Some Words About the Earth

April 22 is celebrated as Earth Day each year. This is true not only for the United States, but for the people in at least 193 countries around the world. So, in honor of the day (which was, yes, a couple of days ago), here are some thoughts about the Earth.

“The Earth is what we all have in common.” (Wendell Berry)

“No one comes from the earth like grass. We come like trees. We all have roots.” (Maya Angelou)

“Nature is an infinite sphere of which the centre is everywhere and the circumference nowhere.” (Blaise Pascal)

“Land really is the best art.” (Andy Warhol)

“Earth breathes in us.” (Matthew Edward Hall)

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” (Albert Einstein)

“We are on Earth to take care of life. We are on Earth to take care of each other.” (Xiye Bastida)

“It looks big, Earth. But there are lots of us on here (7,523,4548,567 and counting) so be kind.” (Oliver Jeffers) [Note: as of this writing, the population is 8,218,543,310 — and counting.]

“I firmly believe nature brings solace in all troubles.” (Anne Frank)

“To leave the world better than you found it, sometimes you have to pick up other people’s trash.” (Bill Nye)

“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and my soul.” (John Muir)

“The miracle is not to fly in the air or to walk on water, but to walk on the earth.” (Chinese proverb)

“If the environment is happy, people will laugh and your grief will go away.” (Srinivas Mishra)

“Trees are poems that earth writes upon the sky.” (Khalil Gibran)

“The sun does not forget a village just because it is small.” (African proverb)

“The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.” (e.e. cummings)

“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” (Jane Goodall)

“Nature is always hinting at us. It hints over and over again. And suddenly we take the hint.” (Robert Frost)

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” (Robert Swan)

“We are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change and the last generation that can do something about it.” (Barack Obama)

“Earth rejoices our words, breathing and peaceful steps. Let every breath, every word and every step make the mother earth proud of us.” (Amit Ray)

“Look after the land and land will look after you, destroy the land and it will destroy you.” (Aboriginal proverb)

“Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let you awareness rest upon it. How still they are, how deeply rooted in Being. Allow nature to teach you stillness.” (Eckhart Tolle)

“For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious that if it were made of gold and silver.” (Martin Luther King Jr.)

“If you can’t be in awe of Nature, there’s something wrong with you.” (Alex Trebek)

“Let us permit nature to have her way. She understands her business better than we do.” (Michel de Montaigne)

“Preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.” (Carl Sagan)

“The good man is a friend of all living things.” (Mahatma Gandhi)

“When the last tree is cut, the last fish is caught, and the last river is polluted; when to breathe the air is sickening, you will realize, too late, that wealth is not in bank accounts and that you can’t eat money.” (Alanis Obomsawin)

“We won’t have a society if we destroy the environment.” (Margaret Mead)

“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” (Native American proverb)

“Every day is Earth Day, and I vote we start investing in a secure climate future right now.” (Jackie Speier)

“If every day were Earth Day we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in.” (Neil deGrasse Tyson)