Love Earth
Riffing on Neil Young - something to do every day, not just April 22
Whatever your perspective on the era of “flower power” and Rachel Carlson’s Silent Spring, the 1960’s kicked off a movement that really never went away. Sure, too many environmental regulations in the US are currently on the chopping block. But now that we’re aware, we can’t unsee the fragile threads that bind us to our only home.
Popular culture is big part of keeping a healthy planet in the collective view. Frankly, nobody wants to be preached at, made to feel guilty about buying/doing/eating stuff or otherwise shamed into being a better steward of the earth. Instead, we look for role models living a good life while reducing their negative impact. Hey wait a minute. Someone should make that a theme of their Substack!
Speaking of cultural icons, last week my family enjoyed the film Coastal, a documentary-style glimpse inside a recent Neil Young concert tour showcasing several stops in southern California. The movie opens with footage from Young’s (supposedly biodiesel-powered) bus. Motoring along a traffic choked freeway in Los Angeles, the dialog included curiosity about EVs and their lack of exhaust.
Further down the road, Neil is seen giving a middle finger salute to several offshore oil rigs, disparaging them as vampires sucking the lifeblood of the planet. While rich in irony, shot as the film was from a combustion engine vehicle, it was refreshing to see a celebrity calling out the fossil fuel industry. Or at least symbolically flipping it off.
Deeper into the film, Neil performs on the San Diego waterfront, leading the crowd in a lively rendition of “Love Earth”. A sample of the singalong-friendly lyrics are below:
Love Earth and your love comes back to you
Love Earth, it's such an easy thing to do
Love Earth till the water and the air is pure
From the birds in the sky to the fishes deep in the sea
Love Earth, love Earth
So what’s stopping us from acting on Neil’s advice every day, and not just April 22 (if at all)? If our actions are causing harm, why don’t we cease and desist? Are we blinded by the frantic race to buy/do/eat stuff without considering how it affects our beautiful planet? Or have we simply become so disconnected from the negative impacts of our consumption that we don’t see the damage we’re causing?
Assuming you’ve made it this far into the post, you REALLY don’t want to hear another “Do this one thing to save the planet…” message. So I won’t beat that dead horse. But I will ask you to seriously consider whether you actually love the earth. Would you treat a family member as a resource to be extracted? How about eat your pet? Of course not. Love shouldn’t be a one-sided all-consuming relationship.
Love, the Earth
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