It’s A Covid-19 Earth Day.

This year, there is simply no way to address Earth Day without acknowledging the pandemic that has enveloped our planet. Many people believe that Earth itself created Covid-19 as a way of purging and re-charging itself, which is intriguing but impossible to know. What we do know is that all of the pandemics that have decimated humankind throughout history came from Nature through viruses and/or bacteria (here are 20 of the most devastating). 

Blaming 5G (and other outlandish theories) does a great disservice to the scientists who are tirelessly searching for a way to fight this new entity. Covid-19 is now a global issue (here is a regularly updated map) and people are struggling everywhere to make it through this (here are some ways they are managing it around the world). For Earth Day this year, ARBICO Organics has decided to donate to two worthy organizations that are in the thick of this pandemic fight: the Center for Biological Diversity and the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.

7 Falls, Tucson, AZ

Last year on Earth Day, ARBICO donated to the Sonoran Institute. We whole-heartedly encourage you to acquaint yourself with and support this fine organization. They continue to work to protect our natural resources, particularly crucial water supplies. Nonprofits are struggling at this time, when money is extra-tight and the financial future is uncertain. If you are able, please support local eco-warriors in their fight to preserve our planet.

We have chosen to donate to the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) because they are local to Tucson and have a clear vision of how what they do can affect the Covid-19 pandemic. CBD is a highly respected environmental advocacy group that has earned 4 out of 4 stars by Charity Navigator for the ethical way they do their work. At first glance, they may not seem an obvious group to become pandemic fighters, but look again. As their Executive Director, Kierán Suckling, writes on their home page: “Our tireless legal and scientific work to protect animals, plants, people, the climate and wild places is ongoing, with an enhanced emphasis on addressing wildlife trade and habitat destruction, two issues at the root of disease outbreaks.” and “60% of known infectious diseases in people can be transmitted from animals, and 75% of emerging "zoonotic" infectious diseases originate in wildlife. These emergent diseases have quadrupled in the
past 50 years. Adding law enforcement staff, inspectors at our ports of entry, and building global capacity to address the extinction crisis are all needed if we hope to make future pandemics less likely to occur in the first place.” I encourage everyone to read his letter in full; it is powerful. But, don’t stop at his letter - the work they are doing to protect our environment is truly heroic. So, dig into their website and maybe you’ll find a way that you can help the cause.

The second nonprofit that we’ve chosen to donate to is the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona (which also has a 4 out of 4 rating) This is a no-brainer on every level. With so many businesses closed during this pandemic, a great number of people are struggling to have their basic needs met and people are worried about their next meals. This is especially true in a place like Southern Arizona, which has a large population of underpaid and underserved people. This includes many workers that have crossed the nearby border. Whether documented or not, these people are often suspicious of government institutions (for good reason) and generally ineligible for any kind of assistance. The Community Food Bank has been a safe, no-questions-asked kind of place for everyone since 1975. They have helped countless people in that period, but nowadays the number in need is overwhelming. But this has not stopped them from providing food and kindness to anyone. Please join us in supporting them in their efforts.

So, if you purchase anything from our website on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 you will donating monetarily to these two stellar organizations. If you’d like to donate directly, there are links on their websites.

As we prepare to mark Earth Day this year, it is important to recognize just how much we are truly connected to Nature’s mysteries. Everyone recognizes the beauty in a perfectly formed flower, but Nature has also created a perfect virus in Covid-19. Its ability to morph and mutate and find a host is a truly wondrous (albeit deadly) thing. Earth Day is meant to be a day that reminds us of our obligation to care for our home planet. But this year, there is a new reminder – Covid-19. Without a world that is healthy and in balance, more of these viruses will emerge and there will be more pandemics. The time to pay attention to Nature is now.

Submitted by Pam