Earth Day is an increasingly solemn occasion, as it should be. The moment this event becomes the second half of a twice-yearly excuse, along with St. Patrick's Day, to wear something green, we will have converted a cause for education into yet another crass means of commercialization.

Please understand, I come to celebrate the best elements of this day; I am here to champion, not condemn, greater awareness of our planet, its ecosystem and the ever so delicate balance between our natural resources—our trees, lakes, rivers, valleys and mountains majesty—and our daily needs and habits.

I am here to encourage a moral truth and an economic fact: That every day should be Earth Day, that Mother Nature warrants our respect because we need not experience her wrath.

The truth transcends the invisible fences of language—it just is. 

We need not color its barren plains with rolling pastures of greenery, or plant seedlings of misinformation as we forsake the redwood forests and sacrifice the Gulf Stream waters.

What we must do, and what I seek to do as the founder of Kiss My Itch Goodbye® (an organic, plant-based means of alleviating the symptoms of chronic itch), is this: Debunk the inaccurate assertion that green living is a euphemism for a luxurious lifestyle; that being green requires a lot more green (in denominations of twenties, fifties and hundreds), when, in fact, the opposite is the case.

Being green is natural, with no artificial additives and preservatives, and no dyes and necessary disclaimers. It is this simplicity of ingredients, as a matter of physical truth (a national park does not consist of fake hedges and bushes made with chicken wire and adorned with green-colored, plastic coverings, for example) and financial proof (it takes considerable money to launch, market and advertise junk food), that makes being green so appealing.

These benefits notwithstanding, being green is, at its core, the difference between inspired love for the planet and indifference to the importance of this day. 

For we have a duty to protect wildlife, and combat global warming, excess development and soil erosion. We must not treat the planet like a cross between a supermarket and a concert venue; taking whatever we want, whenever we want it, and littering the landscape with empty cans, half-filled bottles of liquor, cigarette butts, crumpled napkins and ticket stubs.

On this day, let us renew our commitment to the safety of the environment. Let us also revive a pledge to promote our own health and wellness because, in the absence of respect for the planet, it is unlikely that we will respect the sanctity of our individual longevity.

Earth Day is, then, our summons to action and a reflection of our actions. 

We have a responsibility to repair the world.

On this day, and every day henceforth, let us make the Earth a jewel for posterity. WF