What’s in a Name: The Meaning Behind “Aria Earth”
Dylan Saroza
I write the things 🤓
Hi Aria Earth Community, Dylan here!🌱
When I first joined Aria Earth, one of the first things that piqued my curiosity was the name. I mean, “Aria Earth”? It sounds nice and cute, but what does it actually mean? Sure, “Earth” makes sense—we’re fighting climate change through tree planting internationally (we have planting sites in Mauritius & the US)—but “Aria”? That had me stumped – no tree pun intended but nevertheless appreciated. So, I decided to do a little sleuthing – setting up a meeting in Google Teams – and I’m excited to share what I found!
Recently, I sat down with Vedant, a cofounder and the creator of the name, to get to the bottom of this mystery. Let’s break down what’s in this name.
Part 1: What is an “Aria”?
First, let’s talk about the word “Aria.”
To be honest, I’m not a musician (I was pretty good at the recorder in third grade, but that’s about it). So, I’ll keep it simple: arias are solos in opera, usually accompanied by an orchestra. These moments in the performance allow the character to express their emotions, motivations, and desires. They are used to communicate the inner voice of a character, cutting through the noise and connecting with the audience.
Naturally, I assumed Vedant knew this when he named the organization “Aria Earth,” but nope! Turns out, he didn’t. I had to pause our conversation right there and ask, “Wait, you named the organization Aria Earth and you don’t know what an aria is?” He looked at me and just shrugged. “I just thought it sounded pretty!”
At first, I rolled my eyes, but then I had a thought. Whether intentional or not, an aria symbolizes our ideals at Aria Earth.
Here’s the thing: In a world overwhelmed by climate dread, we want to be like an aria. We want to cut through the noise and be a voice of hope in the fight against climate change. We want to communicate clearly and transparently with our supporters, to ensure they understand where their contributions are going and how their support is making a difference.
So, while Vedant may not have known the musical significance of an aria at the time, I think it’s a bit serendipitous and actually works very well as our organization’s name. As we grow, we aspire to be a voice that stands strong—just like an aria in opera, full of passion and purpose.
Part 3: “Earth” & Advocating for the Voiceless
But we also recognize that human beings aren’t the only inhabitants of this planet. So let’s dive into the “Earth” part of the name. I mean, that cat on your lap, the succulent that you forgot to water for months but is still hanging on somehow, those fun guys in the soil, that rat in Paris with aspirations of becoming a chef, we all share this planet and we have a duty to treat the Earth with respect and take care of our environments. Stick with me here, but humans are also animals, look no further than acclaimed best-seller Everybody Poops to uncover a commonality between us and other animals. However, other animals aren’t flying airplanes or drilling for oil, so we as people need to take responsibility for our collective actions and give back to the Earth. At Aria Earth, we try to act with respect for our communities but also the natural world. This is why we work hard to work with local farmers and provide income and work with local farmers as well as developing Miyawaki forests that can act as long lasting habitats for local biodiversity.
Tying everything together, I thought it would be good to end this post with an anecdote from Vedant’s Grandmother. Back in Mauritius, his grandma was a certified badass! She was empathetic, outspoken, financially independent, and a business owner! She had and ran a goat farm. One misty morning when she was babysitting a young Vedant on the farm, she pointed to the goats and said “ The goats don’t have a voice. Speak for them. Take care of them. Be a voice for the voiceless.” Just as Vedant’s Grandmother spoke for the voiceless goats, we at Aria Earth are trying to advocate for the many voiceless species of our planet and protect their ecosystems.
Wrapping It Up: How You Can Help
So, there you have it! The name Aria Earth reflects our mission in a few different ways: we aim to be a clear, hopeful voice in the fight against climate change, we believe in the interconnectedness of all life on Earth, and we strive to protect the environment and its most vulnerable inhabitants.
And if you’d want to be our G.O.A.T., we’d love for you to get involved. Please consider donating if you are willing and able to; any amount helps! Or sign up for our newsletter or do both haha! If you have any questions feel free to reach out to us at hi@ariaearth.org or email me directly at dylan@ariaearth.org and we/I (that’s a little trippy) will get back to you ASAP!
Thanks so much for reading—and I hope this post gave you a little more insight into the name behind our mission. Until next time!
P.S. Feel free to contact us at hi@ariaearth.org with any questions you have or comments & we will get back to you as soon as we can!
Aria Earth is a non profit, tax-exempt charitable organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are Tax-deductible as allowed by law.
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