Lake Powell is one of my favorite places to visit in Arizona, but I hadn’t been there for several years. This past summer, I visited again, and I was shocked at how much it’s changed. Because of ongoing drought, this dam-made lake along the Colorado River is down to 29 percent capacity. Many experts say Lake Powell could disappear completely within decades.
This place, with its red canyons lapped by bold, jade water without much vegetation, feels like a sacred place. I feel close to Mother Earth when I’m there. Seeing how low and small the lake has become, I once again felt sorrow for the earth that supports us. I felt sorry and ashamed for the wounds we have inflicted on our ultimate mother.
See Lake Powell Then and Now
My trip and my call for Earth Management
I’ve been working to raise awareness of the need to care for and coexist harmoniously with the earth for almost forty years. Seeing the current condition of Lake Powell strengthened my resolve even more.
Although we can understand the need to do something about climate change, drought, pollution, and the many other afflictions of the earth intellectually, it’s difficult to have the motivation to make real changes in our lives and our societies unless this need touches our hearts. Through mindfully being in nature and through meditation, we can keep our minds and hearts open. We can empathize with Mother Earth and remain sensitive to her needs.
I think this kind of environmental sensitivity is the first step toward Earth Management. When enough people love the earth and want to care for her, then we can all look at our problems at the global level—beyond the borders of nation or ideology. It’s at that level that we can create real solutions together.
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