Years ago I read about the “butterfly effect,” the theory that the flap of a butterfly wing in Tokyo may affect a tornado in Texas. As I thought about it, I understood that small events in one place can have a much greater effect somewhere else, and small events now may impact events at a later time. Somehow this reverberates in my head lately as the environment continues to be under siege in our country.
Forty-seven years ago, the first Earth Day brought together 20 million Americans; this year on April 22, a billion people across the globe will celebrate our planet in nearly 195 countries. And while attention will be rightfully focused on environmental literacy and education, Earth Day is not only about the science of a healthy planet but our sacred relationship with the natural world, our home.
The book, The Hidden Life of Trees, by Peter Wohlleben presents a poignant analogy to what is asked of us on this day in our history.