Please Don't Call it "Earth" Day. It's "Human Race" Day

I remember April 1970, the first "Earth" Day, I was 13. Newsweek and Time magazines ran cover stories on the event. It was a big deal.

But please don't call it that. The Earth couldn't care less if it lost its atmosphere and oceans and all its lifeforms died. It would keep doing it's orbiting rotating thing, blissfully unaware of the day one billion years from now when our Sun blossoms into a red giant star and consumes it.

No, it's "Human Race" Day. A much more accurate description. Us, celebrating us, hoping we don't kill ourselves. And we might.

In April 1970, the Hippies of America, the "Environmentalists", were king. That would end half a month later, and less than a year after Woodstock, in the USA with the shooting deaths of 4 students at Kent State University by the Ohio National Guard. "Flower Power" and "Peace and Love' are all well and all, until the bullets start flying. The movement died a quick death, but not completely. The attitude remains. I have it. You too?

Currently "Climate Change" is the big issue. Should it be? What about ocean pollution? Well, both of them are problems. So why are they problems? Industrial waste. Why so much waste? Because of Industry. Because people want, and need, "stuff." All 7,000,000,000 of us. So as many see it, the real problem is Overpopulation.

And what's the solution to that?

One solution is we can adopt the People's Republic of China's attitude and make it a law to have one child per couple. Um, I don't think so as it runs up against "Freedom".

I think it's obvious we should start getting serious about colonizing our Solar System, starting with the Moon. Small steps, Elle. We can do this, we have the Engineering (thank you, Science), and we can make the jobs and therefore the money.

What are we waiting for? The next elimination round on American Idol? Is that REALLY important?

Finally, I would rather it be renamed "Humanity" Day, but that would be too accurate.

By calling it Human Race Day, we remind ourselves that racism still exists, and what we need to tell the Racists is: there is only ONE human "race", homo sapiens sapiens, one with incredible diversity, and incredible potential talent, if only we would quit the bullshit and get to know one another as individuals and ... get along.

And maybe that's the bigger problem.

But we're human. We can solve both problems, one step at a time.

Hopefully, in unison.

Hasta va vista, and for my Christian friends and families, Happy Good Friday.

Love and peace always,

Steve Colyer at http://tetrahedral.blogspot.com/
April 22, 2011
Human Race Day

P.S. feel free to pass this around.