Good evening friends,

Today is the 50th #EarthDay we've celebrated. A milestone.

Yet we have not accomplished balance, sustainability or enough progress managing #ClimateChange.

We must aspire to do better by our Mother Earth. She's granted us the most precious gift: life. 1/

We've seen from the #COVID19-induced shutdowns of various economies and societies that when pollution clears, and humanity's influence on our planet is reduced, healing can begin: clearer skies, more wildlife, regrowth of flora.

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This improvement on the basis of a lack of exploitation and destruction by our species should give us all pause.

We know we can do better. We mustn't forget the lessons that the school of life is teaching our species right now as there are many.

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Humanity has so much potential.

It's not as if we're born clinging to the notions of greed and desire.

As young, innocent beings we don't tend to relish in causing suffering and death.

But through a process of indoctrination and desensitization many are pulled that way.

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Right now the economy of every country is suffering. Some much worse than others.

And yet, at the same time, our planet is taking this pause to try to heal herself.

This is no coincidence. The biggest threat to Earth's life sustaining ecology and inhabitants is humanity.

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As a result, I would like to take this 50th #EarthDay to call attention to #ClimateChange as well as the exploitation of life itself.

I ask everyone to consider what they can to better, if and when our society begins to normalize and the economy comes back.

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Suggestions to that end:

-Buy only what you need, not what is desired. Cast off materialism.

-Eat more plants and less animals. It reduces strain on our planet, suffering of its inhabitants and improves our health.

-Eschew fossil fuels wherever possible.

-Reduce waste.

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Consider that perhaps it is now time for humanity to shift toward a new, more sustainable paradigm. One where we invest in renewable energy and move away from hydrocarbons.

One where single use plastics are made from plants and can biodegrade rather than oil products.

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Think of all the other life on this planet when making any decisions for one's self.

How will it effect them if we get that bigger house or car?

Do we *really* need that next material possession? Will it really bring sustainable happiness?

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In the United States we use 25% of the world's oil, but we're merely 4% of the world's population.

The oil industry globally produces over 80 million barrels of oil *per day*. Try to image how much that is -- then think of how we may be able to reduce that consumption.

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Our time here individually is short, but our impact doesn't have to be small.

Collective and individual action can make a difference.

Consider, beyond what you can do with your own actions, what you can also do with groups, such as @NRDC, who do a lot to help our planet.

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#COVID19 is a pandemic plague of zoonotic origin, just like every other pandemic we are aware of. They're all from farmed and wild animals.

Such plagues upon us largely exist because humanity has not considered the second and third order impacts of our actions. But we must.

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So consider the #coronavirus a sort of shot across the bow.

Our Mother Earth crying out in anguish, pleading for us to do better by her and the other inhabitants of our beautiful planet.

Let us make every day moving forward #EarthDay . Let's be proud of the legacy we leave.

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It's not too late to begin to fix this mess we've created.

This is actually the inflection point, the moment of opportunity we've been graciously afforded to change our ways and make amends.

And I believe in humanity's capacity to do just that. We're inherently benevolent.

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In closing, let's all join together as one race, the human race.

One life force, all life on this planet united, to make the future a brighter one.

To make every purposeful action we take one that brings about a better tomorrow.

To #BeTheChange4Earth.

With love,
Vegix

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