Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Earth.
Fiskars Project Orange Thumb: Investing in the Future of Community Gardens and Urban Farms. Top Story - June 2021. Created with: Fiskars.
I’ve never been food insecure. Every day of my life I have had access to nutritious meals three times a day (if not more) and there was always food somewhere in my house. The act of eating became a leisurely activity; something I looked forward to for my own adventurous culinary pursuits and social outings with friends. I never viewed it as a means of survival because I simply didn’t have to, but as I’ve learned to grow my own food and immersed myself in our food system, I’ve discovered just how privileged I was and still am.
By Farmer Nick5 years ago in Earth
Early Shore Mornings
As I step out of the wind tunnel and into the coarse sand with my bare feet, I immediately feel the sun start to warm my shoulders and face. The beach has looked different, ever since Hurricane Sandy. What used to be a view directly to the ocean has changed to a seemingly endless sand dune. The massive dune has a clear path in the center to reach the beach, but the rest is covered in dune grass. The grass is about a foot high, and a pale green shade. It changes direction and shape as a light breeze sweeps through it.
By Emily Schatz5 years ago in Earth
Madeline
I remember…. I remember everything. The salty breeze that used to waft across my face, the soft prickles of sand that would scatter across my skin as the wind would carry the oceans mist. The beauty and simplicity of life’s little loves from not so long ago, that was now an acrid shallow image of its former glory. The water was gone and soon so too would I. Tipping my board forward I slid down the bank of sand that used to form the water’s edge. Letting my momentum take me as far as is it could. Closing my eyes, I could almost imagine I was surfing, and that the world was not a sun scarred and mostly uninhabitable during the day. Things had gotten so bad after the war between humanity and my people. After discovering our existence, they chose genocide over coexistence. Their own superiority complex and need to dominate and control everything had led to their downfall and the destruction of their homes. These thoughts alone sent white hot flashes of anger and sadness across my body like roaring waves in the ocean. Looking out at the dry cracked water starved earth I clenched my fist and let these emotions go. They would not help me on this journey, only hinder it. I promised to fix this and give hope to these shallow un-evolved excuses for warm flesh for exactly one reason and one reason only. I could still feel her hand in mine, it moving my hair as it caressed the side of my face and sighed. Placing my hands on my chest I could still feel the necklace there and smell the small hint of lavender and rosemary. It was her favorite scent, and I can still see her smile as bright as the sun anytime I found any that had survived the harsh heat. Slowly I made my way to the tiny hut that now presided at the edge of what was formerly known as the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. When I was younger, I had always been fascinated by this as it was backed up against the Mississippi River and never seemed to mix. Swimming between the two had always been a magical event, for those were strong enough obviously, as others dared not to mix waters, an almost sacred taboo of my kind. Looking back on all these memories I could see the sadness coating my mother and father’s eyes, I had just never quite understood why, until I met the others. Anger again boiled swift and quick inside of me before giving way to intense sadness. Hadn’t we been through enough? Although they were happy with the life we cultivated here they were often reminded of their banishment everyday by just looking out at the waters we lived on top of. My mother being of the gulf side of the water and my father being of the Mississippi side they were forbidden to be together. And when they were caught, both were respectively banished to the edge of their territories only being allowed inland during certain times. We lived here in pseudo happiness for some time until our kind was discovered and then hunted like petty sport, and as each one of us died so too did a portion of the water the earth held. Tears freely fell from down my cheeks, wiping my face I looked at the tears I had thought were long gone and resolved myself for the task ahead. Over the next few days this cycle continued, small melancholic moments that made me think of home or of Madeline. From the dried-up husks of crustaceans, long lost shipwrecks and debris to the cracked earth and fissures that coated the sun-bleached land. Everything made me think of her, that is how much I would like to think, that she made my life better, she made me better. I could almost enjoy living again, getting to wake up and see her face made all this bearable. There is something about walking through abandoned streets and lands that seemed magical so long as she was there. I would like to say you get a unique view of life when you can only go outside during the nighttime. But in truth it was solely Madeline’s perspective of getting to survive that changed how I viewed life around me. Those who had survived knew to leave me be and scavenge at a radius, but she fundamentally disregarded that and chiseled at my walls like they were made of soapstone. After walking for about a week I could see the place I once called home. Walking up I let my hands graze along the surface of the weather rotted wood letting memories assault me like the scalding hot sun had these past few days. It has been so long since water has graced this land, hate was truly a blight that consumed all of humanity. And for a while I had let it consume me and wanted nothing more than to watch it all burn away. They did not deserve the peace and comfort my kind afforded them. I had the power to change it but none of that mattered as I indulged in their suffering and watched their petty world collapse. Once beautiful water ways were now dried husks and dirty reminders of their lackadaisical treatment of the land. It took less than 5 years for the civilization to collapse without water. As the last of it evaporated old shipwrecks and years of built-up pollution became barren landscapes that filled your vision until it was all the eyes could see. It hurt my soul to see something so disgraceful, which only fueled my fire more. I hated them for what they took from me with every fiber of my being until her soothing hand found me. Her touch diluted the hard water of my heart that I had let become putrid and stagnant with a purity I had thought died with the last of my people. Her presence healed deep seated bitterness I held against humanity, and it was for her sake and hers alone that I even dared to stand in the middle of this room. Its cracked old floors, and weathered walls and chipped paint broke the dam of emotions that I pushed down for so long. It was so easy to feel as if I were drowning when I thought of them, when I thought of losing them. As if I was drawn to it my feet took me to the hole in the floor that we had in our home. Its broken cracked edges marker our old watering hole. We would fish from here for dinner more times than I could remember. Crouching by it my hands traced its edges as the memory of my father pushing me into it resurfaced. They had stormed our house and killed mom in seconds, but dad never stopped fighting, until they targeted me. And in a last attempt to save me he shoved me into the water but was shot and killed as he did so, saving me but dying in the process. Selfishly Id wished he had not, maybe then I would finally be at peace with them. This was where it all started and where it would all end. I pulled the locket from underneath my shirt and clutched it in my hand, Madeline’s final gift to me before the heat stole her beauty and essence from the world…. from me, because of my selfishness. My grip tightened around the heart shaped locket that held a part of her ashes. Standing up I took my final last longing look at the trinkets that filled this tiny hut, and all the memories that were robust reminders of a happier time, then turned and left. I walked back down the stairs and towards the dividing line that used to be where the Mississippi River and gulf met and sank to my knees. I let the energy that Id suppressed for so long, overflow and poured the entirety of my essence into the locket. And as it flowed out it charged it with a blue like aura, the last of my kinds magic and essence. I would die here but the beauty of our power is that our energy could never completely be destroyed, only changed. With the last vestiges of my strength, I plunged it perfectly in between the earth that had laid barren for and Innumerable amount of time and collapsed, and finally closed my eyes. The locket being filled with the promise id made began to spread its energy into the land and with a blinding pulse of light started to slowly trickle water that started to pool around me. Hate had killed the last of our kind, my father sacrificed his life to ensure his little girl had a chance at survival, but the love of Madeline’s touch saved it, and soon I would see her again. As the water flowed, the promise I had made to her started to manifest, and I began feeling my body turn back into energy and fade back into the aether from whence it came. As the final flecks of me disappeared I could smell the scent of rosemary and lavender wrap around me as if she were holding me one final time. I smiled and took my final breath and with it the water erupted into a deluge that would restore balance back to this barren world.
By London Davier Hill5 years ago in Earth
My little, brittle friend
Dark grey skies haunt the heavens above; death consumes the surrounding air, stalking me, chasing me, like a never-ending hunt. How could he do this to us? To me? Why would anyone create a masterpiece if they are just going to destroy it? A moment of weakness strikes me. My dehydrating body somehow manages to release a tear of pure salt; I wouldn’t dare waste moisture on a pathetic emotion. My aching arms drop to the floor, crushing the dead remains of nature, a shadow of the once vibrant wildlife surrounds my corpse-like figure. A silent scream escapes my mouth. What’s the point?
By Medusa Stone5 years ago in Earth
society
The sun is shinning when passing through the breeze of the trees you can barely hear a single thought in your head. As woman walked near, i noticed she was wearing a heart-shaped Locket. She whispered in my ear. Are you OK. I'll wait for you, you'll be OK. I tried to woke up, but i can still remember the memories of my dream. Was it a dream?
By jamela jones5 years ago in Earth
(Story 21: Inner Peace) something I love to do is
The beginning of my involvement in the peace-building field came with my own personal struggle to bring peace within myself. Due to my personal experiences, at a young age I came to the conclusion that this planet was only a very sad place, that no real Peace could ever be achieved and that, somehow, it was human nature to hurt and kill each other. The process that lead me to inner peace was a very personal one. Like with most people, it required first the destruction of the ‘dogmas’, the pillars of certainties that we build around ourselves in order to make sense of a world that most of the times seems to make no sense at all. In my very personal case, the need to find peace within myself was the objective, as the apparent lack of meaning of the bad things I experienced in life was becoming unbearable. A trip to Japan sparked something inside of me and gave me a taste of what inner Peace is like. In my new path, I tried to follow that sense of Peace and I was put on a journey in which I met many amazing and inspiring people that helped me out in my desire of reaching inner Peace. This led me to take part in many activities: meditations, martial arts and personal pilgrimages to holy sites in Europe, America and Japan. I somehow managed to be successful in finding peace within myself and my outlook on the world changed on many perspectives. One of them on the possibility of bringing Peace. After changing myself and consequently changing my mind about multiple issues, it became clear to me that Peace should be the most important goal, for everyone, since no other human activity can fully flourish with the constant threat and destructive impact of war. One event that was particularly meaningful to me was the Inter-religious Peace Conference that took place at the Peace Palace in The Hague on the 11th of September 2013. There were 5 representatives from the 5 most popular religions in the world: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. The speaker of each religion gave insights on what religions can do to work together in order to promote peace, rather than hamper it, as has happened multiple times over throughout history, and still happens to this day. After all the interventions were over, the microphone was open for the audience. The first person to come on stage had a very negative outlook about the situation and even about the event itself. He said that religions have only contributed to wars and therefore cannot help bring peace, and he concluded that the average person is powerless in front of these global dynamics, so there was no point being there discussing anything in the first place. The moderator then asked “Does anyone have an answer to this question: what can the average person do to bring Peace?” The audience grew completely silent and the moderator was about to go to the next topic when he finally saw my hand raised, from the back of the room.
By Jaramie Kinsey5 years ago in Earth
The Beach
“Best get going, then!” Tom eased his rucsac more comfortably on his shoulder and straightened up. The tail lights on the train flickered as it disappeared round a curve and headed towards Southport. His three companions nodded and followed suit Words were unnecessary, as well as being a waste of effort on that sweltering summer afternoon. Helen could feel the heat of the flagstones seep through the soles of her trainers: standing still in any spot for longer than absolutely necessary was not a good idea. The four friends jogged off on the final stretch of roadway separating them from the natural, unmapped tracks and trails under the cool leafshade of Formby Woods.
By Paul McDermott5 years ago in Earth
The Heat Wave
Yeah, yeah, we're wimps about the heat. So say the good folks from Arizona. Or Florida. Or Wherever. Sort of like we're wimps about snow, according to the good folks from Massachusetts or Colorado. But we are the least air-conditioned metro area in the United States. Our usual temperature range in late June goes to about the mid-80s (Fahrenheit) at the highest, not 108. Portland OR is even worse right now.
By Jenn Kirkland5 years ago in Earth
LG Solar Panels vs Q CELLS: Which Panels Are Best for You?
When you’re seeking to set up a solar energy system, an essential step is comparing solar panel brands to seek out the one that’s finest for you. You need to make sure you’re investing in high-quality panels that may efficiently flip sunlight into free electrical energy for many years.
By AYKA Solar5 years ago in Earth
National weather service
event. Adam Taylor, Cleveland TN, April 12 (Easter), 2020 I grew up both a little frightened and excited by storms and tornadoes. My mamaw and great grandmother were both horrified of storms, probably an undiagnosed case of lilapsophobia or astraphobia. For me, the sound of the nuclear plant sirens being used as tornado sirens was the scariest. Anyway, I began to study and learn as much about severe weather as I could. In the 8th grade, a tornado hit our small town and killed one man. I sat by a wall in my classroom that was mostly glass windows and there was some communication between classrooms that our county was under warning, but we never went into the hallway. I actually stopped the lesson and told the teacher that the sky was turning an ugly, almost evil, green color. My teacher said, "class, I don't think we are in Kansas anymore." It touched down less than a mile from us.
By Jordan Robert5 years ago in Earth
