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As we observe Earth Day, I write this as an opportunity to leverage the conversations surrounding it to hold space and be a voice for those who are not typically invited to join the group chat.
Every year, Earth Day brings conversations about protecting the planet, going green and doing our part. Yet those conversations often move forward as if everybody is working with the same resources, stability and choices.
Allow me to paint a picture for you.
Same realities, different perceptions
One person is celebrated for living simply or living “off the grid.” They build eco homes, tiny homes, convert vehicles into tiny living spaces, use less electricity, own fewer things, consume less, waste less, line dry their clothes, grow food and keep life minimal. They are called disciplined, intentional, eco-conscious and inspiring.
Another person is living with many of those same realities. They use little power, own only what they can carry, consume less and leave behind a smaller footprint than the average household. But because their poverty is visible, because they may be Earthside, and because their struggle is not wrapped in aesthetics, they are not praised. They are judged.
Same low consumption.
Same lighter footprint.
Different public response.
And that should make us think.
Because if simplicity is admirable when it is chosen, but shameful when it is shaped by hardship, then maybe this conversation has never been only about sustainability. Maybe it has also been about status, comfort and who society believes is worthy of dignity.
At times, environmental responsibility can feel like a checklist built for people with options. Cut your water bill. Lower your light bill. Add solar panels. Buy high-efficiency everything. Grow your own food. Make better consumer choices.
Those are beautiful ideas, and in a perfect world it sounds amazing.
Life centers around needs
But in the real world, people are navigating different situations, and those circumstances shape how they engage with environmental issues.
For many families, life is centered around immediate needs: housing, food, transportation, safety, child care and stability. When you are trying to make rent, keep the lights on, get to work or survive a hard season, the environment may still matter deeply to you, but it may not be the loudest need standing in front of you that day.
That does not mean people do not care. It often means survival has to come first.
And even that truth does not tell the whole story.
Many people with limited means have been practicing conservation their entire lives, just without the branding or recognition.Stretching meals so everybody can eat.
Saving containers, bags and jars for another use.
Repairing what can be fixed.
Passing things down.
Sharing resources.
Making something out of almost nothing.
Those are not small habits. Those are daily acts of stewardship.
And that conversation must also include our Earthside brothers and sisters. Some call them homeless. Some people look at those living Earthside and only see disorder.
They do not stop to consider how many of our Earthside neighbors use fewer resources in a day than the average housed person uses before noon. Less electricity. Less water. Less consumption. Less waste.
Yet instead of being included in conversations about environmental realities, they are often spoken about with contempt.
We celebrate the benefits of nature every day. Research continues to affirm what many already know: time outdoors, green space, sunlight, fresh air and connection to the natural environment can support mental, emotional and physical well-being.
Who’s not part of the conversation
Yet when our neighbors choose, prefer or find themselves living Earthside, we often respond with ridicule instead of curiosity, compassion or strategy.
We are quick to call people “crazy” for wanting to disconnect from traditional systems, live closer to nature or exist outside conventional housing pathways. So when did every path outside the norm become something to ridicule?
This is not to romanticize hardship or ignore the realities that can come with living Earthside. It is to challenge the idea that there is only one respectable way to live, and only one kind of person worth considering in conversations about the future of our planet.
And have we ever considered inviting those who live closest to nature into the conversation at all? Many have learned to navigate heat, cold, rain, wind and changing seasons in ways most people never have.
There are already cities showing what a more practical model can look like. In Portland, Ore., the Impact Reduction Program combines sanitation services, waste removal, storage support, referrals and job opportunities while broader housing efforts continue. It recognizes that dignity, public health and environmental care can be addressed together rather than treated as separate issues.
Milwaukee recently updated its housing code yet still has no designated campsites where people can legally pitch tents. So maybe the real opportunity is not just to tell people to care more about the Earth. Maybe it’s to build communities and systems that know how to include more kinds of people within it.
Environmental inclusivity means more than recycling campaigns and public service announcements. It means dignity. It means access. It means sanitation. It means safe public spaces. It means practical ways for real people in real situations to participate.
If Earth Day is truly about protecting our shared home, then everybody living in that home deserves to be part of the conversation. Protecting the Earth is a shared responsibility, but any vision of sustainability that leaves people behind is incompetent from the start.
Angelique Sharpe, known in the community as “MsLadyInc,” works at the intersection of broken systems and resilient people. She lifts their voices and helps organize solutions. You can visit her website here.
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