A different kind of Earth Day

Today, Wednesday marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, an anniversary like no other, today there will be no massive events, collective demonstrations, or cleaning of beaches, parks or rivers. We are in the midst of a great experiment — an unplanned one, that is changing society and the Planet as a whole. The pandemic opened a small window into the impact we have inflicted on our beautiful planet. As people all around the world are staying home to stop the spread of the new coronavirus, the air and oceans have been cleaned up, wildlife is resurfacing and demonstrating its vitality and resilience, at least temporarily.

What happened with the Covid-19 overnight or in a matter of days has also shown that there is an immense capacity for society and our economic systems to change very quickly, and now we need society to change quickly and positively to face the root causes of the environmental crises that we have created, and we must start with changing ourselves and transforming our cities.

If we can extract some lessons from this crisis, we will be much better prepared to face the environmental challenges our Common Home is facing.

On this unusual Earth Day anniversary, let's set out to find new ways to celebrate our common humanity and work together to solve the most pressing challenges we face, starting with the challenges we have here in Los Cabos, La Paz, and in the state. Perhaps this pandemic has something to teach us: We cannot stand idly as signs of impending calamity move toward our shores, toward our homes. We share this wonderful common Home and have to find creative ways to reinvent ourselves and our societies, to redefine our connection with Mother Earth. Let's take advantage of this moment to look forward and look for ways to build a more sustainable, equitable and resilient future.

Happy Earth Day 2020