“Its a breath of fresh air”, an idiom we often use to describe an invigorating experience was exactly what those of us living in the Wasatch front of Utah felt today, as we celebrate Earth Day 2022. It was as if Mother Earth was gracing us with kindness, washing away the dust and smog with rain, cleansing yesterday’s smoke filled air , brought on by the Tunnel fires in Northern Arizona.
Happy Earth Day !
Walking this evening on the foothills of the Wasatch ranges, with a steady drizzle pouring, breathing in the clean, cool moisture-ridden air filled me with immense gratitude.
Every form of life, on the trail, on the mountain slopes in the landscape seemed to welcome this much needed rain, providing one of the most essential ingredients for survival – water. The mountain peaks looked like they were cloud-kissed and the ground, rain-washed, life in this landscape was bursting with exuberance.
Its amazing how even with a little bit of rain, the mountains come alive with shades of green, shrubs and plants carpeting the land. Spring is a magical time, when slumber of cold winter days are over and barren trees start sprouting leaves, land is brimming with greenery, flowers add a cheerful note to the music of budding new life in the landscape. Its’ with resounding gratitude, I cherish this clean air and fresh water giving rise to new life all around.
With the trend in recent years in western US, of longer, warmer summers and lesser precipitation both in the form of snow and rain, drought and smog from wildfires are a growing concern. The very natural resources, water, oxygen rich air, that makes planet earth, our home a special place for sustaining life is now in depleting.
Environment and sustainability initiatives at grassroots and larger institutional (government and corporate) scales, research and development of sustainable and energy efficient technologies currently underway offer hope for our planet and to its life sustaining natural resources.
With hope and gratitude, Wish all my fellow earthlings Happy Earth Day 2022 !!
Quoting poet William Wordsworth..