How does a girl get started changing climate change?

So much to do, so little time! That's the good news, time is our friend. Time, when compressed, can create a sense of urgency. And in an emergency having a sense of urgency is a survivable tactic. It is time for us each to take whichever actions we can to shape-shift our finest climate future.

What brings you joy? What are you good at? What needs to be done? These three questions are from Ayana Presley Johnson's Venn diagram from her compelling TED Talk. My joy is speaking up, standing up, for all our relations in Earth. So what is yours to uniquely do? TEDxVailWomen invites you to speak up this Sunday. Register here in advance and apply code forward to enter for free.

Simultaneously, in a mentoring session with TOP CO-op The Oxygen project, when participants were highlighting how bad the world is and feeling powerless, on another screen Chris Anderson was talking about Infectious Generosity. What might we do if we redirected the massive trillions of dollars subsidizing fossil fuels to renewable energy production, storage, and distribution? These are the three parts of being mindful they were suggesting:

Earthing/Grounding: the act of making skin-to-skin contact with Earth. Listen to The Minimalists Podcast Episode 340: Grounding (the link is to Spotify but you can listen by searching wherever you get your podcasts). 

Walking Meditation/Mindful Walking: a form of active meditation that can be anything from strolling in your neighborhood to hiking a mountain – it’s all about the presence you bring to walking. 

Forest Bathing: spending time immersed in nature. Read Time Article -‘Forest Bathing’ Is Great For Your Health Here’s How To Do It . 

Right now I have just given a 3-minute statement to the Bureau of Land Management asking them to not sell leases to oil and gas extracting companies with 6-mile directional underground drills in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge. where the Gwich'in say "This is the sacred place where life begins." The mission of BLM is: The precautionary principle demands that we think about these future generations in the decisions we make today. WILDerness has 4 qualities of the designating land includes natural, untrammeled, undeveloped, and opportunities for solitude. I started by asking, "What is it going to take to protect this wilderness?" I testified in 2008 with Sara James in the Gwich'in asking to leave the development of the 1002 ANWR alone. Decades of lives and thousands of miles flying to ask you to do the right thing take care of the land, take care of the water, take care of the people. ANWR is wilderness. The development of oil & gas industrial infrastructure is simply inconsistent with wilderness. I got a second chance to speak up and said it is time for us grammas to stand up with and for each other. I understood the frustration of the Canadian Gwich'in grammas that they had been taking care of their land and each other their entire lives and the need to rely on each other for survival in their community was strong. I asked them to imagine a land that is full of wild relations, where the herd roams as they need freely, of clean clear sparkling waters, of mountains and plains untouched by industry. Living in the right action is an energy of goodness, in balance and alignment with the porcupine caribou herd, being secure in cultural traditions. What we can do with regulation when policymakers are called is to balance peaceful right relations with all beings.

There are many levels of being involved. From making more thoughtful personal attitudes and behaviors to running for office where you can participate in the democratic decision-making that makes policy. Whatever level you decide to make a climate contribution, there are millions standing with you. Choose your place. Choose your way. The time is now. We are the ones. Wherever you are is your place. Let's go together. We belong to each other.