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May
1, 2021
Earth Day and Beyond: Ideas in Sustainability
Were one to observe with an eye that discovereth the
realities of all things, it would become clear that the greatest
relationship that bindeth the world of being together lieth in the
range of created things themselves, and that co-operation, mutual aid
and reciprocity are essential characteristics in the unified body of
the world of being, inasmuch as all created things are closely related
together and each is influenced by the other or deriveth benefit
therefrom, either directly or indirectly.
– ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Earth Day has
come and gone, but our responsibilities towards the planet and each
other never ends, not even amid a pandemic. As the spring sun beckons
the flowers to push through the earth, the tree buds to show their
iridescent green faces and the many returning bird species to trill
their welcoming songs, our spirits are lifted despite this Covid-weary
world.
Now that warm weather has drawn more and more of us outside, now is the
time to shake up our consumer habits a little more and undertake
projects that not only give us personal joy but helps the earth and the
natural world, which is in dire need of our stewardship. Here are some
suggestions on what you can do safely:
Do you have a garden? Consider building a pollinator garden if you
haven’t already! Select a variety of open and tubular flowers for the
spring to fall season that attract pollinators such as asters,
lavender, coneflowers, sunflowers, zinnias, gaillardias, great blue
lobelias, petunias, lilies, nannyberry, wild columbine and milkweed
(for Monarch butterflies).
Do you have a lot of birds in your neighbourhood? Feeding birds is
wonderful, but protecting them is also vital, given that over a billion
birds in North America are killed in window collisions every year. To
keep them safe, place decals or chimes (homemade or commercial) in your
windows. If you wish for more information on how to protect birds,
contact The Safe Wings Ottawa Facebook site.
Do you like walks in nature or do you live in a neighbourhood rich in
wildlife? Consider becoming a citizen scientist and report your
sightings to identifications@ofnc.ca.
Your walks will be all the richer! And if you have kids, help them to
become conservators now and in the future by registering them as Earth
Rangers, a site that offers an app with home projects and initiatives
to help safe wildlife and preserve nature in their neighbourhood and
beyond.
For those of you who are handymen or handywomen, consider building a
nest box for birds (Hinterland Who's Who - Put up Nesting Shelves (hww.ca), or build a
bat box to
keep the insect population down Canadian Wildlife Federation:
Help the Bats (cwf-fcf.org), or even
a mason
beehive (How to Make a DIY Mason Bee Beehive (dunnlumber.com).
When it comes to our personal consumer habits, there’s so much we can
do. One way is to become part of the circular economy: use share
programs such as libraries, tool libraries, vehicle and bike shares, as
well as movie and music streaming. Rent products you can’t borrow; buy
products made from responsibly recycled materials. Reduce, reuse and
upcycle by repairing products or buy refurbished products instead of
new ones. Giving old furniture and items new life by sanding and using
environmentally safe paints can also be very rewarding and creative.
Rethink your consumer habits by joining “buy nothing” groups online
where you can share items with your neighbours. (https://buynothingproject.org)
Did you know that the average human being ingests some 70,000
microplastics each year and that the seas are glutted with plastic
waste that endanger both human and marine life? Reduce your use of
plastic in all its forms: use reusable bags when shopping and aluminum
cups and glasses minus the reusable straws when in transit. Buy bulk
when you can, grow your own vegetable garden, either in your home, on
your patio or in your garden. Purchase natural fiber clothing to reduce
microfiber garments, such as those made from hemp, linen, organic
cotton, silk, wool, alpaca and Tencel.
Last but not least, wake up every morning with gratitude and
thankfulness to God for the precious gift of your life, and for this
most beautiful of planets we live on. As Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of
the Bahá’í Faith, stated:
“Ponder ye in your hearts the grace
and the blessings of God and render thanks unto Him at eventide and at
dawn.”.
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