Happy Earth Day party people! Now, let me tell you why I don’t like Earth Day.

One would think that with my philosophy of radical environmentalism and love of mother earth that this would be a big holiday for me. All the biking, cleaning of Nathanson creek, teaching environmental awareness, embracing of all things Green New Dealish and support of environmental-leaning politicians (Jared Huffman for president 2028) would lead to embracing the one day a year when we all agree to celebrate the earth. But no, it’s short game versus long game to me.

I never liked any of the awareness months for the same reason. People send me curriculum and ideas and projects around gay rights or black rights or female rights, my response is always the same, “Thank you but I teach gay, black and female rights every day as we all should.”

And there it is, every day is Earth Day and while it’s great to designate a nice symbolic Spring day in April to green living, I’ve found it better to live as if January 5 and July 12 and September 9 and the other 364 days of the year are also Earth Days. Change the mindset and the country will follow.

Did you watch the Chauvin trial with a nervous voice in your head remembering all the other black victims who have not seen justice and the ensuing riots that followed? Right up to the end, people were nervous that an acquittal could happen and the country would go bananas.

Sure, I’m happy with the outcome but I would have been happier if bad cops were fired and prosecuted before they kill people, not after. Have we learned? Have you watched the news since George Floyd was killed? Did you see the woman circling the plaza with a sign that read, “I can’t breathe” during the recent anti-mask protest? We are pretty good at forgetting about issues until they affect us directly. Will we get federal police reform laws from this time in history, the ball is in your court congress.

Believe science, that’s the simple message to students, and if you don’t believe in global warming you don’t believe in science. You have to school the deniers too, when a student told me today that the vaccine causes herpes, I explained what the herpes virus is versus the Corona virus and how to avoid both. Many of my students still won’t get vaccinated but I understand why with many Americans still believing the election was rigged and the earth is flat and we never landed on the moon and bigfoot is real and all the other gobblty gook BS spinning around social media.

This earth day let’s start with the idea that science is truth.  That if something is proven using the scientific method then it is right. Unfortunately, I, and the rest of my Science teacher cronies, are in a constant battle with the internet and so we have many in this generation believing in madness like the vaccine causes herpes. Gotta keep fighting though, otherwise the dumb win and the earth loses: http://valleytalking.blogs.sonomanews.com/2019/05/23/marching-blindly-toward-the-beezle-nut-oil/.

Want to make this earth day matter? Follow science. Want to save the oceans? Stop using plastic and eating fish (and watch “Seaspiracy” on Netflix). Want to save the earth, stop using plastic, eating beef and burning fossil fuels. Want to save the earth, follow science, look at your own life and think about your personal carbon footprint then make changes. Everyday.

Simple, but yet the hardest decision you will make because we like convenience and, as a wise vice president once said, saving the world is inconvenient. Play the long game, your children’s children’s children will thank you.