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A Love Letter to Mother Earth

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By Nicole Huertas  •  Posted on May 08, 2020

Dear Mother Earth, 

Happy Mother's Day. 

Last month was Earth Month and the 50-year anniversary of the very first Earth Day celebration, which is now observed all over the world and celebrated by more than a billion people every year. Thank you for the joy, sustenance, protection, beauty and abundance that you continually give to us.

For once, Mother Earth, you finally received something more than just a day, or a month, or a marked holiday on everyone’s calendar – you actually received something tangible in return (sorry it took so long).

Our collective retreat to confinement is allowing you to grow, flourish, regenerate, detox, and breathe. To see the way you've thrived without the normal everyday human activity is proof that science is accurate, that your demise is from human interference, and that we all have to work together (as we are doing now), no matter where we live, because we all breathe the same air, drink the same water, and swim in the same oceans.

It's unfortunate that a global pandemic whose wrath continues to cause indescribable peril is the thing that caused humanity to cease our daily polluting, but the silver lining continues to amaze me. I marvel at the NASA satellite images that show before and after shots of the earth from space, only a month apart, all the red (hot) zones literally absent because of the shelter in place restrictions.

Never before has any single pandemic, war or economic downturn caused such a (projected) reduction in CO2 globally.

According to Carbon Brief we are expected to reduce global carbon emission by 2 million tonnes, and have already seen a 39 percent decrease in CO2 from Europe’s electricity system and a 25 percent reduction during China’s temporary lockdown.

Again, although this situation is temporary, and our efforts to save humanity have been the catalyst that has allowed you to regenerate and decompress, there are a few more wonderful things that people are trying to do to continue the trend and continue thinking of you for Earth Day, Earth Month, Mother’s Day and far beyond.

Nations are using their stimulus dollars to invest in new renewable energy sources. For example, as seen on Climate Change News, Ireland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Malta, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden, have made a commitment to “the Green Deal” which keeps their goal of net zero greenhouse emission by 2050 central to post-COVID-19 recovery initiatives.

This has many benefits from a worldwide perspective:

  1. By investing in clean energy, we can continue to make gifts to you in the form of clean air, water, less greenhouse gases, and so much more.
  2. In many countries the clean energy infrastructure and jobs do not already exist, so it’s a great way to stimulate our individual economies because we can hire more of our unemployed workforce to create a new, green industry.
  3. Investing in green energy will decrease our dependence on environment-destroying fossil fuels.

This policy shift into a “Green Recovery” is not the only place we see progress. Another unforeseen consequence of our planet’s population being struck with a pandemic is a meat shortage, because sadly, livestock factory workers are one of the hardest hit groups of COVID-19 patients and victims. Worldwide, livestock accounts for between 14.5 percent and 18 percent of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. 

Moreover, eating meat puts a strain on resources – about 70% of land cleared in the Amazon is done so to accommodate livestock, and the meat industry uses far more water than plant-based agriculture, about two times the amount. A meat lover has the highest carbon footprint at 3.3 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, whereas a vegan diet has the lowest carbon footprint at just 1.5 tons CO2e (Carbon Dioxide Equivalent – nearly half that of meat consumers). 

So, with the scarcity of meat making society turn to renewable sources of protein, they’re being exposed to new ways of eating that are less harmful to the environment and animals and just as sustaining. I think quite a few will make some long-term changes after being exposed to this change in lifestyle.

Related: How a Plant-Based Diet Fights Climate Change

The Gentle Barn

Nothing has the ability to connect and inspire us like travel and remind us of our common humanity and love of earth's treasures. And, while it’s not yet time to travel, there are so many ways that we can do so responsibly, so that travelers are benefiting YOU, animals, the environment and communities.

  • When we travel, we can take longer, fewer trips and consider transportation, like train travel to reduce our carbon footprint.
  • We can buy carbon offsets that make up for our flights by planting trees (you’d like this one for sure) when we do fly.
  • We can practice a ‘do no harm’ mentality to the environment and wildlife as we take only pictures and leave only footprints.
  • We can strive towards a zero-waste lifestyle at home and when we travel and eliminate or highly reduce the amount of plastic we consume.
  • We can wear sunscreen that doesn’t destroy the reef and always practice utmost respect to local communities and wildlife.
  • We can be conscious of not visiting destinations during their peak season when they suffer from overtourism, or choosing a less-traveled destination all together.
  • We can vow to support local communities and look for ways to make a positive local community impact when we travel.

Also, when booking hotel stays through Kind Traveler, travelers are inspired and empowered to support local communities, food banks, animal and homeless shelters, environmental stewardship, public health and so many wonderful organizations that are at the forefront of post-COVID recovery. Anyone would agree that harnessing the financial power of the travel industry and transforming it into a force for good is a win-win.

Maldives

This global health pandemic has proven that humanity can respond quickly to a crisis and adapt to new ways of living. What if we applied the same action to your climate crisis and responded in a way that reflects a climate emergency? After all, we know that continued infringement on nature, deforestation, and violation of your delicate ecosystems will cause more pandemics.

 

On behalf of my fellow citizens, I want to pledge our commitment that we will try our very best to continue the progress we have made and keep your revival and the climate emergency at the forefront of our thoughts and actions.

If that means becoming more politically active to make sure our elected officials are accountable to the environmental greater good, incorporating a more sustainable diet, or using less resources, regardless of the choice I believe that humanity has learned from this experience and will be inspired to do more. We now understand that we are not citizens of our respective countries, states, and cities, but instead, we are EARTHLINGS and global citizens that together have the power to do big things.

Tulum, Mexico

We are all interconnected and must work together for our common goals of global health, safety, rehabilitation, recovery and climate improvement. Our collective efforts can have a tremendous effect, positive or negative. I’m optimistic that we want to make it Mother’s Day for Mother Earth, every day.

 

 

Love, Nicole Huertas
Partner – Kind Traveler

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