SEASON OF CREATION - 2

 SEASON OF CREATION (Continued)

DISSENTING VOICES

Yes, true, that’s a wonderful attitude.
But the fact remains that there are many issues I myself can do very little about directly. The well-known manufacturers and oil producers, the high-level politics, the dominant economic interests, the devastating wars, and last but not least the hesitant climate policy.

And to be honest, I’m also skeptical when someone says: Every little bit helps. You may never see the final result, but your small contribution will ultimately make a difference.
Is that really true?
I don’t know.
Intellectually, I don’t have a conclusive answer to that.
Can I endure that uncertainty?
Can I still move forward despite that uncertainty, or does it just paralyze me?

EXPERIENCING SOMETHING

What has helped me endure that uncertainty is experience—that is, actually experiencing something. Not just thinking about something, but also becoming aware of what you’re experiencing. I’ve noticed that by doing things differently—more mindfully, more relaxed—something happens inside me.

For example, tidying up calmly, washing dishes in a relaxed manner, simply helping someone who interrupts you, waiting patiently for a response from someone searching for the right words, writing something down slowly, rereading a longer text, walking back calmly when you’ve caught a glimpse of something beautiful, and a thousand other things like that.

I experience the healing power of “calm.” Of attention that purifies you, however strange that may sound. The sudden fascination with another person you’ve known for years. The unexpected insight when you let go of that urgent question. The spontaneous gratitude for what is so taken for granted. The life in plants that suddenly fascinates you. The playfulness of children or animals. It “suddenly” touches you much more deeply; it opens you up, makes you happy.

You get a sense of being allowed to live, a sense of liberation to simply do what needs to be done. But with less haste, less pressure, more patience. Still seriously committed—but with a smile.

It’s precisely those small experiences that are so important. At least, that’s how I experience it.
They form an interesting chain:

            FROM ATTENTION COMES ADMIRATION
            FROM WONDER COMES GRATITUDE
            FROM GRATITUDE COMES LOVE
            FROM LOVE COMES CARE

What is good or necessary is done, but in a different way—it brings more satisfaction and even joy. In addition to all the effort, it also gives you new energy. It’s mainly a matter of opening yourself up to it.

And, as I said: then you may be surprised by a good idea, a deeper insight, or a new motivation to tackle something or to persevere. You gradually begin to trust your intuition—your spontaneous instincts—more, rather than relying solely on your “logical mind”—however necessary that remains, of course.

GROWING FROM DUTY TO OPPORTUNITY

Perhaps that is the most important change of all:
Tasks that initially had to be carried out out of a sense of duty now begin to appear as an OPPORTUNITY. Your circumstances are no longer merely a practical given, a kind of straitjacket, but they become a space offered to you—a place to say yes to what is good, meaningful, or necessary. Even with wonder and gratitude...

Engagement then doesn’t start with the question: “What do I have to do to save the world?” but much more simply: “What appeals to me, what fascinates me, what do I feel connected to?” (as I explaned in the previous text). Let me respond to that wholeheartedly right now. That’s enough, also in this MONTH OF CREATION. Consciously positively countering pessimism, cynicism, and stress.

LIVING CREATIVELY

Through your inner openness, you’ll actually see more clearly what CAN and IS being asked of you. But now as an offer, a possibility, a space to say “yes” for yourself and to be creative. A motivation born of LOVE for Creation, in joy and trust. Simply let go of the question of whether it’s all worth it. Not out of indifference, but from a deeper knowing, an experience of deeper connectedness, through which you give life and—perhaps even more—receive life!
To be a creator yourself, to connect with all of Creation, which overflows with untamed life force. What an encouragement !

Do you experience it that way, too? Write to me sometime!

Johan Muijtjens
Season of Creation 2026

THE SOURCE OF OUR HOPE NEVER RUNS DRY

 Interview with CARMODY GREY 

[https://groenekerken.nl/carmody-grey/ ] 

*** Can you tell us a little bit about yourself for those who don't know you yet? Who is Carmody Grey? 

I am first of all a mother of my beloved son Benjamin, and wife of my beloved husband Manuel. After that, I am someone who loves nothing more than to be out climbing a mountain, swimming in a lake, hiking in a forest, or working in my garden.  I also think, talk, read, write, do philosophy, theology and ethics, and have a great love of the natural sciences, especially biology.  And I am an English Catholic, with Protestant martyrs in my ancestry.  

***Where did your love of nature come from?  

My grandfather was a famous vet – he was the central character in the famous James Herriot stories, which you may have read, or seen on television or in film. From him I learned that animals and plants are the worthiest object of our curiosity, fascination, reverence and a constant source of delight.  

I was lucky enough to grow up in a beautiful part of the rolling hills of the South Downs. There was nature everywhere. My parents also taught me that curiosity is a virtue, and wonder is an obligation. The worst failing was not to be adequately amazed by the world; not to be surprised; not to be taken up in the astonishing glory of it all. I am eternally grateful for this gift from my parents. Attention to the beauty around us is a discipline, one of the most important ones. It’s a discipline the Scriptures will give us, and the liturgy. We are invited to carefully foster in ourselves a habit of gratitude, based in wonder and praise. 

*** You are a professor of integral ecology at the Laudato Si' Institute at Radboud University. What does “integral ecology” mean? What is "integral" about it? 

Integral ecology is a way of understanding the whole of reality, which is based on the idea that everything exists only through and in its relationships. There is no isolated ‘entity’, only networks of relations. Ecology is the science of relationships; and these relationships are ‘integral’ because they are implicated in one another. In the social teaching of the Catholic Church, the understanding is that we all exist through three relationships which are always intertwined: with one another; with nature; and with the divine. 
So integral ecology is a programme that is moral and spiritual, and also intellectual and practical. It calls us both to live in a particular way, a way which respects that everything is connected, and also to think in a particular way, to understand things by looking at the relationships which make them what they are. In particular, integral ecology challenges the abstractive, analytical style of modern knowledge. Modern knowledge is based on the presupposition that in order to understand something you have to take it apart, literally, to ana- lyse. Integral ecology tries to put things back together – to syn-thesise, to see things in terms of wholes and not just as assemblies of parts. 

*** What appeals to you in the encyclical Laudato Si'? 

Laudato Si’ takes the Church’s vision – a vision of God, creation and human life – and puts it to work in our contemporary moment, to show how deep and rich are its resources for meeting the challenges of our time. It brings spirituality, ethics, science, economics and politics, and theology itself, together, to illuminate what we are facing and how we can move forward. It is both sober and challenging, and also hopeful and joyful. I continue to think it is probably the ‘best’ thing ever written on our ecological crisis, in terms of an all-encompassing vision. 

*** It has been 10 years since the encyclical was written. It seems as if we have learned little from it... 

Yes. That was Pope Francis’ own view as he expressed in the follow-up document he wrote in 2023, Laudate Deum. There he wrote that our progress in addressing the challenges of our time has been painfully slow. And he names the deep reasons for this slowness: myopia, denialism, a deliberate and sustained indifference, and a knowing collusion of the rich and powerful in the destruction of climate and nature.  We talk a lot about Laudato Si’, but it’s important also to talk about Laudate Deum. We need to be honest about our situation. 
We are facing the severest kind of collapse of our life support systems. Our joy and our hope need to be clear-eyed; and they need to spring from faith, not from a cheap optimism which simply believes that things will be ok. We also need to recall that Laudato Si’ was written as an invitation. Not as a solution, or an end- point. It was a call, a summons, an opening of a path. We need to walk down that path. We need to hear the summons, accept the invitation. That’s a work that is ongoing and will not stop. This is particularly true insofar as ecological damage has now reached such a point that the consequences are already unavoidable. We need to consider how we will respond to the challenges that will come our way in the next decades, treating Laudato Si’ as a gateway, not a final conclusion. 

*** As a professor of integral ecology, what activity or subtopic did you tackle first? What has struck you so far? 

At the moment I am thinking about how to give more depth and shape to the theme of integral ecology. The term has quite a diverse history, and sometimes its usage can seem vague and imprecise. I’d like to give it form and focus. More deeply, I am trying to figure out what it would really mean to shift our paradigm. Pope Francis as well as many others asks that we go through a deep cultural, intellectual and social revolution. We need a new synthesis, a new paradigm. What would that look like? How can it be fostered, practically? 

 Once I was quite suspicious of this language. It seemed a bit far-fetched, a bit over-the-top. But that has changed.  It now seems clear to me that the whole basis on which our civilisation was constructed needs revisiting. We need to step back, to see the pathologies of our civilisation – pathologies of endless consumption, self-absorption, failure to respect our finitude and our earthliness – and ask how we can grow as human beings into something more mature, more grounded, more whole.  We need a new way of thinking about ourselves, about what constitutes a worthwhile life, about what happiness is, about our place in nature, our responsibilities to it and to each other.  

That rightly deserves to be called a paradigm shift. But new paradigms cannot just be invented. They need to be discerned through a shared process of listening and enquiry, and a deep openness to the creativity that is always flowing in reality itself.  So that’s what I’m doing now: listening, learning, reading, trying to understand – how do we need to see differently, think differently, so that we can live and flourish as creatures of this earth.  
I don’t have any answers. But I do know that we need to learn from those we have traditionally ignored. That means women, especially mothers; it means indigenous communities; it means communities in the global south.  And yes, it means listening to animals and plants and ecosystems. They are always speaking, if only we would stop and listen.  But this contemplative receptivity needs to go together with a steely, gritty, fierce determination to apply political pressure to see actual change, especially at the global level. This is a difficult combination to pull off but that’s what we have to do. We really do have to be as wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 

*** The theme of climate change has become politicised and polarised. How do we get out of this? 

That is one of the toughest problems. The politicisation of climate change, especially its representation as a cause of the radical left, has been probably the single greatest obstacle to generating shared political will to tackle this problem.  

I am thinking about this a lot at the moment. We need to reimagine a language of the good, the true and the beautiful that actually unifies; a new vision of human life which crosses the political divide, which people from every political background can recognise themselves in. I think that means we need something like a new humanism. That’s another thing I am working on at the moment. 

*** Our theme for this year is “Sabbath life”. A life characterised by rest and connection, at least one day a week. Do you recognise that there is a great need for this? 

 Desperately. And it’s harder than ever. The revolutions in communication and information technologies – smartphones, ChatGPT, AI and chatbots – these are genuine enemies. And I do mean that as strongly as I’ve said it. These forces deprive us of the very means of our life – real, sustained relationship with one another and with nature. Figuring out how to protect ourselves is a critical imperative right now. I hope Pope Leo will lead us in this.  

As individuals, we have to put these technologies in their place in our lives: that is a very restricted, carefully circumscribed place. I hope for a future in which we see that smartphone use, or regularly employing ChatGPT in our ordinary work and leisure lives, is as damaging as smoking.  And we have to figure out how to do this as a society as well. An integral ecology is also about this. Our real lives take place in three dimensions, in real space and real time. That’s where we need to live, to build our meaning and our identity.  If we try to live in the virtual space, we end up not living at all.  

We need to fight for our Sabbaths. We mustn’t wait to be given them. We need to fight for them. Rest is resistance – resistance to a prevailing paradigm of frenetic activity, constant pressure to  produce, to achieve, to go somewhere or do something. We need to notice that just to be a creature is already enough. We don’t have to make ourselves. We are made and given to ourselves. We can dwell gratefully in our creatureliness, to see and give thanks for our own being and all the creatures around us. Not only can we, but we must.  This is what makes action possible – not reaction, but true action. Because true agency, which is rooted in freedom. The Sabbath makes us free. 

*** The ecological crises can be saddening. What gives you hope? 

The ecological crises should be saddening. If we do not grieve, we are deceiving ourselves. We all need to find ways to grieve what we are losing. We need practices of mourning and lament; ways we can express our anger, our pain, our grief, our fear. I think this is more important than we know.  

But hope is a wellspring that never runs dry. Why? Because true hope is not based on an optimism that things will turn out well. It is based on a faith that the grain of this world, the grain of reality itself, is towards the good; that nothing can extinguish that goodness. That no matter how things go in the coming decades, that goodness is deeper, more enduring.  People of faith call this goodness ‘God’. It is that which St Paul calls ‘the reason for our hope’. The greatest witnesses to Christian faith have been people who lived a radical hope like this. Dietrich Bonhoeffer is my favourite example. Even when all seemed hopeless, he still witnessed to the possibility of goodness, to human dignity and a sense of purpose and meaning, the worthwhileness of doing what is right - even in the darkest places, and even when it seemed it would make no difference.  

This deep goodness of things, which is God, shows itself in our daily lives. We all sense those places where it is close to the surface, where it communicates with us. For me that is in the face of my son Benjamin. When I see Benjamin playing, when I hold him, I feel that inextinguishable beauty of reality; its endless dynamism and freshness.  We all need these concrete encounters with the source of hope. For many, it is in their children. For others it is nature, or music, or friendship. And obviously this changes throughout our lives. Each of us needs to identify those places, the places where we feel real life flowing, the energy of God, if I can put it like that. And stay close to those places. 

*** What message would you like to convey people who are committed to this? 

DON’T GIVE UP. NEVER GIVE UP. NEVER EVER GIVE UP. 

 ==========

SEASON OF CREATION - 1

SEASON OF CREATION

I’VE HAD ENOUGH… 

When it comes to love for nature—especially during this monthlong Season of Creation—I’m tired of always having to start with that ever-growing list of everything that’s going wrong in terms of climate, the environment, war, and peace. It takes so much energy out of me! Getting annoyed at climate deniers, oil barons, corrupt politicians, and misleading information—it drains all my energy and courage. Even numbers, no matter how large, affect me less and less.  Images of the suffering of people, animals, and plants only make me sadder. 

SO WHAT DOES HELP ME? 

That has become the big question for me. 

I’m becoming increasingly convinced that it’s especially the things I’m personally involved in—the things I love, the things I truly care about—that give me the energy and enthusiasm to commit to a cause. That’s where an important key lies for me: I need to feel involved. It has to move me. Otherwise, it just rolls off me. That starts very close to home, in my own daily life and circumstances.That’s where I find my sources of energy. 

For example, I notice that something changes inside me when I take the time to do something calmly and carefully. When I don’t decide right away, but take a little longer to think it over. When I take a moment to look a little longer at the plants I care for, speak to them kindly, and above all… listen to them. Then something happens. It’s as if they gain a voice and have something to say to me. As if they’re appealing to me—appealing to the good and positive in me, to the joy within me. I’m allowed to care for them, I’m allowed to do that task calmly and well, I’m allowed to give that person a thoughtful answer. You could say: It’s not so much about duty, but much more about an invitation, an opportunity, a space that’s been offered to me. 

IT PAYS OFF IN ITS OWN RIGHT 

Curiously enough, that engagement turns out to be its own reward. Put simply, it puts me in a good mood. I feel calmer and more relaxed. I become more receptive to all the good things that are happening in the meantime—things I normally overlook and that the media rarely draws my attention to. Pausing a little longer to reflect on a message. Taking a moment to look at something I’m working on. Giving it a little more attention. And suddenly, something that seemed insignificant or just routine turns out to be important, valuable, more interesting than I thought, more fascinating... 

--- 

These are just a few initial thoughts and experiences, offered as a modest guide to experiencing the Season of Creation in a meaningful and encouraging way. 

Next week, I hope to explore this further, because, evidently, not only experiences but also questions arise… 

By the way: Do you recognize this in yourself as well? Do you have an example ? Let me know !   There’s nothing more beautiful than enriching one another! 


 Johan Muijtjens
September 2, 2026 

  

THE POWER OF SHARED CONVICTION

 When people come together with conviction to stand up for a cause, miracles
can happen. This was also evident when a large number of people joined forces
to advocate for the many islands that are in grave danger due to rising sea levels.

TO THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

It all began on the front lines of the climate crisis, when a group of students from the Pacific region and the government of the island nation of Vanuatu decided to take their fight for the right to life to the world’s highest court: the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, the Netherlands.

Several countries soon joined them, and many nonprofit organizations also helped fund this case.
The campaign led to a groundbreaking ruling by the Court: 

THE URGENT ACTION NEEDED TO COMBAT THE CLIMATE CRISIS IS NOT OPTIONAL, BUT IS A LEGAL OBLIGATION.

States have a duty to prevent climate damage, protect human rights, phase out the use of fossil fuels, and remedy climate-related damage and loss.
This requires a structured follow-up for implementation—including reporting to the UN Secretary-General.

Such a ruling by the highest Court of Justice is, of course, wonderful, but what is its effect?
If everyone can act as they see fit regarding the consequences of climate change—if it remains optional—there is no incentive to comply.
Then there is no guarantee that people will actually take effective action, in general and now in particular, given the ongoing rise in sea levels, to help the islands that are already in grave danger.  Only if it becomes a legal obligation can it have an impact.

But for that to happen, governments must commit to this obligation.
The path to achieving this is through the United Nations.

TO THE UNITED NATIONS

For a year, efforts have been made on many fronts to influence the views of governments. Numerous civil society organizations, newspapers, other media outlets, legal associations, health organizations, and independent organizations such as AVAAZ—with millions of members worldwide—have worked tirelessly. 
AVAAZ alone collected more than 460,000 (!) signatures, an incredible show of support for this cause!

Recently, in May of this year, the matter finally came before the United Nations General Assembly. 
After heated discussions and amendments, the so-called Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice was put to a vote. Or, more precisely: the OPERATIONALIZATION of that Opinion—meaning that it must be implemented and given the force of law.

To the immense joy of many, it happened: 141 countries voted in favor, 8 against, and 28 abstained. A massive victory: even major polluters such as China, Japan, Brazil, and the European Community voted in favor and thus committed to the UN that they will phase out fossil fuels (gradually reduce their use) and that they will protect their populations in various ways—and can be held legally accountable for (not) doing so.

After all the bickering—even after the 2015 Paris Agreement, where so much was promised—this result is unprecedented! 
And there was something else:
As a sign of solidarity, these countries promised that they would never erase the island states as nations, that their sovereignty would be preserved, even if their land is put in grave danger by the sea.

IT ALMOST FAILED, THOUGH

Behind the scenes, oil-producing nations pulled out all the stops to crush this movement. Trump tried to intimidate and pressure Vanuatu discreetly, through back channels, to withdraw the resolution, while Saudi Arabia and other countries did everything they could to water down the text.

Among the countries voting against it—and this will come as no surprise to anyone—were the biggest polluter: the United States, as well as Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, among others.

THE FIRST TIME

This is the first time that, at the highest level and by an overwhelming number of states, it has been recognized that there is an obligation—to one’s own citizens, their descendants, and their interests, as well as to one another—because emissions from fossil fuels, in particular, spread far beyond national borders, with the most vulnerable bearing the brunt of the negative consequences.

In a time that sometimes seems hopeless, this is an important victory for
humanity, and a major blow to the proponents of fossil fuels.
Small island nations and the moral strength of hundreds of thousands of people have led the world to this point!

OF COURSE—AND YET! 

Of course, a decision like this at the highest level does not solve the major global
problems. Everyone remains painfully aware of the many consequences of the climate crisis—not only ecological but just as much social. It is precisely those least “to blame” who are hit the hardest in so many ways.
 
But until now, the commitment to action has never been so clearly articulated at the highest level—and, of course, even more importantly, recognized and accepted by an overwhelming majority of nations. 
Those who vote against it are becoming increasingly isolated, no matter how powerful they may be.
 
“World opinion” is clearly shifting in a positive direction. It is precisely the spiritual power of this shift that, in the long run, has the deepest impact. That is what instills confidence, and it is precisely that which also motivates and inspires us to persevere! 

Unfortunately, many media outlets often emphasize the negative, because that’s what makes for sensational news. You have to make an effort to also see the positive developments, which are more of an undercurrent and almost always happen quietly. But those encouraging developments are very real—and in abundance! They don’t scream for attention or publicity, but focus—on a larger or smaller scale—primarily on quality, sustainability, and inclusivity. 
In this way, they are and remain an invitation to those who may feel discouraged by “the big picture.” There’s every reason to persevere and get involved!

CREATIVE GAIA

That is the title of this blog.
GAIA, the fully alive Earth, creative, beautiful, courageous.
 Nature never gives up, it never gets discouraged, it always remains creative and seeks new paths—and often performs astonishing miracles! 
We humans can let ourselves be inspired and encouraged by nature’s great gifts. The courage of a group of students to take the initiative, the support of truly countless well-meaning and eager people, and the power of the conviction that it can be done—these are encouraging lessons for all of us!


Johan Muijtjens
July 2026

===========================

For those who would like to read more about all this, I’m quoting from AVAAZ here.

* The presentation in Geneva:

AVAAZ gathered more than 467,000 (!) votes worldwide to support Vanuatu and its allies. 

Through innovative opinion polls, they were able to clearly demonstrate to heads of state that their citizens wanted them to vote in favor of the UN
resolution. 
It began with presenting 378,498 votes to diplomats in Geneva (see photo), and the additional support from another hundred thousand people around the world only reinforced that message.
Our senior Swiss campaigner brought our votes directly to a packed hall in Geneva, filled with diplomats accustomed to listening to dry speeches. Muriel gave a powerful, genuinely vulnerable speech about the world we’re leaving behind for her unborn child and our next generation. You could hear a pin drop—the energy in the room completely shifted.

* Making inroads in Brazil and other countries.

We needed to put pressure on swing states. In Brazil, we published targeted
polls showing that the resolution had strong public support.
When Brazil’s largest newspaper published our findings, the government discreetly contacted us to request the data. 
We also conducted and published polls in the Netherlands and Germany.

* Vepaiamele’s message

Vepaiamele, a 17-year-old climate activist from Vanuatu, recorded a heartfelt plea from the beach of her home island. Her message resonated directly with key delegations. 
She said afterward: “For a long time, I felt like the world was looking the other way while our homes, schools, and islands were sinking. Today, they finally saw us. This vote won’t suddenly stop sea-level rise, but it’s a recognition that our lives, our homes, and our future are worth saving.”

* The practical content of the resolution:

    A lifeline for those on the front lines: The resolution states that island nations retain their sovereignty and their rights, even if their land physically sinks due to rising sea levels. For communities from the Pacific Ocean to the Amazon rainforest—who are already paying the highest price for a crisis they did not cause—this confirms that they cannot be wiped out.
    Polluting countries are legally liable: this is a line in the sand. Governments have been warned: subsidies for more fossil fuels have legal consequences.
    The major oil bloc is becoming isolated: with a vote of 141 to 8, the world’s biggest polluters—such as the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and Russia—have been reduced to a small, desperate group of outsiders swimming against the tide. 
    A boost for climate litigation: the resolution gives new momentum to climate litigation worldwide. There are already more than 3,000 cases currently influencing climate policy around the world. And more will follow.

 Finally, AVAAZ writes: This is proof that, in the midst of this global crisis, something beautiful is emerging. It shows that the future still belongs to us, even when the odds seem slim.
Thank you for refusing to give up. 
Thank you for standing up for the Pacific Ocean.

=================

EARTH DAY - MOTHER EARTH DAY

On April 22, we celebrated the annual EARTH DAY: Around the world, a billion people reflect on the state of our planet, with this year’s theme being: OUR POWER, OUR PLANET — a message that goes beyond symbolism.

ORIGINS

It all began long ago, in 1970, when an U.S. senator, Gaylord Nelson, had enough of environmental pollution being ignored by the politicians—and succeeded in having April 22 declared NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL DAY. The response was massive—twenty million Americans took to the streets—one of the largest protest movements in American history. 
This bold initiative soon led in the U.S. to the establishment of the EPA — the Environmental Protection Agency—, as well as to laws regarding air and water quality.

WORLDWIDE

This day grew into a global phenomenon. 
In 2009, the UN officially recognized April 22 as International Mother Earth Day. That was a more beautiful title, one that also resonates with affection and commitment.

Today, more than 190 countries participate, and an estimated one billion people take part in activities, demonstrations, and initiatives.



THE THEME

This year’s theme:  OUR POWER, OUR PLANET proclaims that the well-being of our Earth does not depend on the government in power, but is actually, much more than we realize, determined by the choices we, ordinary people, make wherever we make choices: at home, in schools, clubs, businesses, factories, offices, on the street, in our gardens, in grocery and clothing stores — yes, basically everywhere! This is because everything is so deeply interconnected and influences one another, even if you don’t see it right away. It therefore requires not only deeper insight but also a strong conviction that every effort bears fruit. 

NUMBERS AND TECHNOLOGY

We often get tired of all the numbers pouring over us — rising temperatures, faster melting ice, satellite images of poisoned ocean, threatened biodiversity, percentages of this and that. It all seems very scholarly and technical. It’s tempting to think that it is all science and technology . And the other temptation: politics, the government, big corporations — they’re the ones who should really be doing it. 

POLITICS

Sometimes I think: yes, if only we could leave it to our government—that would be easy. But politicians are ordinary people like we, elected by us and also susceptible to influence. When we clearly speak up, react to decissions taken or express our opinions through our actions, we have more influence than we realize, particularly through our ways of purchasing and spending.  There are plenty of examples of how stores and companies adapt to the wishes and tastes of the public. This applies not only to food, clothing, transportation, travel, heating, and the like, but also to the choice and use of environmentally sensitive materials, such as paper, plastic, wood, and batteries—not to mention reusing items instead of throwing them away.
There is, everywhere, a great deal of goodwill and concern and if you look closely, you’ll see that a “trend” quickly resonates “upward”! That may encourage us and give us confidence in further changes.

INSIGHT AND REFLECTION

All of this is very concrete: doing or not doing things, making practical choices, raising your voice, and so on.
What could and should get much more attention is the influence of the less “tangible”, such as our way of thinking and speaking about these matters, the choice of what we do read and what we 'skip', the choice of TV programmes and the items in other media to which we offer our time and attention. 
All media in fact take a stance, emphasize certain values, make conscious choices and have a major influence on our thoughts and feelings—and thus on our actions.

It is true: it takes some extra effort to read an article all the way through and not just the headline, to search the newspaper or TV guide for examples of positive news and developments or challenging examples of people who are taking courageous initiatives or who, despite resistance, continue to believe in a good cause. However, that effort is often rewarded with greater understanding of situations, motivations and backgrounds, it modifies your judgment and - what is most important - it gives you new ideas and courage to continue involving yourself in a good practice and/or to persevere with it.

JOINING FORCES WITH MANY OTHERS

I am deeply convinced of the good will and the desire of countless people for a good and healthy society and natural environment. They give shape to that desire  by simple and unpretentious dedication, first and foremost in ordinary daily life. 
But, we all know, reality is often stubborn and resisting, and that's why we need the support of each other in continued care for Mother Earth. People meet and cooperate in dozens, indeed hundreds, of groups and organizations to make their commitment even more meaningful and effective - and in order not to loose heart when the going gets tough.

Let me therefore conclude with an encouraging example of these days.

THE COALITION OF THE WILLING

Last year, the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) took place in Belém, a major city in Brazil’s Amazon region. There happened certainly a great deal of solidarity and encouragement, but the greatest frustration for many was that the major oil-producing countries simply blocked any real change regarding the matter of fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal).

This frustration had a good effect:
“We won’t stand for this anymore!” said a number of countries, and Colombia, assisted by The Netherlands, took the initiative to start a group of like-minded nations. Since then, that group has grown to include today already more than fifty countries.

From April 24 to 29, this year, these countries (scientists, politicians, economist, etc. ) gathered in the Colombian city of Santa Marta, not to draft nice-sounding statements, but to encourage and help one another, to share knowledge and experiences in scientific, economic, technical, and other fields, and foster cooperation: TRANSITIONING AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUELS.

The participants, however, are not naive. They realize that the largest producers and/or polluters— most of all the United States and further including China, India, Saudi Arabia, to mention the most important —are not present.
But other medium-sized and large countries are present, including Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Angola, Nigeria, Australia and also the European Community is represented. They believe in effective cooperation, in setting an helpful and ancouraging example by making clear choices. First and foremost, by mutual support through agreements and measures. At the same time inviting more countries, because the urgency of limiting and increasingly replacing fossil fuels is very great. The recent war between the US and Iran gives extra impetus to all these efforts. Perhaps a blessing in disguise ...

EARTH DAY, MOTHER EARTH DAY.

Clearly, it is not about a single day ! It is about passionate, practical, and grateful commitment to Mother Earth, to people, animals, plants, and everything which a loving Creator so generously has given and entrusted to us.
Let us keep courage, without panic, reflecting, praying and acting with trust and determination. The good Spirit is working throught all the ups and downs. We are not alone. 

Johan Muijtjens
Maastricht, May 2026



I welcome your reactions.
Please use my email: j.muijtjens@debeyart.net
Thank you.

 

A TEEMING WORLD

 

The soil beneath our feet—whether in the great outdoors or hidden beneath tiles and asphalt—is an incredible wonder. It teems with life. This soil not only supports plants but is also, and above all, the nourishing foundation for all the seedlings, plants, shrubs, and trees we encounter everywhere.



COUNTLESS NUMBERS

When it comes to the soil, most of us know that, in addition to plant roots, there are all kinds of tiny creatures present, such as ants, termites, earthworms, and the like. These are the easily visible creatures. However, they represent a very small minority compared to the much smaller creatures—in hundreds of species and in countless numbers—that live there and “do their work.” They often cluster around the roots, but even without those roots, the soil teems with a countless “population.” Here I can only mention a few examples to give an impression. I will provide pictures of them later. A good microscope will show you springtails, beetle-like mites, ribbon-shaped earthworms, tardigrades, and if you let your microscope look even deeper, you’ll see an “infinite number” of sometimes hard-to-classify amoebas, protozoa, algae, bacteria, and viruses—all single-celled or multicellular, minuscule but truly alive.

A tablespoon of healthy, humus-rich soil contains a population many times the number of people on our planet—so many times eight billion! A gram of fertile soil can contain billions of microbes and viruses, millions of protozoa and algae, hundreds of microscopic ribbon-shaped worms, dozens of mites and springtails—and a thousand meters of fungal hyphae!

ONE LIVING BEING

Just as everywhere there is life, the soil has also defied human attempts to describe it precisely: living matter is ultimately so rich, so complex, and so innumerable that the soil can best be described as a single living being. A living being that is, in turn, part of the living whole of our Earth, GAIA. I discussed that enormous living whole in my previous contribution on this weblog CREATIVE GAIA.

ORIGINS

Looking back at Earth’s history, we can see that several billion years ago, rocks, mountains, and valleys were formed by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, colliding “floating” continental plates, and other geological processes. These rocks underwent and continue to undergo constant weathering due to the influence of water, wind, varying temperatures (contraction and expansion), carbon dioxide, and other substances in the air, but also due to all kinds of “small” life that developed on them. Consider, for example, lichens (fig.), which feed on their substrate and thus produce new biological material from anorganical. The same applies to grasses and larger plants, which not only penetrate the inorganic material but also interact with it. It is precisely this interaction between organic and inorganic material that has created a layer of fertile soil. This has been a transformation process lasting millions of years, during which a fertile topsoil layer of 20 to 30 centimeters has formed, which is considered the active root zone. Of course, some roots go deeper, such as those of trees with taproots, but the majority of biological activity still takes place primarily in that topsoil layer.

It was especially in that top layer that a wide variety of “primitive plants” emerged, partly because the rocks had different chemical compositions; some plants were better suited to stronger sunlight, more moisture, stronger winds, and so on. In this way, many types of living soil emerged in which all components work together. It is remarkable how self-regulating systems arose everywhere and continue to arise, systems that also constantly adapt to changing conditions and thus continue to thrive.

TWO LAYERS

In fact, the plants that grow visibly above that soil, together with the soil itself, also form a cooperative “system.” Above and below, two “layers” that help each other in ingenious ways.

Soil is therefore not merely what “supports” or provides stability for everything above it, or what serves solely as a temporary storage shed for nutrients. The plants “above” also nourish the soil in their own way. Of particular importance here is photosynthesis in the green leaves, which absorb the energy of sunlight and the carbon dioxide gas present and, through an ingenious process, convert them into various sugars while releasing oxygen into the environment.
These sugars travel via the downward sap flow to the bacteria and the many other organisms in the soil, serving as nourishment for their growth and functioning.
Conversely, the organisms in the soil synthesize the specific nutrients required by these very plants and deliver them via the roots to the plant, which transports them to the right places through the upward flow of water. 
It is, therefore, a collaboration in which the lives of both the plants and the soil depend on one another. It is a highly active and targeted collaboration. 

IMPRESSIVE SYNERGY

The roots of the plants penetrate the earth, loosening it, creating new spaces for microbes and fungi, forming channels for air and water, and building extensive root systems right beneath our feet. In those spaces, earthworms, snails, arthropods, tardigrades, and their various counterparts consume large volumes of soil and excrete sustainable, nutrient-rich products. In addition, over time, microbes and fungi have developed the ability to break down difficult material. For example, certain microbes can break down the tough cellulose in plant cell walls into valuable organic material, and special fungi can handle the even more stubborn lignin, the substance that (in the bark) gives plants and trees much of their strength.

Other large and (very) small animals, working in specialized groups, break down decaying material, releasing certain chemicals for transport “upward” (e.g., for the color of apples). 

Fungi (fig.) produce kilometer-long threads (tubes) with which they also connect to other plants, provide nourishment, help with disease, and even send signals in case of imminent danger. It’s all almost unimaginable!

HUMUS

You find this wonderful collaboration primarily in what we call humus. It is the most important organic component of fertile soil. It is a dark, mysterious, somewhat oily, and very rich substance, the exact composition of which is still not fully understood. You’ll find stubborn bits of partially decomposed plant cells in it; it contains a wealth of proteins, fats, and sugars. Much of this is bound to mineral particles, which is how the loose, granular structure forms.

Humus is unique to every ecosystem—that is, to every more or less cohesive natural area: a forest, a meadow, a vegetated slope, a pond, a marsh, a stream bank, and so on.
It will come as no surprise that many biologists consider this fertile soil to be the most complex biological material on Earth.

DAMAGE

It is therefore clear just how much damage is caused by human activities / interventions like deforestation, intensive/deep plowing, extensive use of chemicals, and other forms of over-exploitation or abuse of nature and its forces. Unfortunately, we cannot go into that here.
However, to conclude, I can show you a few pictures of some of those active underground inhabitants, who are so important for plant growth, for the climate, and ultimately for our lives.

=================================

BEETLE MITES

These are small (0.2–1.4 mm), armored soil mites that play a crucial role in the ecosystem. They feed primarily on fungi, mosses, and decaying organic matter, making them essential for soil fertility and the decomposition of leaves. They are harmless to plants and humans. 




COLLEMBOLAN or SPRINGTAILS

Springtails are characterized by mouthparts located in the head (a protruding tube) and usually a forked tail that allows them to jump away when in danger. Most species are less than 6 mm long, many only a few millimeters. They typically live in the upper layers of the soil (litter layer) and feed on decaying organic matter and fungi. 

They can occur there in enormous numbers.







TARDIGRADES

These are called water bears or sometimes moss bears in English. They are microscopic, invertebrate creatures (0.1 to 1.5 mm) with eight legs, known for their extreme resistance to dehydration, radiation, cold, and vacuum. They live in moist moss and lichen environments and are true gluttons, consuming large amounts of soil, and their excretions are particularly fertile.



NEMATODES or SOIL WORMS

You encounter these creatures “everywhere”: in freshwater surface waters, at great depths in seawater, in mountains and deserts, in moist soil (which is what we’re discussing here), in numbers and varieties that far exceed those of many other animals. They also occur at great depths within rock, such as 4 km deep in a gold mine in South Africa. The highest numbers however have been observed in tundras and in our northern forests.

CYANOBACTERIA or BLUE-GREEN ALGAE

These are bacteria that derive their energy from photosynthesis. Their blue-green color gave them their name, but they are true bacteria. They are found in a wide variety of environments. They are among the oldest and most widespread organisms on Earth and appeared as early as the Archean, which is the very first phase of the (newly formed) Earth, about 4 billion years ago. 
They were the first organisms to develop the ability to photosynthesis, canturing energy from sunlight and using it to convert water and carbon dioxide into organic compounds. This process releases oxygen as a byproduct. Through this process, cyanobacteria have played a crucial role over billions of years in enriching the Earth’s atmosphere with oxygen, which ultimately led to the evolution of oxygen-loving life forms, such as those we now know across the entire planet.

EARTHWORMS

These deserve to be the “bring-up-the-rear” group, as their importance can hardly be overstated. A great biologist like Charles Darwin (the man behind the theory of natural evolution) dedicated his last major book to them!

The natural behavior of these animals can significantly improve the quality of your plants. These creatures dig small tunnels underground, allowing water to spread more easily through the soil. This makes it easier for plants to absorb water and grow even better. The tunnels also ensure that more oxygen enters the soil, leading to stronger roots. Moreover, the soil stays fresh because earthworms eat everything. They are true scavengers that break down plant material, as well as leaves, plant debris, and other dead matter—and they then excrete all of this “processed” material, ensuring that, thanks to their hard work and large numbers, there are always fresh nutrients in the soil and the soil also retains its aeration.

============

Yes, a teeming world, perhaps even more densely populated than the world we humans inhabit, and where their fertile and intelligent cooperation might even serve as an example to us humans!


Johan Muijtjens
late March 2026

OUR EARTH: ONE LIVING WHOLE

 THE BATTLE STILL CONTINUES

The battle, namely, whether our Earth is largely 'dead' and can be used at will—or whether it is essentially one large living entity, to be treated with respect and care. Is the Earth a huge, lifeless sphere of iron, nickel, carbon, tin, silicon, etc., with a very thin layer of living matter, with a few interconnected, large holes of water, and covered by a slightly thicker layer of gas: nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and more—or is it more? Why?

We all know by now that this isn't a theoretical question. The concerns of many about the abuse of our Earth revolve primarily around this: simply a utility object or a kind of "partner" for us humans? Also living? Also having rights? Completely interconnected?

Over fifty years ago (in 1972), the Club of Rome published its major report, "THE LIMITS TO GROWTH." That report didn't even address life and rights, etc., but simply described how we humans are using the Earth far more than it can "keep up." Our increasing exploitation, with all its side effects, is overextending its potential and, even worse, undermining the Earth's (restoration) potential.

Interestingly, even before that report appeared, a hypothesis was put forward from a completely different perspective, namely (micro)biology, that would significantly influence our view of the Earth. Initially, it was heavily criticized, but after a few decades, it was and is increasingly recognized as correct and even highly valuable: the so-called GAIA theory.

THE GAIA THEORY

The GAIA theory is a scientific theory that posits that the Earth and all its biological, geological, atmospheric, and chemical components work together as a single, self-regulating system. This idea was introduced in the 1970s by the British scientist James Lovelock, with contributions from the American microbiologist Lynn Margulis.

James Lovelock states: "The Earth could be alive, not like a sensitive goddess pursuing a purpose and possessing a vision, but alive like a tree, existing in silence, never moving or shifting, yet flowing with the wind, endlessly communicating with sunlight and the soil. It needs sunlight, water, and nutrients to grow and change. Yet all this happens so unnoticed that the old oak tree in the meadow is the same to me as it was when I played under it as a child."

There has been considerable understandable criticism of this theory (initially still as a hypothesis), but especially in the 21st century, the GAIA theory has been further developed and has gained even greater appreciation in light of climate change and environmental issues, all of which point to—and can only truly be understood by—assuming a total interaction, in which everything (and therefore at all levels) is interconnected and interacts with everything else.

    [A side note: the choice of the name 'GAIA' was perhaps somewhat unfortunate, as it is the name of the Roman goddess of the earth, leading one to think that the earth is 'feminine' or has divine qualities. Simply calling it EARTH is actually quite beautiful.]

Many insights have grown in recent decades, particularly through the emerging sciences, such as Earth system science, biogeochemistry, and systems ecology. Most scientists don't view the theory as a literal description of a "living" Earth, but rather as a useful framework for increasingly understanding the interactions between living organisms and their environment—leaving metaphysical and spiritual considerations aside. It revolves around fundamental questions, such as:
* What is (biological) life, and what constitutes a living being?
* How did that life arise during the evolution of our Earth?
* Is our Earth truly a single, coherent whole?
* And if so: Is there mutual influence between the living and the non-living?

First of all: What are LIVING BEINGS?

Living beings can be described as organized genetic units that possess metabolism, reproduction, growth, and evolution, forming a self-functioning entity while simultaneously interacting continuously with their environment. In other words, and more simply: a self-contained system that maintains itself, grows, and develops, and does so in interaction with both its "living" and "dead" environment. This description can be applied at all levels, from the smallest single-celled creatures to the most impressive plants and animals, including humans, our human body with all its diverse functions. But you can go way down to microbes, which you also find, in abundance, inside rocks and which also fit the description, even though things sometimes "work" very differently than in ours.

EVOLUTION of life and CO-EVOLUTION

The evolution of life itself from inorganic matter has remained a great mystery until now. This utterly fascinating question has inspired an incredible amount of research and has yielded various theories, but remains a mystery, even though this "leap" has been reduced to very small steps.
But how, for example, a highly complex DNA molecule came into being remains a mystery.
The Gaia hypothesis, based on the existence of life, now suggests that organisms co-evolve with their environment. That is, living organisms influence the non-living (a-biotic) environment, and that environment, in turn, influences living organisms. They don't just co-exist, so to speak, but are interactive, constantly influencing each other, thus working together. We can imagine this to some extent.

But it becomes more complex when you consider the course of Earth's geological and biological history. At this point, Lovelock demonstrated how, over millions of years, bacteria, which developed in a very warm and acidic environment, "lived" on sulfur compounds and produced the gas methane, gradually evolved into other microorganisms that thrived in more temperate conditions and, with the help of carbon dioxide, now produced oxygen (instead of methane). This ultimately resulted in a completely different atmosphere on Earth (with much more oxygen) in which more complex life became possible and which ultimately thrived to such an extent that plant and animal life could develop in the incredible richness we know today.

EVERYTHING AS ONE WHOLE ?

That is a third important element in the hypothesis/theory: not only that it concerns living beings, here and there, or that these develop together with their inorganic environment, but that this applies to our planet as a whole. The entire planet in all its diversity. Could you truly call our Earth a single living being? Is all organic and inorganic matter truly interconnected in some way, and does it all contribute to life in all its dimensions?

Of course, we can't verify this piece by piece on our planet. But we can establish that processes are occurring literally globally (i.e., across the globe), all of which, miraculously, contribute to optimal conditions for (higher forms of) life—of which we humans are perhaps the highest development to date.

GLOBAL PROCESSES

This can be viewed and determined in many different ways.
Here, we choose a few phenomena that all point in the same direction of coherence and interplay, all aimed at creating optimal conditions for life.

Perhaps the first and most striking aspect is what meteorology reveals: how the weather system truly encompasses the entire Earth and therefore influences everything. Within and beneath this system, many more processes take place. We will describe a few of these processes, primarily to clarify and confirm the overall picture, not to exhaustively demonstrate or prove everything. We will look at climate regulation and temperature stabilization, the importance of liquid water, the composition of the atmosphere, and the salinity of the seas. These are some of the crucial factors that create the optimal conditions for biological life—and which, conversely, are partly brought about by biological life. This reciprocity is precisely what is intriguing about the Gaia theory!

METEOROLOGY

Meteorologically, the Earth is one large, interconnected mechanism, in which the atmosphere, (large) bodies of water, and (large) land masses constantly interact in various ways (through temperature, humidity, matter, movement). The photo of the Earth, taken during a lunar flyby, clearly shows how winds, hurricanes, (ocean) currents, winds, and weather patterns interact around our globe.
Incidentally: Meteorologically, everything still seems to be related to ordinary matter: it's about air, water, sand, rock, heat, and cold. But what about the interplay with living beings? For that, we need to look a little deeper, both literally and figuratively.

CORE IDEAS

The core of the GAIA theory is, as already mentioned, that the Earth functions as a single living organism that maintains its own equilibrium. This means that biological processes and non-living elements (such as oceans, the atmosphere, and rocks) work together to create a stable environment that supports life and contributes to the habitability and viability of Earth. Here are five factors:

1. Climate regulation: Microorganisms, the absorption capacity of the oceans, and the absorption by plants influence CO2 levels in the atmosphere, which in turn has a major impact on climate.

2. Temperature stabilization: Reflection of sunlight by clouds and large ice masses contributes significantly to stable temperatures. This so-called albedo effect is currently a major concern because it is gradually decreasing due to the melting of large ice masses.

3. The preservation of liquid water in the hydrosphere (everything related to water). Liquid water in particular is probably the most important element of and for life, at all levels, from the simplest cells to the most highly developed organisms.

4. Stable salt content (salinity) of seawater, which makes and maintains the life of marine animals possible.

5. Oxygen balance: The oxygen level in the atmosphere remains within a range suitable for (animal) life, thanks to photosynthesis by plants, which absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.

We will elaborate a bit on these five wonderful natural balances here.

CLIMATE REGULATION AND TEMPERATURE STABILITY

The sun's energy, and therefore its radiation to Earth, has increased by 25 to 30 percent since the sun formed. However, the entire Earth system (which cosmologically formed shortly after the sun) has adapted well to this and has not become "overheated." Fluctuating between higher and lower limits, it has remained "habitable."
Unfortunately, after all those millions of years that nature has maintained its balance, we have now reached a time (especially in the last two centuries) where we humans, by producing copious amounts of carbon dioxide and releasing methane from the Earth's crust (via global warming), have reached a situation where nature can no longer keep up. Hence all the current actions to reduce carbon dioxide production and develop procedures to utilize "inexhaustible" and non-polluting energy sources, such as wind, water, sunlight, and geothermal energy: the so-called energy transition.

SALTINESS OF THE OCEANS

For biological life, the salinity of the water, in which virtually all life has developed and continues to develop, is crucial. It is therefore striking that the salinity of the oceans has remained constant for hundreds of millions of years, at around 3.5%.
This is astonishing, because "salt" is constantly being added, for example, through erosion or the weathering of mountains (chemical breakdown processes), which brings more and more "salt" into the seas via the rivers. Yet, the salt content of the oceans has remained broadly consistent. It has been discovered that several (micro)organisms respond to increasing or decreasing salinity and (ingeniously) correct it. Coral reefs are also known to absorb salt from their surroundings and release it as needed for their own survival and that of other animal and plant organisms around. Lagoons, for example (where the sea occasionally overflows), also play a role, because seawater stagnates and evaporates there, and the salt precipitates on site, thus being extracted from the ocean. In these ways, the conditions for a well-functioning ecosystem are apparently maintained.

ATMOSPHERIC OXYGEN CONTENT

There is also a stabilizing mechanism that keeps the oxygen content in the atmosphere constant. This content has been stable at approximately 20 percent for many millions of years. In addition, our "air" contains 79 percent nitrogen, along with small amounts of other gaseous components such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, water vapor, and the noble gas argon.
One would expect that this oxygen content would decrease due to various forms of oxidation, i.e., reactions with oxygen, such as the rusting of metal objects, forest fires, and the like. But that's not happening. Primarily through the process of photosynthesis in green plants, which releases oxygen. Nature continually adjusts to meet needs—and has done so for many millions of years, allowing all animal life, in particular, to flourish. For at least a billion years, the oxygen level has fluctuated somewhat, but remained essentially constant.

FINALLY

It may surprise us that, after all the turbulence in the long process that gave rise to stars, spiral nebulae, our sun, and finally the planets around it, there is one planet on which—once again, after a great deal of initial turbulence—a beautifully stabilized state has emerged.

A state in which biological life has emerged and developed in an unimaginable richness and beauty, and in which that life continues to creatively progress, even through several phases of extinction (the extinction of life forms). Perhaps even more astonishingly, it has been discovered that "life" is not "passive," but constantly and actively participates in this entire balanced development process, which (as described earlier) is called co-evolution.

In all the stabilization processes described above (climate, temperature, liquid water, salinity, and oxygen levels), biological "partners" are constantly involved. It is one large dynamic system, in which the biotic and the a-biotic continuously collaborate. And then we haven't even mentioned all those wondrous balances in the world of the 'larger' plants and animals, in which the material (i.e., the a-biotic) is always fully integrated.

Apparently, all of creation has been designed for life from the beginning. The entire universe, in its possibilities and its ultimate destiny, is biophilic, life-loving. We don't immediately see this in the stars and galaxies, but, after a very long and eventful development, it is now abundantly clear on our dear EARTH – once lovingly called GAIA ...

The battle for the 'identity' of our EARTH continues, but let us at least grow in the realization that GAIA deserves much more respect and care !


Johan Muijtjens
March 2026