Yesterday was Earth Day and I was struck by the varied weather I witnessed while handing out lunches in Portsmouth: wind, cold, snow, sunshine, mist, rain, more wind, more snow, more sunshine. Weird as it was, somehow the daffodils, pansies, and cherry blossoms survived!

I don’t know how others feel, but I believe that we are beginning to turn a corner with respect to climate change in this country. No longer are leaders willfully ignoring the facts, the science, and the cries of young people who are concerned about the ways we spend their inheritance—the natural capital that will be their soil, their clean water and air, their diversity of flowers, trees, insects, birds, animals, fish...

I found myself thinking and praying that, because we truly care about God’s creation, which includes every living thing on this planet, we will do the right thing and show more love and appreciation for Mother Earth our island home, and do all we can to leave a cleaner, healthier place for all who come after us.

On Earth Day 2005, my good friend and colleague, biology teacher Peter McLean wrote, “Although the problems are many, the possible solutions are endless. We simply have to wake up you all; we have to get with it. God has endowed us with great reservoirs of consideration, compassion, and love, and we are asked to be responsible stewards of our natural world. Given what we know, what will you believe? What will you, not the person beside you, what will you contribute? The need is urgent. We’ll be watching and listening for your response.”

16 years later, we are asking the same questions and with more urgency than ever.