I learned only recently that Earth Day began as a day of observance, rather than action. It was founded, I learned, to inspire awareness of our living planet, so that we might come to understand at a deep level our relationship to our environment.
This approach makes sense to me. When we're transformed,
everything changes. Instead of reacting, we respond. Instead of revolting, we evolve. Instead of feeling disconnected or helpless, we find everything we do reflects the connection of our personal lives to all other life on the planet.
Learning about these origins made me think about my own relationship to this shift. Like many of you, I live in a city, and a state—even a country—where I'm mostly insulated from the challenges facing our planet and the impact my actions have. The skies in Colorado are still a brilliant blue, the prairies endless, the mountains literally breathtaking. From here the Earth feels invincible.
Because of this, I've needed others to encourage my awareness—and to help that transformation
. It certainly wasn't the mass media, which
does a woeful job educating us about the environment (and the information it does offer tends toward hopelessness and despair). And while books are key, it's experiencing something with
others that really makes it real.
Over the past few months, I've had the good fortune to discover, and work with, the people behind Earth Cinema Circle. Last October, two neighbors in Ojai launched a film club in support of flimmakers who make movies that help these awakenings. They've done an amazing job: from documentaries tracing how and where our shoes are made, to inspirational tales on regional farming, to powerful features on the whaling industry, I've been deeply touched by the films I've seen from
ECC.
Their movies are hard to rent, and harder still to find in theaters. In many ways, though, they represent the true future of media. The model of the Circle gives everyone (not just Al Gore ;)
the chance to make a difference, by giving all of us the opprotunity to recommend crucial environmental movies and by making sure those films get seen. (Members of the circle, of course, are sent copies of the selected films to keep.)
It's up to you to go find out more, if you wish, about ECC and how you can play a role. For now, have a wonderful holiday (and week and month and year), and don't forget to take some time to reflect on the beauty of the world... and what brought about any deeper shift in you.
In love and awareness and a grin of gratitude for the role each of you play on this amazing planet...
Siona & the rest of the
Gaia Team PS. As you likely know,
ECC, like us, is also part of Gaiam. If you
join the Circle before June 15th, you’ll get
a coupon for $10 off any $20 order you place. Check out the
sustainable living options, and please keep in mind that taking advantage of these solutions (as well as joining
ECC!) is a wonderful way to support not just the environment, but this community, too. :)
PPS. If you've got a film you'd like to recommend, whether it's one you've made or one you've seen, please please please don't be shy about
submitting it. I've no doubt you can easily come up with at least a few films that have impacted you deeply, and that others might be affected by as well.
