Latest / Old Ways New Days / Earth Day: From Protest to Practice — Sacred Activism & the Call to Care

Transcript

Earth Day: From Protest to Practice — Sacred Activism & the Call to Care · Old Ways New Days

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: It begins with the ground beneath your feet, not the idea of it, not the map of it, but the actual earth.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: Holding everything that has ever lived, everything that has ever ended, everything that is still becoming.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: Before policy, before protest, before headlines and climate reports, there was relationship.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: People knew the soil not as a resource, but as a relative.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: The rivers were not water systems, but living beings.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: The seasons were not inconveniences, they were guides.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: And then somewhere along the way, that relationship fractured.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: Earth Day was born out of that fracture, but what began as a movement can still become a practice.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: Today we explore the history of Earth Day, where it came from, why it matters, and how caring for the Earth can move beyond awareness into something deeper.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: A form of sacred activism, a lived daily relationship with the world that sustains us.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome, witches, pagans, heathens, spiritualists, and anyone interested in living sustainably.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_01: This is Old Ways, New Days, where the old ways meet the good dirt.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Kayla, and I'm Mel.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_01: And each week we explore the sacred art of living close to the land.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_01: From compost to covens, chickens to charms, we're reclaiming self-sufficiency, seasonal living, and ancestral wisdom.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Whether you're stirring your cauldron or your soup pot, this is a space for wild-hearted folk walking the homesteading path with intention, magic, and muddy boots.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: We are so sorry, listeners, but I hope you're still with us.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: I yeah, I mean, big beyond just the fact that it's springtime and the weather's turning nice and we can start getting into the garden.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: We both have a million things on our plates.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: I'm packing and painting and cleaning and getting ready to move.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: And I mean, I'm not doing the painting, but my house is being painted.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I'm getting ready for my trip out east to New Jersey.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so if anyone's in New Jersey and wants to meet me, Kayla, uh, you know, I'd be game to meet a fellow listener.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: I know we have a couple listeners in New Jersey.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_01: We do.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_01: We got a designated cat.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: My senior kitty, Zelda, is happily purring away.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: And the other cats were trying to get in the door, which is shut.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: The office door is shut.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I do have an update on the actual office.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: Ooh.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: All of the stuff has been demoed.
• 3:33
  unknown: Yes.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: So now it's just a matter of cleaning it out of all any remaining debris and dust and whatnot, and then putting up new walls.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: Uh yeah.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: You don't say, I know you can't wait to get in there either.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: So we're we're getting closer to having our own room.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: Our own room instead of you know the other room that was meant to be another guest room.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, whatever works, you know.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: Right?
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: So we're excited to be back.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: We we are sad that we missed you guys last week.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: We do apologize for that.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: Tim got away from us.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: We both, yeah, just both of us just spaced on it.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: And then of course I thought maybe I could throw in a blooper reel, but that never happened either.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: Of course.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: Of course.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: Alright, so today we are talking about Earth Day.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I believe it's only celebrated in the United States.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if it's a global thing.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: Let's find out real quick.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but I know I've I've definitely done a lot of Earth Day celebrations um in our state.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: There are a ton of activities and things to do, events that happen.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: Uh this year it is on um, it's usually between April 20th to April 22nd, somewhere in there.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_01: So, yes, Earth Day is an international event celebrated annually on April 22nd in over 190 countries.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_01: Involving over one billion people worldwide.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_01: While it began in the US in 1970, which I'm sure we'll discuss this.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_01: We will definitely get into that.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_01: It went global in 1990.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome! That warms my heart, and is now recognized as the largest secular observance dedicated to environmental protection.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_01: Sweet.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_01: Because if we don't have the environment, we can't live.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_01: So the United Nations officially designated April 22nd as International Mother Earth Day in 2009.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: That's so cute.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's what we should just rename it.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: Mother Earth Day.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: Mother Earth Day, I like that.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: Alright, so take it away now.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_01: Alright, so Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22nd, 1970.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_01: It was created by Gaylord Nelson, a U.S.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_01: senator from Wisconsin, who had grown increasingly concerned about environmental destruction.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_01: At the time, the world looked very different.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_01: Rivers were polluted with industrial waste, air quality in major cities was dangerous, oil spills were devastating ecosystems.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_01: One major catalyst was the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, a massive spill off the coast of California that shocked the nation and brought environmental issues into public awareness.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_01: Inspired by the energy of student anti-war protests, Nelson envisioned a similar grassroots movement for the environment, a nationwide teachin.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_01: On that first earth day, an estimated 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and campuses.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_01: It became one of the largest civic demonstrations in U.S.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_01: history.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_01: And it worked.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_01: In the years that followed, the United States established the Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Air Act, and the Clean Water Act.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_01: Earth Day was not just symbolic, it changed policy.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: So at its core, Earth Day was created out of urgency, a recognition that the systems supporting life were being pushed beyond their limits.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: But it was also created out of something deeper, a need to reconnect.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: Industrialization had created distance between people and their food, between communities and their land, between action and consequence.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: Earth Day became a moment to close that gap.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: To say, this matters and we are responsible.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: But over time, like many movements, Earth Day has shifted.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: For some, it's become a once-a-year reminder, a marketing opportunity, a social media post.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: And while awareness matters, the deeper question remains: what happens the other 364 days of the year?
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_01: This is where Earth Day can evolve, from event to embodiment.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_01: Sacred activism is the idea that caring for the Earth is not just political, it is spiritual.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_01: It recognizes that the health of the planet is directly tied to your own.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_01: The destruction of ecosystems is not just physical but relational.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_01: And healing requires both action and reverence.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_01: In this view, planting a garden is activism.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_01: Composting is activism.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_01: Reducing waste is activism.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_01: But more than that, they are practices of reconnection.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_01: You are not saving the earth, you are remembering how to live within it.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: One of the most practical expressions of sacred activism can be found in permaculture.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: Permaculture is built on three core ethics.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: One, earth care, taking responsibility for the health of soil, water, and ecosystems.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: Two, people care, ensuring that human needs are met in ways that are sustainable and just.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: And three, fair share, redistributing surplus and limiting consumption so that resources are not depleted.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: These are not abstract ideas, they are daily choices.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: They ask, how do I use what I have?
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: How much do I actually need?
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: What impact does my lifestyle have on the world around me?
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: Permaculture doesn't demand perfection, it asks for awareness and intention.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_01: So there is one place to begin, it is the soil.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_01: Healthy soil is not just dirt, it is a living system, microorganisms, fungi, organic matter, and water retention.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_01: And yet globally, soil is being depleted at an alarming rate.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_01: Industrial agriculture, erosion, and chemical use have stripped many landscapes of their vitality.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_01: Soil stewardship becomes an act of restoration.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_01: Even small actions matter, composting food scraps, avoiding synthetic chemicals, supporting regenerative farming, growing even a small portion of your own food.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_01: When you care for soil, you are participating in the renewal of an entire ecosystem.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_00: For many people, engaging with environmental issues brings up something deeper than concern.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: It brings grief.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: Grief for species lost, landscapes changed, futures that feel uncertain.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: This is often called climate grief.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: And it's important to name it because ignoring it doesn't make it go away.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_00: But neither does stain in it.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: The challenge is to let grief become a catalyst, not a stopping point.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: Like compost, grief can transform.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_00: It can deepen our connection, strengthen our resolve, clarify what truly matters, but only if we allow it to move.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_01: Caring for the earth does not require grand gestures.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_01: It begins with small, consistent actions.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_01: Here are a few ways to bring Earth Day into daily life.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: Start composting, even on a small scale.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_01: Grow something, herbs, vegetables, or flowers.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_01: Reduce single-use plastics where possible.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_01: Support local farmers in sustainable businesses.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_01: Spend time outdoors regularly, observing rather than consuming.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_01: Learn the names of plants, birds, and ecosystems around you.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_01: These are not just tasks, they are practices.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_01: Each one strengthens your relationship with the world around you.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: Earth Day began as a call to action, a moment when millions stood up and said, This matters.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: That call still exists, but now it asks something more of us.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: Not to just to protest, not just to post, but to participate.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: To care for the soil that feeds us, to protect the water that sustains us, to recognize that we are not separate from the earth.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: We are part of it.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: Responsibility is not a burden, it is a relationship.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: And relationships are built through daily acts of care.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_00: So this earth day and every day after, ask yourself, what is the one way I can tend the world that tends me?
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_01: Because the future of the earth is not something that happens to us, it is something we are actively shaping.