Saturday, April 22, is Earth Day, the birthday of the environmental movement held every year since 1970. A massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California, was the catalyst for a global environmental movement that continues today.
Andean communities from Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina largely celebrate Earth Day on Aug. 1, and that event honors Pachamama.
Many Latinos celebrate Pachamama as a reminder to the community at large of its responsibility to promote harmony with nature and work toward economic, social, and environmental equality for present and future generations.
Pachamama and Earth Day have many things in common. Both celebrations pay tribute to nature and promote educating everyone about the importance of protecting wildlife and caring for the environment.
While we celebrate Earth Day on Saturday, remember that taking too much from nature inevitably leads to pain for all of us. Earth Day and Pachamama bring us great hope for the future.