I use Dr. Bronner’s Organic soap everyday.’ I don’t do this because I’m particularly worried about the chemicals in Old Spice, it’s just really good soap.’ Dr. Bronner was a very, ahem, eccentric man whose writings on religion, love and aliens are still printed all over his soap bottles.

Some of these writings are amusing anecdotes; others are just ramblings about space Jesus; but he constantly uses a phrase that needs to catch on.’ Dr. Bronner wanted us all to marvel and appreciate the wonder that is Spaceship Earth.

I know to some of you, the term Spaceship Earth sounds like hippy acid speak.’ But when you think about it, Spaceship Earth is a perfect metaphor for this planet we are all on together.

Advertisement

Right now, you are one of more than 6.8 billion humans traveling an average speed of 67,000 miles per hour, millions of miles in an orbit through our solar system.’ Since you started reading this you have already traveled a couple thousand miles.’ And although there are a few other celestial bodies that hang out around us, ours is the only one that serves breakfast.

It’s easy to overlook the wonder and beauty that is our existence in this universe.’ When you have bills to pay or mouths to feed, it’s hard to find the time to just lie back and think about space.’ But just take a small step back and you are left with no other conclusion than that the abundance of life on this planet is rare, precious and awesome.

So when you find out that there is an island of garbage twice the size of Texas in the Pacific Ocean, it should bother you.’ The island contains up to 100 million tons of trash, the majority of which comes from land.’ It is seriously affecting the food chain and poisoning the ocean, and makes ‘Wall-E’ look like prophecy.

Environmentalism has a long history in this country.’ While there are many conservatives that are all for environmental CONSERVation, environmentalism is often associated with the idealistic left.’ But our history shows us that perhaps the most important American environmentalist was anything but.

The racist, xenophobic, sexist president I’m talking about of course is Theodore ‘I never met a blood drenched conflict I didn’t like’ Roosevelt.’ Roosevelt was arguably the most hardcore American president.’ Ever.’ I could spend three columns proving this; just ask a history major.

T-Roo understood the importance of preserving our natural wonders.’ Even a man as flawed as Roosevelt knew that this planet is bigger than any one of us and we must be good stewards of it.’ He is the reason why we have national parks today.

We only have one Spaceship Earth.’ We have grown to numbers that are substantial enough to impact and harm this spaceship.’ If we want our children and grandchildren not to inherit a broken-down junker, we need to work to maintain our earth.

Advertisement*

That means thinking globally but acting locally.’ I am fully aware that China is building a new coal plant every few days, and that the rise of their middle class and India’s is going to have a much greater effect on the environment than ours is in just a few decades.’ But we still must lead by example and play our position, at least while we still can.

I could tell you to turn off light switches and recycle, but chances are you are either already doing these things or are not going to start now.’ Instead, next time you see trash on the ground or in the woods, pick it up.’ It doesn’t matter who put it there, it’s on your spaceship now.

Now if you excuse me I’m going to enjoy some Vitamin D and light from the giant fireball that we’re hurling around at breakneck speed.’ I’m kinda pasty.

O’Connor is a junior studying

political science and philosophy.