Care for the Planet this Earth Day

by Jessica Simon, Intern, The WIP
-USA-

On Wednesday April 21st the Blessed Earth Foundation is presenting Hope for Creation, a live simulcast event for the fortieth anniversary of Earth Day. Wednesday’s event will reach all corners of the globe for a conversation about how to honor and protect our planet. There will be more than 40,000 people in 25 countries taking part.

Blessed Earth is an educational nonprofit based upon a powerful mission to preserve the earth for future generations by returning to a simpler way of life. It was founded in 2006 by The Sleeth Family who made the difficult decision to turn away from many of the comforts of the modern world in order to live a life better geared towards reducing their carbon footprint on the planet. Their personal experiences serve as the basis of a movement to embrace faith by being mindful of how our actions affect the earth.

The WIP’s readers and editors have been intrigued by this family’s unique blending of environmental activism and religion since 2007 when The WIP’s Executive Editor conducted an interview with Dr. Matthew Sleeth, author of the book Serve God, Save the Planet. After meeting Dr. Sleeth, Katharine Daniels wrote:
There is something unique about Serve God, Save The Planet. The premise inspires unity among people whose beliefs wouldn’t ordinarily mix…Sleeth has framed a conversation in which both people of faith and scientists can participate. He has done something that neither politicians nor religious figures have been able to do—unify leaders from many faiths in a common dialog that supersedes other political or religious concerns.

In 2009, after publishing her own book, Go Green, Save Green, Nancy Sleeth, Matthew’s wife, advised The WIP readers how to save money and enhance our personal lives by learning how to live responsibly. Nancy admitted that it was at first extremely difficult to make the lifestyle changes necessary to become greener, but she also discovered that the benefits far outweighed the detriments:

Over the next couple of years, we downsized our lifestyle, giving away half of our possessions and moving to a house the size of our old garage. Contrary to my earlier fears, we found that the more we “gave up” in material things, the more we gained in family unity, purpose, and joy.

And last year, Matthew and Nancy’s daughter Emma, while working at a hospice in India, witnessed up close the ramifications of environmental carelessness. In her moving personal essay “Hope and Healing in a Dire World” published by The WIP on Earth Day, Emma’s words paint a vivid portrait of what our actions have wrought:

Rivers that run through the city covered by floating trash, dramatic increases in environmentally-related cancer rates, and children picking through rubbish heaps by the side of the road are graphic illustrations of our excessive exploitation of the natural world and the impact it has on other people.

The Sleeth Family demonstrates the power of working together to overcome the tremendous obstacles we face when tackling environmental destruction. Their words and actions provide inspiration in persevering regardless of the odds.

Though I often struggle with many of the tenets of fundamentalist Christianity, I think that there is something extraordinarily powerful about the Sleeth’s work. I love how they stress the importance of preserving the planet for everyone, regardless of religious preference. The underlying message of their organization clearly focuses upon increasing understanding and respect of one another, which lies at the heart of ensuring ultimate progress.

Participating in this event is an opportunity to support a cause that focuses upon peacefully solving a problem rather than stirring up still more controversy. Too many of the debates about the state of our environment revolve around trying to prove who is right and who is wrong without coming to any comprehensive conclusion. I truly admire the way the Sleeths have managed to sidestep much of the controversy by zeroing in on what needs to be done and taking steps to do so.

I admire still more the way that they have used their own lifestyle choices as an example for the rest of us. I think that there is no more powerful message than to strive towards practicing what we preach. I confess that I myself am not always the most environmentally cautious person and I would like to use the opportunity to tune into the simulcast to both celebrate Earth Day and figure out what steps I can take to be a better steward of our planet.

Please join the Sleeths on Wednesday. For information on how to participate in the simulcast, please visit Blessed Earth.

About the Author
Jessica Simon studies Arabic and democracy development in the Middle East at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. She will graduate in May 2010 and hopes to eventually work for the State Department’s Bureau of Cultural and Educational Affairs in order to facilitate better US relations with the Middle East through the medium of art and literature.
Jessica is also a intern with The WIP, and feels extremely lucky to be a part of the team.