Mother Earth's cry for help!

Mother Earth's cry for help!
By Diana Blanco - Promoter of Asoprovida Colombia and UV Literature student

"I was for you a perfect world and you changed me without thinking of the effects. A natural world I was, an ideal world. You changed me for your artificial world. After all I gave for you, look what you have made of me." - Lu James, I am Mother Earth - published on YouTube by Asoprovida as Ecological Song

So says planet Earth in a lamenting voice to the whole of humanity. And the images that Asoprovida chose to accompany that song are tremendously worrying.

"You cover my body with cement, you fill my lungs with pollution. In my chest you open holes and make wars in my heart. You cover my face with rubbish and fill my eyes with tears. For I no longer see pure life, I no longer see harmony and I no longer see peace. You fill my veins with poison and fill my soul with despair. It is in my once fertile womb that you build destruction."

And did we listen to it?

Have we heeded that urgent call, that urgent call, that urgent call? desperate cry for helpTo this catastrophic denunciation, to this stifled exclamation, to this despairing cry? He gave us an ultimatum and it seems that the majority have turned a deaf ear, as they have so often done.

Oyeeee, you! Yes, you who are reading me. Answer yourself this:

Have you noticed where and on what it is that we walk, run, play and live every day? Have you realised the importance of the earth element in our lives? Have you reflected that we live in a biodiverse and beautiful home of our own which we call Planet EarthWhy is she called Mother Earth, Pachamama or Mother Nature?

Today, 22 April: International Earth Day

Mother Earth, home, La Tierra, Pachamama. Every person, plant or animal, every laugh and cry, every word we say, every magical moment and every pleasant or unpleasant memory we create happens here: in a small blue of the infinite universe. One more planet in our galaxy. Our planet Earth.

Today, 22 Aprilwe celebrate the International Earth Dayestablished in 1970 by Senator and environmentalist Gaylor Nelson to inspire the resurrection of a collective consciousness about the importance of honouring, respecting and caring for our home: Mother Earth, a wondrous web of living ecosystems of which we are a part.

But... why a whole day to celebrate it so much? Because there is only one planet Earth in the galaxy where we can live. And that is why, just as we take care of ourselves and those we love, we must take care of it - and all the more so when we have mistreated it for so, soooo long.

Science also speaks: what Asoprovida's experts say

Speaking very seriously: does it seem logical and fair to you that as the days go by we humans are becoming more and more evolved in science and technology - with more and more iPhones or new weapons - but with our planet getting sicker and a little closer to the day of its absolute death? Are we aware of this? Are we going to do something decisively and permanently to stop it dying so soon, or will we just leave it as information in our brains and see what happens next?

Eleuterio Martínez - Agroforestry engineer, ecologist and bioethicist from Dominican Republic

"The Earth has been studied from every angle and has been an enigma to science. Our life is supported by the Earth. It is the seat of known life, to which we have access, and it is to it that we owe our existence. All ancient cultures love the earth. There are cultures where the Earth is revered."

Martinez said this at the World Earth Day 2022 workshop, available on YouTube, and his reflection remains just as urgent today.

"And you build, more you build, more you build destruction. I am the earth, I am the one who takes care of you. From me you are made, from me you are born, I am the source of life. I am Mother Earth, I give everything for you, but if you mistreat me, abuse me, kill me, I cannot go on". - Lu James

Edward Winfield - Asoprovida International Promoter, Planetary Culture workshop

"It doesn't matter what our beliefs are. Whether it's the mystical belief or the belief that there is nothing, we have catastrophic behaviours for the planet and for our species, and obviously for our children and grandchildren, who are the ones who inherit the problems we are leaving behind."

And it adds something fundamental to understanding why the global culture matters:

"Every human being is a microplanet. Each of us is a member of a society and therefore we have the capacity to change things. If I want to change society, I have to change the way I think, feel and act. Society is nothing but a reflection of the individual".

"The human being as he is today has no culture to live on this planet and nature itself is in charge of purifying itself of what is of no use to it. Human beings have extraordinary possibilities for development, but they also have an ignorance and arrogance that accompany them as a species".

My experience as an environmental promoter for Asoprovida

In my environmental mission with Asoprovida I have had the honour, the privilege and the joy of learning little by little to relate to the earth element and the earth as such. I have learned in workshops and in practice to:

• Sow trees, seedlings, plants and vegetables.
• Weeding and integrate with the earth and the sand.
• Have fun in the middle of the trees picking coffee or just sliding down the mountain.
• Walking barefoot -practice known as grounding o earthing- which allows me to release cations that we nowadays have in excess due to modern lifestyle and frequent use of technology. I literally do a "grounding" of static energy.
• Hugging treeswhich release phytoncides that, together with physical contact, help to reduce anxiety and mood.

In short: to relate to my own nature and to nature in all its forms - humans, plants, animals - which, according to studies, emits a vibration and energy that helps to balance our bioelectric field, reducing cortisol and activating the parasympathetic nervous system, the one in charge of relaxation.

Don't you find all this beautiful?

"I am the Earth, in me you can sow and reap your dreams. But no, do not try to change me, for you are not my master. You come to visit and when you die you leave, but I must last an eternity."

Don't you find it beautiful to walk in the grass among flowers and butterflies? Or to see the majestic trees and mountains above us and lie down in their shade? Or to see a little seed grow? Or to suddenly see a squirrel, a puppy or a chameleon in the street? Or a newborn baby? Or ants walking with leaves on their backs?

Or do you find it relaxing to float down a river or in the sea? Or to watch eagles, birds and butterflies of different colours and sizes flying over the skies? Or to be enraptured by a sunrise or sunset full of trees that paint the sky with perfect oranges and yellows worthy of becoming art? Or with a rainbow, with the moon, with the stars, with the constellations?

Or would they like to live forever in the smile and embrace of their family, friends or pets? Or make those moments when they feel fulfilled and happy last forever?

The quality of our life depends on the quality of our Mother Earth.

🌍 Let us listen to it. Let's protect it. Let's take care of it.

On behalf of Asoprovida International We ask for them with all the love in the world: let's take care of planet Earth because it is our HOME and because it is DYING.

His current illness is already very advanced, very serious, and his prognosis is guarded. Let us take action in the face of her existence and her critical condition. Just as we love and care every second of the day for our partner, our family and our children - whether they are ill or not - let us care for her too.

How to start today?

• Turn off the lights if you are not using them.
• Disconnect the devices when they are already charged.
• Turn off the water tap when you don't need it.
• Don't throw rubbish on the ground - or pick up the rubbish you see.
• Learn to recycle and do it for real.
• Plant trees.
• Pick up the mess you find.
• Help as many living things as you can.
• Tell others about the state of the planet.

The Earth is our mother: she gives us absolutely everything we need and more. And how have we repaid her? By mistreating it, destroying it, damaging it.

Let's hear it. Already.

If this article touched your heart, share it. Every person who awakens their environmental awareness is one more step towards healing our home. And if you want to go further, get to know the work of Asoprovida and join us in our mission to care for life in all its expression.

References

• Asoprovida (2020, 17 May). MOTHER EARTH | ECOLOGICAL SONG [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eXNNyCouBY
• Asoprovida Argentina (2022, 22 April). World Earth Day 22/04/2022 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA7zmQ4lnO0
• Asoprovida Ecuador (2020, 29 May). Planetary culture / Edward Winfield [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3DlwhurTvQ