Posts
Bioneers was something I knew both existed, and something I dearly needed. I'm not sure about you, but in the process of learning about environmental health concerns and the overall circumstance of climate change has done a number on me. I have never felt so utterly helpless and pessimistic in humanity's ability to change what needs to be changed in order to save our planet and the future generations that will inhabit it.
Enter, Bioneers. Having grown up in a community heavily rooted in Hippie collectives and a strong emphasis on all things natural, tie-dyed and sustainable, I'm quite familiar with this subpopulation. Each and every day at the Bioneers conference in San Rafael started with drumming and dancing. I'm not kidding. I'm talking barefoot, uproarious drumming on stage while the majority of the crowd gyrates their hips to the melodic rhythms and throws their arms to the sky, drifting upwards and downwards like falling leaves. As I stated above, demonstration is a familiar story, and welcome one.
The best way to surmise my Bioneers experience is by stating that in the face of global climate change, I have never been in a room so full of glasses unanimously half full. As Annie Leonard (yep, woman behind The Story of Stuff) shared on the second day, "Hope is the best antidote to despair, an orientation of the spirit, and the ultimate form of resistance." Every speaker has a message to share, but one that fixates and emphasizes the true capacity of humanity's potential. Rather than despair, each and every lecturer had only optimistic outlooks on addressing climate change.
This doesn't mean talks were all daisies and candy, they addressed some of the most pressing problems affecting our world today. But they all had wonderful ideas to share about ways we can truly facilitate change, which I desperately needed in order to reinvent my take on climate change. Bioneers, to me, more resembled a celebration of the lives and worlds that westernized culture has diminished and nearly extinguished, than a conference. Each time co-founders Kenny and Nina spoke about Bioneers or introduced a speaker, they'd thank the Miwoks, the original natives of Marin County, for allowing them to speak on their land. I haven't seen such celebration of indigenous peoples in a very very long time, and it was refreshing and beautiful to see again.
Kenny is a very warm individual who has a pretty phenomenal way with words. Please check out his essay on Epic Change, which he shared on the first day. Let's just say he started off as describing Bioneers as "certified orgasmic".
I understand this all sounds perhaps a tad overtly liberal, but its undeniably real and hopeful. These are individuals who are awake to the circumstance of climate change and celebrating what they can do to address it. Lets introduce some of the wonderful speakers I had the chance of seeing.
Malik Yakini, of the Black Community Food Security Network of Detroit had an absolutely moving talk about the current situation of food deserts in Detroit. He shared his ideas on addressing racism, how to think beyond the logic of capitalism, and the creation of a sustainable food system.
Paul Hawken is an author, environmentalist and entrepanuer. He shared some wonderful ideas on corporate sustainability. He talked about how easy it is for people to get overwhelmed when critically thinking about climate change (or climate disruption as it was first termed), how we have the innate sense to catastrophize the future. We find it easy to imagine apocalypic futures and difficult to see the numerous, incremental changes that lead to revolution. He's of the mind that pointing and blaming others makes you no different than them in the first place. His talk was incredible!
Barbara Sattler (hopefully this name rings a bell) and two colleagues had a wonderful talk about climate change and health. Dr. Sattler's talk was wonderful because she outlined the multitude of ways in which nurses and other health practicioners have taken tangible, steps in reducing waste and eco-fying hospitals, and how these steps can become leaps. She shared the story of a student who created a program recycling batteries that became institutionalized within the hospital and she even got a job out of it (so all you Sattler students out there, you could be in a future lecture of hers if you start something exciting right now!)!
Oh man, I want to share each and every talk with you, but I have a paper to write, so ask me! I'll tell you about all of the hope that's out there because I wasn't sure it was either until Bioneers. I've got my tie-dye and kombucha ready for next year!
Enter, Bioneers. Having grown up in a community heavily rooted in Hippie collectives and a strong emphasis on all things natural, tie-dyed and sustainable, I'm quite familiar with this subpopulation. Each and every day at the Bioneers conference in San Rafael started with drumming and dancing. I'm not kidding. I'm talking barefoot, uproarious drumming on stage while the majority of the crowd gyrates their hips to the melodic rhythms and throws their arms to the sky, drifting upwards and downwards like falling leaves. As I stated above, demonstration is a familiar story, and welcome one.
The best way to surmise my Bioneers experience is by stating that in the face of global climate change, I have never been in a room so full of glasses unanimously half full. As Annie Leonard (yep, woman behind The Story of Stuff) shared on the second day, "Hope is the best antidote to despair, an orientation of the spirit, and the ultimate form of resistance." Every speaker has a message to share, but one that fixates and emphasizes the true capacity of humanity's potential. Rather than despair, each and every lecturer had only optimistic outlooks on addressing climate change.
This doesn't mean talks were all daisies and candy, they addressed some of the most pressing problems affecting our world today. But they all had wonderful ideas to share about ways we can truly facilitate change, which I desperately needed in order to reinvent my take on climate change. Bioneers, to me, more resembled a celebration of the lives and worlds that westernized culture has diminished and nearly extinguished, than a conference. Each time co-founders Kenny and Nina spoke about Bioneers or introduced a speaker, they'd thank the Miwoks, the original natives of Marin County, for allowing them to speak on their land. I haven't seen such celebration of indigenous peoples in a very very long time, and it was refreshing and beautiful to see again.
Kenny is a very warm individual who has a pretty phenomenal way with words. Please check out his essay on Epic Change, which he shared on the first day. Let's just say he started off as describing Bioneers as "certified orgasmic".
I understand this all sounds perhaps a tad overtly liberal, but its undeniably real and hopeful. These are individuals who are awake to the circumstance of climate change and celebrating what they can do to address it. Lets introduce some of the wonderful speakers I had the chance of seeing.
Malik Yakini, of the Black Community Food Security Network of Detroit had an absolutely moving talk about the current situation of food deserts in Detroit. He shared his ideas on addressing racism, how to think beyond the logic of capitalism, and the creation of a sustainable food system.
Paul Hawken is an author, environmentalist and entrepanuer. He shared some wonderful ideas on corporate sustainability. He talked about how easy it is for people to get overwhelmed when critically thinking about climate change (or climate disruption as it was first termed), how we have the innate sense to catastrophize the future. We find it easy to imagine apocalypic futures and difficult to see the numerous, incremental changes that lead to revolution. He's of the mind that pointing and blaming others makes you no different than them in the first place. His talk was incredible!
Barbara Sattler (hopefully this name rings a bell) and two colleagues had a wonderful talk about climate change and health. Dr. Sattler's talk was wonderful because she outlined the multitude of ways in which nurses and other health practicioners have taken tangible, steps in reducing waste and eco-fying hospitals, and how these steps can become leaps. She shared the story of a student who created a program recycling batteries that became institutionalized within the hospital and she even got a job out of it (so all you Sattler students out there, you could be in a future lecture of hers if you start something exciting right now!)!
Oh man, I want to share each and every talk with you, but I have a paper to write, so ask me! I'll tell you about all of the hope that's out there because I wasn't sure it was either until Bioneers. I've got my tie-dye and kombucha ready for next year!
No comments:
Post a Comment