Fifty years ago, Bermuda was a different place.

We were a people rooted in effort, connection, and shared responsibility. Families worked together. Communities were strong. We built homes side by side. We raised our children within the villages we created. We developed lodges, sports clubs, and churches to meet our needs. We created opportunities for ourselves, and we thrived as a result.

Our economy was growing, driven by a tourism model we shaped with intention, creativity and pride. Our service industry was vibrant. Our arts and entertainment scene was alive. Skilled trades were respected. People knew how to work with their hands, with each other and with purpose.

Life was far from easy but it was grounded, connected and strong.

Today, in many ways, that reality feels distant, almost like a dream.

We have moved toward comfort, convenience and consumption. In in doing so, we have slowly drifted away from the very practices that once sustained us.

We have become less connected to the land, less connected to our food, and less connected to each other. As a result, the consequences are now visible to all of us.

Today, Bermuda is heavily dependent on imported food.

That means our ability to feed ourselves is no longer fully in our control.

It is influenced by global supply chains, rising fuel costs, geopolitical instability and conflicts far beyond our shores.

When shipping routes are disrupted, when energy prices rise, when global production is strained, the effects reach us, quietly but directly. Prices increase, availability tightens and vulnerability grows.

This is far from speculation. It is the reality of how modern systems function.

And for an island like Bermuda, it carries real risk.

In the absence of food security, our independence is reduced, our resilience is weakened and our future becomes uncertain.

And yet, despite all of this, there is something we must remember:

We already know what to do.

We know everything required to strengthen our position, to rebuild resilience, and to reconnect with what sustains us.

As Bermudians, our history shows that these are age-old ideas and practices we have long lived by. We know how to grow food. We know how to support each other. We know how to build strong communities and we know hard work. Therefore, what is required now is not invention. It is awakening.

With that in mind, it is important to acknowledge that Earth Day and Earth Hour are far more than symbolic gestures. They are moments that ask us to look honestly at where we are and to decide how we move forward together. The question is no longer whether we understand the issues. It’s clear that we already do. The key question at this moment is whether we are willing to respond.

We must begin to shift our priorities. To value and protect what sustains us and to rebuild our connection to the systems that make life possible.

That means supporting local farmers and fishers, taking steps to produce our own food, reducing dependence by building resilience, being mindful of what we consume, spending more time in nature, rebuilding community connection and taking responsibility for the health of our environment and ourselves. These ideas are far from radical; they are foundational.

Through the science of life, we have always known the wisdom of simple practices. Walking is medicine. Breathing is medicine. Stillness, gratitude, connection and time in nature are medicine too. The laws of nature remind us that healing begins with rhythm, awareness and returning to what is natural.

A walk clears the mind and gently moves the body. Deep breaths calm the nervous system. Gratitude softens the heart. Kindness and connection restore a sense of safety. Morning sunlight and time on the earth help the body remember its natural balance.

These simple practices calm overstimulation, cool excess intensity and gently awaken stagnation. They regulate the nervous system and create the inner conditions where healing can happen. True medicine is often freely available, waiting to be noticed and engaged.

What we are facing is not only an environmental issue. It is a lifestyle issue. A cultural issue. A human issue. We have been conditioned to believe that ease is progress. However, ease without awareness leads to disconnection and disconnection leads to imbalance.

We know we have options. We know we have knowledge. We know we have capacity. What we now need to face is the fact that our awareness must become action. Because what we prioritise shapes what we protect and what we protect determines what remains.

Balance supports life. Connection strengthens it. Action sustains it.

We look forward to welcoming the community to a collaborative Earth Day Celebration at Victoria Park from 11 am to 3 pm on Wednesday, April 22, for a day of reflection, learning and shared purpose. See you there.

• Eugene Dean is chairman of Greenrock