliff." This cliff was fairly tall. The steps hugged the side at your left and on your right was a rail, past that lots of water. close to the stairs on your right...there were some tall trees growing out of the water. We started to climb the stairs. Further up half a step (on the right) was missing. My sister was ahead of us so told her to wait. When we got to the hal-step my dad made us all aware of it. Basically told us not to step there, Well my sisters did just that. She fell through and grabbed the trees. My dad eventually "rescued" her.
I have travelled all over the world, and I have seen how beautiful it is. Not jsut the seas and lands, but what we have built. Our cities, massive landmarks and architectural wonders. True nature is beautiful, but what the human race is beautiful too. As I travel through my life, I look forward to seeing, not only the amazing environment, but amazing cities also.
Alex
The most beautiful thing I ever saw in nature was probably the time I saw the sun set over Lake Michigan. I was sitting on a rock formation ont he beach and all the colors were reflecting of the water. It was awesome- I will never forget it. It looked like the world ended on the other side. The water was so clear. It was beautiful. WOW!!!!
MVCDS
I was sitting on my deck on a March evening. The deck overlooks the Ottawa River. For those who don't know, the Ottawa River is on the top ten list of polutted rivers in the U.S. It had freezing rained earlier that day, and the trees had a solid layer of ice on them. It had warmed up and the ice began to fall off. I picked some pieces up and examined them. They looked exactly like the branches of the tree. I then saw some ducks. There were six or seven male ducks with green heads. The river had flashed so you could only see tree trunks sticking out. I could touch the water form the deck. The ducks began to dive down and search for fish. They wouldn't have any luck though, the only life in the water was on the surface.
MIKE 4/13/95
WHAT A THING IS IMAGINATION!
I don't know, I've never really thought it. I always just took the trees and animals for granted. I've often thought about the planet running out of oxygen and everyone dying and that simple scenario brings me back to an environmentally aware human being. Many people think that an imaginative person is one with no values but you can grasp many concepts by summing them up in your head. Maybe, if more people thought things through then we would have a safer planet!
O Danielle G.
Surrounded by nature.
Sky blue as topaz.
Superior to all or any city
The changes and possibilities are endless.
Always changing. Never remaining the same.
Lush green, surrounding me.
DALE
DON"T TRASH THE EARTH! This is the only place we're gonna live in, so we might as well take care of it. Kid and teens should especially listen to this because we're gonna be living in it for a few more decades. It's not like we can live on this earth until it's trashed, and move on to another planet. So people reading this, get the message in your head. DON'T TRASH THE EARTH!!!!
I think the killing of the wolves anywhere in the world is torturous. Do hunters really have to kill wolves in order to save the deer population for themselves later? The wolves killing deer is only for it's survival and is a part of the NATURAL food chain. I believe it should be a violation of the law to kill wolve and all other wildlife animals. We humans have already destroyed too many habitats, must we continue it?
Matthew Shingler 4/13/95
WONDERING
Facinated by blooming flowers and white masses of snow,
We, as humans, are still amused.
And yet, there is so much out there,we're only a part of a small, small world.
Looking out at the stars on a breezy night, you feel lost.
We pollute so many things, but we contribute so much.
Someday, we'll be gone, passed on, and the world will keep on turning.
So take everything as it is, and while you have a chance, don't loose it.
Give a little and so much more will project, nut make sure you enjoy yourself.
There is no reason to keep trying, unless there's joy rewarded.
Give the credit due, want, but also believe and make do.
Nature that has not yet been touched by man is most beautiful.
-Allison
{picture of sun , made by words}
I remember sitting around a fire in the middle of no where on an island that had one open wooden toilet sitting in the middle of it. We had gotten to know the island pretty well in the last twenty four hours. And even though we had fought and squabbled every single minute of it we still had bonded. It was kind of forced upon us considering we were the only people for miles surrounded by lakes and small islands.
We just sat there staring for hours into the fire, sitting on logs. We were bundled up in basically every article of clothing with us, trying to guard our already chapped bodies from the wind. Someone would break the silence with a joke or something but then it would immediately resume: We didn't notice the rustling of leaves and the ripling of the water, just the light of the fire and the thousands of stars in the sky. For hours we just sat there.
Mona
One narrow path through a vast and empty desert. One word filled my mind-SAHARA. The heat seemed to fill the lungs and the eyes were dazzled by the sand and blinded too. Winds picked up the sand and blew it into semi tornado.
The drive was lonely. To the left and to the right was sand. God, three hours in one car on one road through one big desert. When I said lonely I forgot to mention the man-made oasis popping up every once in awhile. After the first hour the sand that had blocked most of my vision cleared and I saw the desert in its full glory.
Besides just sand there were oasis. And what an amazing site it was to see-such green contained in white. It was as though there was an imaginary line dividing them. And that line contained so much and held out so little.
Noam H
RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY!!!
The unwelcome guest
Nature's most unappreciated
the sky sends its gift!!!
Sarah Ross
" In our every deliberation we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations." seventh generation
People always seem to say things they want to do and things that we as a people need to do to better the world in which we live, but seldom are there enough people to make a large difference. It always seems to be children who become interested and take an active step to preserve the world which they will one day inherit. It really worries me though that the generations ahead of us don't even realize what they are leaving for us. It's scary to think that they have such high goals for our generation and those generations to come. But they are leaving us no place to accomplish these dreams and goals. "The world was not given to us by our parents, but handed to us by our children"
As I sat alone on a rock
I realized I would be there for 3 days
In the desert, no food only water
I thought it would be the worst time of my life
By the last day I realized I was not alone
I had the company of the River and the wildlife
Although I am not there now, I will never forget that place.
Ramez Jabarin
Earth is wonderful place, which include in it a lot of beautiful things that God created long time ago Earth is a place which gather diffrent kinds of living thing, human beings, animals, and plant, each one of these three depends on each other. Earth includes in it life. Earth used to a clean healthy place but now with the development in technology, we are witnessing a lot of pollution which is leding to destroy the world.
I like being outside, unless its very cold. When I was younger, somewhere between second and seventh grads, I used to spend all the time I could outside. Although that was partially because it was so unpleasant to be inside, my mother's house, than because it was so pleasant to be outside. I wore jelly shoes, or went barefoot, plastic shoes like a cross between sandals and flats that could be worn through anything, that I wore through anything. Puddles especially. Like being barefoot in them, but not stepping on the invisible rocks, glass. I almost worshipped trees. I worshipped spring. Maybe not just because it was such a good season, but because it meant the return of warmth, of it beign easier to be outside. One year it was very warm and my older brothers birthday fell on Easter; my father's family decided to forgo Easter for him. My grandmother brought my younger brother and I our baskets and left. It rained, and I stood in a muddy patch barefoot looking at the rainbow across the street and past the Expressway over Shari's house. Melted dead leaf birdbath ice was precious potion. I ate vilets, sorrel, maple leaves, mulberries, tried to eat buckeyes. Picked the neighbor's peonies, flicked the ants off them. Made potions from all manner of putrid organics to fling on my bigot neighbor's laundry. And he was black! What a reversal. I was the white one. Still I take loooong bike rides, to far ends of the city down residential streets. My brother just wants to go places. I like to ride. And I walk in the school's campus woods alone, more than one have my Birkenstocks had to be washed at school.
Stacie Tucker
When I think of nature, I don't usually picture some grandmotherly version of Mother Nature. A frosted over image of a forest with the morning light streaming through the trees from the front of a greeting card might pop inot my head, but it usually fades about as quickly as it appears. What lasts in my head as my ideas about nature are memory snapshots, frozen moments illustrating my perception of the environment. I picture a canoe trip around my grandparents lake, with me sitting on the bottom of the canoe, as the princess with less than royla conditions, a few spiders still scurrying to escape fromt heri hiding places, enough water to slough around in the bottom and get me respectably wet and some stray pieces of seaweed, inexplicably stuck to the sides of the boat. I think of trekking through the woods at camp with ten kids swarming around me, trying to remember the words of a song we had sung that morning. We were walking thfough the Pine Forest, a spot known for it's coolness even on the most scorching days, but also unforgettable for it's huge mosquito population. Another reoccuring image is of a cross country skiing in the North Woods of Michigan w/ a group of friends from school. I remember palying tictactoe in the snow with our poles. When we took a break from skiing so hard we had shed our outer layers and sported just tee-shirts in the cold. I'll always remember running down the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes with the ground disappearing and sinking away from every step until there weren't really separate steps but a whole body motion of sliding down.
The ocean is my only friend. I am not capable of having any other relationship so intimate. No, I can't lie. It is not a healthy relationship. My love is never acknowledged. But that is only a small part of my pain...and my security. Many times my love has resolved to hurt me, to fight me, to threaten me. I am abused.
But I cannot leave. I can never leave. No matter how badly it mistrusts me, it can never ignore me. It loves me. It understands me. It is a part of me. It always has been.
There is no other place in the universe like this. There is no other experience like this. Nothing else could even suit me. I can have no relationship save this.
It's amazing to see how many different ways the earth can dress itself. Just as humans use clothing, make-up, plastic surgery, haircuts, and body-piercing to convey a certain feeliing or attitude, the earth has own vast array of tools with which to beautify, or in some cases, destruct itself. Waterfalls cascading from mountaintops give a refreshing feeling of cleanliness, where as the intense heat from a volcano can make one feel a sense of abiding danger. The changing color of leaves-from lemon lime to wold flames of orange red and yellow can dramatically change what was once a lazy, summer stroll to a brisk, autumn walk. How fortunate we humans are to be able to feel and appreciate the many faces of the earth.
I stand upon the mountain top with the wind blowing my long, brown hair in all directions. The bright sun is shining warmly on my back and soaking into my black jeans. I look out over the valley and see houses scattered about. Tranquil is the first word that comes to mind. Each house sits silently in its spot. Waiting. Waiting for what? A big storm. People.
The people are everywhere. Whish. There goes another one. All around me, the people go by disturbing the peacefulness of my place. My special place that has a wonderful view of a little piece of the world. The jagged, snow covered mountain peaks loom above me. I feel like I can go higher and higher and soar once I reach the top like a bald eagle with its wings spread tip to tip. Standing there fills me with a sense of wonder, amazement, and belonging. I may not own the mountain not the piece of land I stand on, but it sure feels like it for a very few precious moments. I can almost reach out and touch the clouds. Clouds. There are more of them now. Quickly rolling in and hiding the sun. It's getting darker and darker. My sense of security vanishes in an instant. I drop my head as nature unleashes her fury on the world.
The 4 men walked along stepping as they approached the overlook. A bright gleam appeared in the eyes of each man as they beheld the magnificent sight before them. Vast fields, with tall grass rippling in the wind as a great herd of buffalo walked across. The first man walked to the very edge of the overlook. What he saw impressed him so much that he stood motionless and silent. He didn't even notice as the 3 other men left him to continue down the path.
As they reached the bottom, the 2nd man stopped and cocked his gun. He quickly scanned the herd to locate where the biggest group was. He wanted the biggest group because he wanted to kill as many as possible-no thought of how many he actually needed ever came. the other two men walked on.
Soon the 2nd man stopped and cocked his gun. His eyes were drawn to a small group of buffalo standing at a slight distance from the rest of the herd. He only wanted to kill 2 or 3 buffalo-that was enough to last his family for a long time. The last man watched him for a few minutes and then he walked on.
The fourth man didn't stop until he spotted one lonely buffalo lying in the tall grass. As he cocked his gun and aimed, he softly prayed, "Thank you God, for this magnificent gift."
Arna
I choose not to write about nature.
Its beauty is too great to describe in mere words.
Natures vast diversity can't be summed up into even a thousand pages.
If you haven't seen the sun rise over an ocean or set over a tranquil lake.
If you haven't been in the middle of a forest in the spring witnessing a hundred shades of living green.
Or, if you haven't walked down a mountain path to a cliff over looking a huge valley
Maybe you've never been caught in a terrible thunderstorm watching thousands of lightning bolts strike the ground simultaneously. Nature is too powerful for us to really understand
We remain a part of it, yet also as observers.
If you haven't experience that, I can't describe its amaziness.
That's why I choose not to write about nature.
I'm amazed when I see long stretches of wilderness (or at least semi-wildernes) along the highways. I'm surprised that there are still lands that near to civilization that remain fairly untouched. It seems as if you can hardly even go camping and expect to find trees and animals at your campsite. I expect to find these large areas of nature in remote, distant areas, only accessable by dirt roads or hiking paths. I feel this way because it seems as if America is so far removed from nature as a nation. We are able through the wonders of technology to go through an entire day or more without ever coming in contact with a plant or with natural water (not from a spicket) or with earth. This is becuase of the technology we have at our disposal. It is much easier to go through life like this, never living with nature, living completely separte from it. We have grown so accustomed to living this way that we now often regard aspects of nature as inferior and even unpleasant. Dirt is dirty, yet it is one of the most abundant substances on our planet, second only to air, which is also dirty now. The only things we regard as clean and worthy of us are the things we have created. We have lost our repsect for the earth.
Since God created the earth, God would, I should say has, made the earth indestructable. The earth has around for millions of years, and has not gotten worse, but has gotten better. Life expectancy on earth has increased, diseases have found cures, and a whole much more. The earth, this planet, is capable fo so much that handling it with care is wrong. This planet is here for us, we are not here for this planet.
Jacob
Unfortunately, I think the Earth and every living thing in it is doomed. I also believe the Idea of an "Earth Day" is a stupid, feel good, accomplish nothing scam. the idea that one day out of the year everybody decides to be "aware" of the earth is a joke. People litter, use all kinds of products that harm the environment, they waste energy, and do tremendous damage to the earth in many different ways. In theory most people don't like to harm to earth, but in practice, all of their detrimental activities of life go unchanged. That is why earth day exists. For one day out of the year people are "nice" to the earth by altering some of their behaviors. Unfortunately, it is only for one day. After that everyone reverts to their usual ways. We are still destroying the rainforests, we are still destroying the Ozone layer, and we are still polluting everything in the world. All of this destruction is, however, necessary for humans to live under the standards we now do. Thus, we will continue to destroy the earth until there is nothing left. When that happens, we too will be destroyed. Humans and the earth are in an irreversable self destruct mode. Nothing will change this so we might as well accept it.
Living in Ohio, I don't have the chance to see other types of ecosystems. we do not have many forests but not like what I was when I went to New Zealand.
New Zealand has many magnificent mountain ranges, rain forests, volcanoes and hot springs. Seeing these in New Zealand was nothing like I have ever seen before. The purpose of our trip was to see all of these natural wonders. This trip like many trips in New Zealand was by bike. Being outside for one month really shows you what mother nature can be like. The temperature varied from the 80's to the low 50's. Some days we fought violent winds, heavy rains, flooding, and land slides. Most of these were new experiences for me, especially while on a bike. You haven't experienced rain unless you've survived biking through 15 inches in two days.
It may sound like we didn't have much sun but we did have nice days too. I know that I will never forget the trip and I will never think of Mother Nature the same.
It is a shame that we cannot live like we did for a week in the Appalachian Mts. Everything you need you can find in your backpack. You receive clean air, clean water, and a careless environment. Living as nomads, where home is where your rump rests. I returned home six days later to garbage along the streets, trucks letting pockets of smoke, and the noise of the city. What's wrong with this picture?
Natural habitats, such as, forest are growing smaller and our ozone layer is diminishing, but still, we continue building more cities, which give the world more pollution. I wish that you could put a big giant bubble around factories and power plants, to keep living creatures and the world from these harmful component that the factories let off.
The earth is our home and we need to take better care of it.
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing, I wanna know
where have all the flowers gone.
Gone to young girls everyone,
When will we ever learn
when will we ever learn.
Where have all the young girls gone,
Long time passing, I wanna know,
Where have all the young girls gone,
Gone to young men everyone,
when will we ever learn, when will we ever learn.
Where have all the young men gone,
Long time passing, I wanna know,
Where have all the young men gone
Gone to soldiers everyone
When will we ever learn, when will we ever learn.
Where have all the soldiers gone,
Long time passing, I wanna know,
Where have all the soldiers gone,
Gone to graveyards everyone
When will we ever learn, when will we ever learn.
Where have all the graveyards gone,
Long tinme passing, I wanna know,
Where have all the graveyards gone,
Gone to flowers everyone
When will we ever learn, when will we ever learn.
Song by ?
When I was young my favorite time of year was winter. Kids for some reason never get cold; they play outside all day long. I would go out sliding, build snow men and forts, and sometimes just lay in the snow. When I would come back in my mom would make me Hot chocolate. I would listen to adults talk about how much they disliked the winter and the cold. I would always tell them winter is my favorite time of year and it always will be. Of course their response would be just wait you will change. Finally the year rolled around when my opinion of winter changed. I still find the first snow fall very beautiful and it sends a wonderful feeling through my body, but when all the cold weather sticks arounduntil April I can't wait for it to leave. Nnow I have found my favorite time or year is spring when new life is being born. Seeing all the birds on the trees and the flowers blooming sends the same wonderful feeling through my body that I have during the first snow fall. The only thing that makes spring better is I know lots of warm weather is on its way.
Up on a ridge
With the whole world below me
Walking down the tunnels of green
I look off to the right
An endless chain of mountaintops.
Off to the left.
Civilization gnaws away at the green valley.
The houses made from recycled trees
Soon the forests will be flat, bare lands
Stop.
Hans Fedderke
hr/ >
Bobby
What will our earth be like tomorrow? Will the fluid plains be bear? Will the rough deserts be fluid? Will the great oceans be a vast wasteland? I nor anyone else can answer the questions about tomorrow. Our world is constantly changing, and although we cannot change the inevitable, we can judge what inevitable will be.
We depend on this earth of ours for life, we must work to make everything work.
Mother Earth. Despite the recent news saying that nature is dying, I like to keep a bit of advice: Enjoy what you have. Everyone is so busy worrying about the depletion of the ozone, the pollution, the rainforest. Even though nothing is really being done, one shouldn't get all worked up about it. We spend all our lives worrying about it, that we forget to feel the essence of nature. Most of us will die before the ozone is completely depleted or before all the trees are cut down, so why don't we just sit down and enjoy nature while we can.
Nature is an excellent fortress! Have you ever sat on the beach as the sun rises? The mighty ocean seems to ??? beyond my wildest dreams. It's so vast, I say to myself. I wonder how many of us would relax like that. Some would manage to find a gum wrapper on the beach and get all worked up about it. To those individuals I wish I could knock some sense into them. They should sit and enjoy this marvel while they can, rather than protest their whole life.
Nature is quickly dying. I agree, but some people are just TOO stupid to handle. A farmed in Brazil doesn't care about it because his cattle need to graze and he needs money to survive. There's no way you can stop him unless military measures are taken. These actions would just add to the chaos in the world. People will eventually learn, at nature's expense. The learning will span across the world, and will never be forgotten.
I salute those hardworking Greenpeace officials who argue effortlessly w/ others. These are truly dedicated and hardworking people. In time they too will see the hopelessness of our situation. All that stress just gives them an ulcer. If they would truly appreciate nature they would spend their entire lives dealing with it. Constantly hiking, sailing, and more. They should hold onto it as long as they can, for in time nature will become bare, and they won't remember it.
"Samba in the Rain"
I found myself alone with nature for the first time really last summer, July of 1994. I was following the Grateful Dead around through Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. My friend Monique and I lived in Nature for about 4 days and found ourselves completely ar her mercy. Our first night we hadn't a tent or car to sleep in so we made do with a balnket on the ground....of course we were victims of a beautiful and violent thunderstorm. (Luckily one kind brother let us sleep with him in his tent when he saw our drenched selves clutched shivering and wet together on a sopping muddy blanket.)
The next day we made our way through the chill, rain and drizzles, elated (but a bit cold). We blundered on through shakedown street with our brothers and sisters and heard cheers and claps and joyous whistles come to us through the crowd, like a wave. We noticed everyone around us looking up in the air, smiling, so we did the same. a huge, beautiful rainbow glimmered in the sky- a perfect welcome to that night's show...where the Dead welcomed us with the songs "Looks like Rain", "Rain", "Samba in the Rain", and finally, "Here Comes Sunshine."
The next day was a beautiful, sunny, miraculous web of adventure and joy.
Caitlin Dunipace
Toledo, Ohio
Sanja Patel
I have conquered the Earth, for the earth is rock. The journey seems pleasant enough. Its true form hiding behind a thick wall, waiting for the unwary. Lush greens and colorful birds envelope the path of dirt, Earth, fine rock. Fine rocks develop into stones. I reach the shores of a placid, evenly flowing river. The true battle still to come, while I relax, enjoy, unaware of my imminent fear.
Stones are now developed rocks. Soon, they are large protruding from the surface for the making of an awesome structure. I look ahead knowing the vast amount of energy that is required. Cowardice doesn't penetrate my soul, and I am ready to go. I climb, moving down the river bank. The water still calm and gentle with hills and crevasses. I move on still unaware of imminent fears. The water grows stronger hills and crevasses are now mountains and valleys. The rocks steeper and more narrow. Panic develops deep inside, yet contained by the soil. I move on.
I am scared. A ledge no wider than a finger stands between me and my goal. The water now fierce, foams and roars. Sharp rocks carved by the water protrude revealing the fear of death. I add to the water below drop by drop. I want to turn around. The screaming gets louder. I make my move and its over. I have conquered the Earth, for the Earth is rock.
Out topic is the earth. I take the earth, our earth, for granted just as I do everything else. Family, friends, relationships, food, clothes, money my list could go on and on. I always see pictures of the globe on little stickers and it is so pretty. All the colors. Blue, Green, Black, and White. I wear shirts that say "Protect our Animals", "Protect the Earth', but I'm not going out and doing anything. My family recycles and my mother reuses everything she can. We don't flush our toilets when we don't need to,a dn we turn off the water while brushing our teeth. And it's true that every little thing helps. Well I hope so.
I hear that my grandchildren will never know what a tree looks like except from a story book or see arianbow unless they see a puddle of oil. And that worries me, but it doesn't-make me do anything in my daily schedule any different.
It's funny because when I'm out in Nature or the wilderness I love it. I went hiking on the App. trail over spring break and it was great. I slept and cooked outside, I saw nature in its full beauty. No huge buildings or cars or music or people for six days. But after awhile being out there I became sad. I felt so incredibly insignificant. You look around and only see trees and grass and leaves for miles and miles that's all. Yes, people have grazed this land already and produced a trail and put a couple of shelters here and there but still as far as the eye can see you see nothing that is usually in your every day life. I get the same feeling when I sleep outside. I look up and over and all I see is dark blue skies and little sparkly stars and usually a couple of lightning bugs. And I feel so little and helpless. It made me feel that everything is set for our futures and destiny and we are all just playing along in our own little worlds thinking and feeling we are the center and in control of it all. And the only think we can take control for and ownership for are the things around you and what is in your own life if even then.
Granted I'm not saying I'm helpless or can't take control of my life. Or that I'm just floating through thinking that I'll end up somewhere. When things come up in my life I take care of them and do what I feel I need to do. But what you go out in "Nature", it all seems so insignificant.
Taylor Cone
{Picture of earth with stars}
HAVE ANY BETTER IDEAS?
Nan Sagodeim
We are so used to thinking that our lives are dependant upon money, family and other concrete things. Although that too is true, our lives are indirectly or even directly dependant on the earth. The earth provides us with essentials for us to live our daily lives, food to eat, the raw materials to build a shelter or home. But what it also provides us with is a universal home. This home is one we share with every other living creature we know of. Usually we don't think of the earth in this way. We tend to think of the earth a a "haven" of raw materials, which help us produce all the essentials we think we need. We use these raw materials to produce a new type of life from our "primative" pre-historic ancestors. In this new life, it seems, we have lost touch from nature, from earth. Our main focuses as young adults in this capitalist world, is making a lot of money, getting into a good college, living a luxurious life. Everything seems to be based on these rectangular pieces of paper with green etching and a picture of a president on it. Our whole lives we have understood that money usually equals respect and that without we would lead a "life with no happiness."
I feel that we have lost a sense from nature and the earth. We spent so many years tearing up the earth for our own luxuries and then finally we see all the wrong we were doing. We see all problems we caused for ourselves by creating toxic fumes and non-disposable trash. We have polluted our earth so much that we have an endangered species list, we have diseases like tuberculosis which are formed by the fumes we subject ourselves to everyday. Our earth has become a disaster area. It is almost like a laboratory where you experiment with all these different chemicals and produce new things and just leaving those chemicals out to get rid of themselves and suddenly maybe years later you decide to clean it up, but by then the room is filled with odors and things you didn't even think you produced? What do you do? What can you do?
I think it is good that we have realized that when our earth is in danger so are we and I am glad we have begun to do something about it. But I think the main problem is what can we do about it now?
The most beautiful day of my life...I was probably 10 years old, it was really late at night (early in the morning) maybe 3:00 or 4:00 am. I had spent the night working with my dad on the way home I was so tired I thought it was a dream. The sky was a bright red and purple color something I had never seen before and not since. It almost scared me to look at.
You are in New Zealand biking in the middle of a huge storm. It is hailing out and all the roads are flooding. You can't help but tremble at every crack of thunder. The lightning looks so close, you know its looking for you. And those little rocks of ice slashing your face with such harsh intentions just make you want to cry. There is no one in sight, hills and trees are all you can see. No one could save you now. It got so bad you have to walk your bike. You know you would never have a chill like this again. At any moment you could become another part of nature. It is so dark...almost seemed like night. All you can do is keep biking, so the pedals turn on and on till you finally don't even notice you are pushing them. You are frozen in time, a dream and your not sleeping. You wish for your bed, so comfortable, so familiar, but your still there pedaling, on and on. So quick, so small you now know you are.
Have you ever just looked out a window, or sat in your backyard just admiring nature/ The natural beauty that surrounds you everyday? Do you know the signs of spring or the call of the robin to its mate?
All around us miracles are happening, out in the fresh spring air. Something we take for granted. To wonder of the earth, we show no respect for our fellow, living, breathing friends. It's amazing to see the grass turn green and the flowers start to bloom. The birds return north and the bees start buzzing again.
The thing I hope to do one day is to sit on top of a mountain and watch the sun set and the lights come up and sparkle above the city. Sunset is the prettiest time of day. the sky lights up and it seems to be on fire.
Nature is a blessing sent down to us from above. Whether we except the blessing and respect nature of we disregard it and treat it badly, we cannot deny it. I personally cannot imagine a colorless world without the blue sky and the green grass, the flowers of all colors of the rainbow. Without the birds or the bees or the scampering squirrels, the rolling hills, the leaves changing colors in the fall. The world would be full of depression and unhappiness. This earth is our earth, the one on which our children and grandchildren will grow and raise families. Here we are destroying the future and the beauty fo this great creation. Our lineage will not inherit to wonder and amazement held inside the earth. They won't be able to discover the natural greatness, which we have seen. So, next time you get a chance, stare out the window and admire the green grass or the buzzing bees because who knows....
By Michael Gerber
I think the most important thing in helping to "save the earth" isn't the technical and quantitative information we receive. Many people hear about "this many acres of rainforest' or "these endangered species." I think if everyone thought instead about personal experiences in which they enjoyed something "natural", they'd see emvironmentalism as an important topic. Often, during my English class-I'm a high school sophomore-I watch two squirrels outside the window. I couldn't imagine what some of those long, Thursday afternoons would be like if I saw oly a road, farm, or factory, instead of the beautiful forest. It makes life so much more enjoyable.
Everydaay, forests and creatures like this are being destroyed. Many feel that its perfectly okay to destroy other animals' homes. These same poeple say that all "environmentalists" are freaks. I might support the environment, but I also ear meat and wear leather shoes. There's a place in the middle where we can compromise-why han't anyone seen or found it?
The Earth is bigger and better than we'll ever be. It will outlast us by millions of years. Many conservative use this as their argument. We're not going to kill the Earth, so why worry? That's just wrong. We might not kill the Earth-but we'll kill ourselves. The better we treat our big, blue planet, the better it treats us.
To tell you the truth, even as I write this essay I disagree with Earth Day; not with its message, but the necessity to have it. We shouldn't need a special dya to remind us how great this home of ours is: it should be in our hearts and minds 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.
HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!
Every
Apple
Rain
Tree
Horse
Daisy
And even
Yak
Earth day should remind us how lucky we are, not only as earthlings, but a americans, to be alive. And we also remember to respect the right of every creature to be lucky to be alive, also.
If all people realized how Mother Earth seeks our friendship, my good friend would be in much better shape. If all realized that you simply had to sit on a mountain or even just on the group to show friendship, all would be better.
The Earth is power, causing every pure potentiality. The hard part is topping this, bu twhen you do, you'll know. I wouldn't call all these idea's of the Earth holding wounderous power for enlightenment, or that these actually are places of power new age spiritualism. I'd say generation after generation has all had these personal experiences of finding "Earth knowledges" and generation after gneration is not wrong. What has anyone concluded about the Moche or Aztec people? They were cultures who saw the worthlessness in material lifestyles, people who knew ofplaces of power and the "right way of living." They inhabited the mountains of peru, realizing the pure potentiality of Earth, and knowing the spiritual path. Supposedly they vanished instantly because of a mass disease (that's one argument) and, supposedly )in trying to be unbiased), they became so in touch with Earth, realized that of the true life, the spiritual life, that the culture vibrated at such higher energy levels, they passed this level of being and moved on. Only them and Earth were their help. If we could listen we'd tap our true happpiness, break all our shields and be. Pure potentiality, couraging energy, a place of power.
The dull gray colors of winter slowly fade away to expose the bright, happy colors of spring. The deceiving colors and the "fresh" scent of nature are pleasing to some but are the cause of agony to others. These scents and colors bring insects and pollen into the air. Some people do not have the pleasure of enjoying the "fresh" air and beautiful colors of spring or summer. Their views of nature are not up close and personal but are of nature seen from a distance. Nature is beautiful but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Denise Allen
One of the best places to observe nature is the Toledo Botanical Gardens. There is almost no palce better to go when relaxation is necessary to relieve the stresses of hectic urban living. I feel like I'm in another part of the world whenever I go there, maybe someplace like Ireland. The grass is probably greener there than any lawn in the area. Flowers of many colors dot the rolling hills, giving the impression of being in the countryside when in reality you have never left the city. The brooks and bridges remind one of an age ling before birth, an age of tranquility and innocence.
Earth Day is one of the most tremendous cries of the people for something to do. .... Granted, we, in many aspects, don't use it efficiently. There is tremendous waste, and pollution is increasing. Despite these truths, many environmentalists use Earth Day as a way to bring down corporate America with their liberal-minded politicla outlook clouding the essence. The Earth is not sacred. It is here, and can be used for many different things. All things that have to do with the earth should be economical, solely the decision of the person owning the land, unless there's a significant impact on others, which for the most part, and for the general population of the US, it doesn't. People do not destroy the environment for the sake of destroying the environment. Other things come into play. Some Americans take it upon themselves to play the environmental martyr, and the celebration of Earth Day glorifies a disgustingly liberal minority. People celebrate Earth Day because it's politically correct to do so. Political correctness is a hang up which we will never, it seems, take a rational perspective on. So many things that go on now are done in the interest of political correctness, other than personal interest, as it has been, but now P.C. is becoming everyone's best interest, so political incorrectness is no longer tolerable. Earth Day capitalizes on this, and free-thinkers like myself must suffer the fury of the mindless.
Simon D. Reid
Nature is like an alligator if we don't ____
See ya later.
Keep the earth full of mirth
I am the earth
happy and sad
a wonderful place
the diamond of the universe
earth is ourlife.
The people all cheer
Hello, why do we heat it so,
It is our mother.
Sons and Daughter respect her.
The earth is much like our bodies. We don't think of what we put into it, and before we know it, the Earth will be destroyed. How does one write about one's home? There' s not much for me to say. "The earth is a jewel" and so it is. Most of the planets around us are inhabitable rocks on gas-balls. The chances of another naturally habitable world are remote, but possible. That is what makes the Earth all the more precious.
Her only solace was in the trees. It was _______ get out from the world around her. She would walk into the forest feeling all of her cares slowly slipping away. Her body would relax with the sounds-the squirrel scurrying through the leaves, the water trickling in the streams, the birds singing high above, and just the faint rustling of the leaves. Even on her worst days she could never seem to supress the urge to hum to herself and try to whistle with the birds.
Why this was so relaxing for her, she couldn't tell you. Maybe it was the solitude, on the way that life there seemed so carefree and simple. In the life of the forest you did what you were supposed to do to get by and survive. You didn't try to alter things for your own benefit. You took care of your family, protected your home, and whatever your level you still seemed to get enough to eat. As long as you followed what you were supposed to, the world went around comfortably. Why did humans have to make everything so complicated, changing the course of nature? The forest made everything seem so simple-she would go back there again and again.
Cyndi Dosick
Every day we see nature around us. It's powerful, interesting, dynamic, different. Humans can try to destroy it and control it, but Nature has also a part that we don't see. We live in the universe, an immense and mysterious space, and the earth is only a small point of it. Try to think about the insignificance of our existence among all the other points in the universe.
To talk about nature is talk about everything that surrounds us, we might think that we can be over it, but we ourselves are part of this nature. Our life, our thoughts, our decisions, our death, everything is included in an infinite process: LIFE.
See, sing, smell, taste, feel, love. Life is too beautiful, and we should try to find all the secrets that are hidden in it, in our lives, in our world.
Nature is life, and life is me.
The pine, the green, the grass
the dew, the sun, the crash
of water on the rocks, so strong
no noise except for the falls.
I look at the bottom from above,
How high I am, so high...
What if I fell? The water would not save me...
I smell the pine, I see the needles,
so pointy and green. I want to keep the scent, I want to taste it
It has turned dark, the sound of the falls is still there and so is the scent. What will happpen if I leave? ...will it all stop, or continue on without me...I fear to leave, yet I fear to stay...I lie in the cool grass, which is now wet and look up at the sky. I see no stars, just the lonely moon, the only light.
Do you ever feel the need to go outside for a breath of fresh air or to take a walk in the woods for a bit? The outdoors and into the natural world is my favorite place to spend my time. I enjoy seeing a different animal that I haven't seen before, and to watch other creatures go about their lives. The colors of the leaves and flowers and wings on a hummingbird or scales on a fish are so beautiful , and natural. The smell of a flower, the sound of leaves rustling in the breeze, the taste of a ripe raspberry all of it is right there in your walk through the forest. As the warm sun shines down on your face a curious deer looks up as a squirrel passes in front of her. What more could you ask for? All the most beautiful colors, interesting sounds, sweet smells, ripe tastes, and soft furs are just in your backyard!
Do you realize that 100 acres of tropical rainforest (60 foot ball fields) are destroyed each minute? 100 acres a minute! The rainforests provide us with cures to the world's diseases among tons of other things, and yet they continue to be destroyed! The decimation of the rainforests need to stop now, the clearing of the trees for cities, lumber, cattle raising, etc. need to cease immediately!
"The green mountains are so pretty, mom" said the little girl as she looked out her window on the sunny summer day. The mother then thought of memories of them when she was a child and told her daughter..."When your uncle and I were your age we would go on hikes with grandpa back in the woods and bring a lunch along. On our way home he would always take us fishing in the pond." The little girl smiled and changed the subject. The mother realized how times had changed and how her daughter just watches t.v. and plays on the computer. She felt so horrible that she was secluded and wouldn't give the outdoors a chance.
K Tucker, Toledo, OH
The Earth is our friend. But our friend is in need. The Human existence is slowly, and sometimes quickly destroying our planet. Since we've begun to make things, we started to break things. The spray can is a good example. The 1st man made fire started the problem of smog and other air pollution. The ashes of huge fire were eventually used to plant crops for the food industry. The idea has gone too far. People in South America and other places set fires in their woods, evacuating all animal life causing the eradication of homes for the poor creatures and causing the loss of all the plants that produce oxygen for us to breathe. After awhile, the land can't support crops because the Dirt's minerals and Nutrients are used up from the continual use of the dirt's resources. Since there is no leaves or branches falling from trees that were in the Farmer's Land. If there was any plant waste to become plant food then there aren't any bugs to eat and breakdown the plant garbage because the farmers use pesticides to kill the bugs that harm the crops. After the dirt dies nothing will grow that is of any value to people. The problem is BIG. The world's rainforests are our biggest natural resource. Don't waste your share of life, be good to others, and care some for the next person. If you don't, every ones' children will die and our existence as a universal identity will be lost when our planet Earth dies. It may be corney, but it is somewhat true.
Don's Drive-In
on the corner of Gibbs Street and The Anthony Wayne trail
If you'r reading this I will now tell you, I think, the greatest overall things you can do to grow a closer relationship with our planet. Just go fishing. Fishing is without a doubt the greatest, most entertainig way to enjoy nature and spend your time. I suggest walleye fishing, use Erie De___, or a crawler horness but nothin gets 'em like cheese balls. Carp are good too. Use dough balls. Here's my recipe.
Recipe
two cups of flour
1 cup blueberry muffin mix (work great on my favorite spot, the mo__ river)
1/2 cup sugar (use a treble hook and 15 lb. Trilene XT)
1/4 cup maple syrup
add water until it is a thick doughy consistency
I also suggest buying a paintball gun. They're the funnest thing in the world. Get you fishing buddies together and have paintball wars. You'll enjoy it. Are you anti-nuting? Just take your paintball gun, sneak up behind your chosen hunter and blast them in the knee caps until they give you money
{Pictures}
Sincerely, Steve Galbreth, 16
They said it was flat, but now it is round.
We all say we must preserve it.
Do many really actually try, though?
Do many let their selfish thoughts
And ponderings go beyond their immediate lives?
Who is the keeper of our tarnished paradise called earth?
Who will clean up after us when we forget or more often neglect to take the time?
Why must we be the neglecters?
Can't we, for once, not be the organisms to blame?
Or is this our purpose, to be the scapegoats of earth, the scapegoats put there to always do wrong?
It is an interesting pondering, i think.
I wonder if it will be answered.
One summer I went for a canoe trip in the Canadian/U.S. Boundary Waters. No electricity, no running water, no stable shelter, no civilization, just us, our canoes, and what we needed and were able to carry. Everything became so simple for the week. Everything was also more beautiful than I'd ever imagined. "Why did we mar such a beautiful place?". this was our nightly question. "Why did we have to become so complex when we could be so wonderfully simple?" Yet, still, I see the same people asking these questions doing thing for unimaginably complicated reasons. One of my friends, the initiator of our "save the earth' discussions, spends his time sitting in a bunker somewhere in Utah 24 hours a day, 7 days a month. He does this "just in case the country feels the need to press the button. I don't think nuclear warfare is the solution to saving the earth or reverting back to the "simple ways of life." It seems that the morals we THINK we have are hypocritical compared to our lifestyles and how we really act. Maybe it's actualy WRONG to practice what you preach as the saying goes. If that isn't wrong then I suppose we are a hypocritical species. We all want to save the earth, but I suppose it must be too time consuming or a waste of energy because I don't see many actually doing it.
Pangs of lightning ripping across the storms of ignorance.
Hope for tomorrow is carried away by the polluted river.
Children in playgrounds swing at the edge of their lives
Unknowing
What you don't know can't hurt you
Or can it?
-Amera Ahmed
I have a fear of smokestacks
and I don't trust the men
who feed their flames
-Perry Farrell
Nature is the ultimate reminder of the true achievements of the world. Nothing else ever constucted can compare to the mountains. Nothing else created will have the same bright and sobering colors of a summer sunset. Nothing else can inspire feelings of renewal like a spring rain. Nature can lift peoples spirits quickly, it's pureness and awesomeness encompassing them. Nature is the inescapable reminder of everyone's plight. It's beauty and calm that results after destruction insues shows how quickly things can change and how calm and inticing something can become if enough time is allowed. The pattern that nature takes, although completely precise, planned, and _____ when examined closely, can be destroyed in an instant with rains and winds, then allowed to grow again after the affirmation is complete.
My camping experience was wonderful away from the city: the pollution, noise, people. I was a counselor at a summer camp that gave an opportunity for city kids to experience tranquility. Camping isn't for everyone. Some people strive on the hustle and bustle of city life. I enjoyed the peace and quiet of the country. Nature has given me many things: love, security, and fulfilment; thank you.
HATE-be a hero, save a whale
save a baby, go to jail
Did you ever see this bumper sticker and scream? So illogical, closed minded....completely ignores.....degrading........something to be mocked-WHAT are you saving the baby for if you're screwing up it's world?
Man, as small as he is, can destroy a planet 41/2 billion years old? His ego has grown so much that he believes he can ruin, destroy, kill a rock-water-momentous things-things undestructable-ever hear of karma? man is at the top of the food chain. think about that. karma, in a wiccan sense, equals to the law of three: everything you send out, inflict, give or contribute will return to you threefold. Man dumps his pesticides, his sewage, his shit into the lands which sustain him. The land...the life we're damaging out there will eventually throw it back at us. We'll be the ones with the DDT cursing through our veins. Save Yourself! ...you're not saving the spotted owl, the rainforests, the redwoods...you're saving you're ability to breathe and bear children with the normal number of fingers.
We'll never kill this planet...and if we did, well, it wouldbe a remarkable planet...no humans. But as of now, we'll only destroy ourselves, the life around us...with the exception of the cockroaches, perhaps. What is thi obsession that man has with self destruction, anyways?
Earth could live again, after we all comitted suicide....
Maybe I'm only recycling because...I don't know. Other's seem to care? I like animals...mmm...I have so much else to worry about.....what's my sexuality/do I have/am I mentally disturbed, would Prozac help?
The only thing that calms me is the forest......
So, I'm saving it for my own consolation, I didn't want to look at a charred forest anyways. The novelty of seeing rainbows in the oil slicking ...our water fades.........the colors..........
Tanya Pipatjarasgit
All winter long I have been waiting, thinking that it would never come. It has been too cold for too long. I could not take it anymore. I woke up one morning thinking it would be another dreary winter day. However, I was wrong. A ray of sunlight shined through the cracks in my curtains. I got out of bed to open the curtains and all of a sudden, I was blinded by the sunlight. I got all excited because I thought finally it has come! Then I remembered the many times I had been fooled by the sunny days causing me to think that it was warm outside. I cautiously opened the window hoping for the warm breeze to rush into my room. It has! It finally had come. I could hear the birds chirping in the nearby trees. I even saw a beautiful red robin fly by my window. I could not believe my eyes! I had to make sure that it had finally come. I went outside to see close up if it had actually come. I saw dozens of green leaves of the tulips shooting up from the ground. Little green buds from the branches of the burning bush began to appear. I looked all around me green leaves started to grow out of nowhere. Yes, then it was true. For six months it has made me wait. When I was about to give up hope. It has finally come. Spring has come at last!
My wonderful opinion on Earth Day
Some stupid idiot just decided to make up this day for all of the earth loving rejects, too spend their time doing something productive. This idiot that made it up probably just picked a day off the calendar and decidedto call it Earth Day. And then all of the Earth people followed and put money towards it. Then the companies decided to pick it up also, becuase when money is involved they'll do anything for a buck. They even put those percentages of recnycled material on the boxes, but who really cares. Frankly I don't give 3 shits. I don't care because I'll just throw the box away, and then some earth loving idiot will pick that one damn box up or make me pick it up to recycle it. If I don't then they would get mad at me and start rambling on about why I should help recycle and that I should recycle that one damn lousy box. My reply would be screw you and while you're at it throw that box away, will ya! So as I say all the earth people can waste their money on all that shit, but I'm not going to be the one out on the streets saying, "Can I have some money for some food, mister." I'll just be laughin in your face becuase you spent all your money on earth day crap and I didn't.
One night last year I saw a deer. It was right outside my apartment in the middle of Toledo. I've seen deer before , but not in the city. I seen deer by my home in Fremont, or in the woods when Po and me used to go camping. But this deer was in the city, right by my apartment! A Deer! I was taken a back. The deer was on a hill next to a small road. There were no cars around to scare that deer away, being two in the morning and all. But it was the strangest sight to see that deer up by the road, under one of them new streetlights that makes everything look orange. The deer looked so out of place in them city lights. Yet , behind that road, out where that weird light couldn't reach was a woods as dark as could be. You would have thought that woods was straight from Sardosky County where I grew up. The woods was so thick it was hard to tell one of them huge warehouse supermarkets was just on the other side, no further than a fifteen minute walk away. But you couldn't see any of the lights form that big, 24 hour supermarket through those dark woods. It was like the city was all around, but them woods were just stuck in the middle, like it was the last stronghold of Nature in the center of the grown city. I bet no one even goes in them woods. City folk don't appreciate a good wild space. They like their Metroparks with their clear cut paths and places is picnic. I was to afraid to go into them woods. I didn't know what was in there, but it must have been somethin no real cause all around was the city. But somehow those woods must be strong, standing up to the city and all it's orange lights, I guess that deer I saw felt kinda the same way. He came up into that city light. looked around for a few seconds, and then bolted back into his wood. I'd say he was as scared of the city as I was of his woods.
Earth is like cold ice chilling, melting, dripping with life that's warm and nice.
Zia Khan
Beth
Journal Entry #8
4/13/95
I haven't exactly bonded with the earth lately. I'm not really into hiking or outdoor activities like that. I think a lot of people can say the earth is important, and we need to be kinder to it, preserve it, etc. But I also think saying is easier doing. Sure, I can round around and be a pseudo-environmentalist, but what good would that do. It seems like everyone at this school like to be politically correct, and think if they go out one day and pick up a peace of trash, they have done their duty, as if that really makes a difference.
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For me, nature is a place where I can relax. There's nothing more wonderful than a beautiful, sunny day. Whether I'm outside running or doing my homework, I always find some sort of relaxation. My favorite thing to do though is ride a swing on such a sunny day. To me, this is the best way to take advantage of such a wonderful thing. To feel the warm sun on my face and feel the wind blowing my hair back cannot match anything else.
But the good thing about nature is, while it can be sunny and beautiful, it can still be messy and dirty while being great.
Sometimes I need a rainy day to settle my mind, these days also help me relax. Some of my best childhood memories in fact have been on snowy, dark, and dingy snow days. Rembering sleding in the snow with my friends takes me back to those good old days. Nature is something that always takes me away from whatever is happening or troubles me, and helps me deal with it. I have a warm feeling in my heart whenever I remember Beautiful sunny days and can always count on them to take my troubles off my mind.
Vineeta Mahajan
Jeannie Kosinski
{Picture}
Nida Boonma
{Picture}
Nature is awesome. Though, not known for my sensitivity, I've always held a certain respect for nature. Including the arthrops and the "creepy" phyla running wildly beneath it all. I guess fear could be affiliated with respect or reverence.
When very young, I could only see the earth's "frigidity" and "filth". Maturing, somewhat, I don't see the earth as that.
A tranquil morning in Gettsyburg helped me realize what a "grand girl" I am.
Ironically, hallow ground entralls me, and development on these lands greatly disturbs me, yet I love eatting meat. I am the ultimate carnivore. What does this make me? Distructive? Industrial? Politically Incorrect? INSENSITIVE. I probably am because I really don't give a DAMN.
Toral A. Patel
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EARTH DAY RAY
Ray, wasn't your average young fellow. No, he was quite extraordinary, if you ask me. He was one of the most unique people in our entire school, which back than in 2085, was extremely hard to do. It was my ninth grade year, when I first met young Ray. Damn, did he stand out. All the major themes, different ways to dress, and types of music, had been used up 20 years earlier, six years before Ray and I were even born, so nothing was new anymore. But that Ray kid, boy, he struck me as something pure and fresh, he shocked me. This emotion of awe was also new to me (wich made Rays aura even a hell of alot more intriguing to me) considering I heard shock value wnet out of style in the early 20's, Mtr. exhausting it into the ground. I can remember the first time I saw Ray.....feels like jsut yesterday! He made me feel like the kids of the 1900's must of felt. In those days (history was obviously one of my favorites!) Kids felt, man. Boy they must of felt! To have something new and fresh, to spark them with interest and hope, giving them the tingle of excitement, not knowing where anything would lead, how far they could go! Having hope and Ignorance at the same time! Must have been nice! Those emotions came over me! Me! In 2085! Thanks to dear freak-o Ray! Dude, I'd take the thrill of that day over even 20, 000 fruit and vegetable rations! 50,000! Yes, I would give up fruit and vegetables up for 60 years, if it meant I could relive even one second of that day.
We were assigned to write something about the earth. At first, I didn't think I had anything to say. Now, however, I realize that our whole being is based on it. Christianity teaches us that the beginnings of paradise was the earth that we still stand on. It gave birth to the act that corrupted all of humankind. We cannot ignore the violent upheavals of the earth. Earthquakes, winds, rains, and fires rend our planet and heal its wounds. We all belong to our sustainer: the bride of God. We make nothing, not a mighty oak, nor the paper, that was hewn from forests of gallant trees, that I'm writing upon now. We give to the earth and we take Everything gladdens our planet. We will not condemn her.
RED
Leaves turning colors in the autumn
Their last achievement before death
Poppies coexisting peacefully in a field
Deadly inhabitants of a housing project
Apples sitting on a tree
Waiting patiently to fall to the earth.
ORANGE
Sunset in its first stages
The sun says farewell beneath the horizon
Fish swims through the water
weaving his way through his home under the earth
YELLOW
Moon high in the sky
Huge spotlight highlighting the earth
GREEN
Grass blowly gently
Rustles and carpets a fragile earth
BLUE
water trickles and rushes
Each drop the blood of our planet
Sky, immense roof
The blanket that covers the earth
PURPLE
Twilight, the moment before the moon says hello
Dusky goodbye to day
I have many great memories of nature. No matter hwo bad I'm feeling if I take a walk through a pine forest all my sorrows are erased. The crunch of the fallen needles under my feet. The sound of the wind whistling through the tops of the trees. Breathing the clean, perfect air. The smell alone is just incredible.
Waking in the early morning, with the mist clinging to myself as in a beautiful dream. Watching geysers erupt among a herd of buffalo. Hearing the first chirping of the birds as the sun rises over the water. Feeling the rushing of water engulf me as I swim in a natural stream. Sensing one's own insignificance as one gazes up at the towering redwoods. These and many others are the touching experience of coexisting with nature.
"What have they done to the earth?
What have they done to our fair sister...
Stuck her with knives in the side of the dawn,
Tied her with fences and dragged her down."
- Jim Morrison
That song I sat and listened to with Zoe made me face my despair and I anger I usually tried to suppress.
"And did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts,
hot ashes for trees, hot air for a cool breeze?"
- Pink Floyd
That song did the same.
The trip to the Appalacians showed me what there was left to save; what worth there is in saving nature from progress, but it also showed me what little difference between the two.
Waking up to a beautiful sunny morning out on the ballfield, I felt an instant sense of tranquility. The sun was rising over the mountain, and the crisp, cool air smelled cleaner than it ever had before.
Still lost in the early stages of consciousness, I lazily watched a mourning dove diligently hunting for breakfast. She was fighting an earthworm out of it's home, when I noticed a brief rustle in a birch tree across the field.
In one blink of an eye, the mysterious rustle became an owl, also searching for breakfast. In one perfect swoop, the owl dove for the dove. Within three seconds, the hunter had apprehended its prey. He gracefully returned to his birch tree to enjoy his meal.
Ted Welles
Adam Ohman
The woods behind my dads house are nice. They have everything, birds, animals, and many different kinds of plants. But the sad thing is that I always see many different kinds of trash out there. Sometimes the animals die from eating poison trash, like batteries. Once I found a car battery and a dead squirrel next to it. It had been eating ona bunch of berries that were covered in Sulfuric acid.
Sometimes people go through the woods and start fires. This is turn starts other fires and it usually gets out of hand. I hope things get better.
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I suppose the most important nature experience I ever had happened when I was in the Grand Canyon. When I first saw it, I was impressed by how vast and peaceful it ws, but this was before I walked down in it. Hikers on the way up the canyon were in different stages of distress. Those on the way down seemed perfectly normal. Once we reached the river, I was even more impressed. Then it came time to make the trip back up. This is when I truly realized the power nature had over me.
Halfway up, I started stopping for breaks more frequently. Then I noticed just how tired I was, and started to worry whether or not I would make it. Eventually, I didn't care whether or not I made it. I made it up, but I still felt nature had beat me.
I don't think I appreciate nature enough. It is a great thing in the world that most people try to protect. I guess I'm one of those people who don't appreciate something good till it's gone. I'm not a conservationist or an industrialist. I don't want to see trees and wildlife destroyed but industry has to go somewhere. I try to imagine the future and imagine how it would be. Somedays it's the ultimate hell on earth, other days it a land of rapture. In the end I think nature will work out its self.
Nick Anderson
I remember when I was younger I used to wish I could draw trees. Not just trees, but the ones that I used to stare at behind my house. I has some strange fascination with staring at the trees, especially when it was really windy. But I was never able to draw really well, so I would just stare at them, until the builders cut them down. They were the most beautiful trees but they had to be cut down because they were INCONVENIENT for some human. The trees were cut down because they were in the wrong place, maybe it's the humans who are in the wrong place.
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EARTH DAY POEM
As I sat beneath a tree
the spirit of Earth Day came to me
as he perched upon my knee
The following words he said to me
The earth was once a land of dreams
filled with vivid blues and greens
Look around you now and see
chaos wraught by humanity
Litter scattered near and far
Toxic exhaust fumes from a car
Forests have been levelled here
Its creatures will never reappear
Rivers are now empty beds
lakes declared officially dead
All this occurred in a pure land
polluted by the acts of man
AMIL VAZQUEZ
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