~ Editor’s note: Irene Cook is part of The Society of Fearless Grandmothers group working with all ages to combat Climate Change.
www.fearlessgrandmotherssb.org
By Irene Cooke
Our collective choices and actions are creating the planet we will gift to future generations. Do we want those future generations to say, “What were they thinking?!?”
Instead, let us give our descendants reasons to say: “Thank goodness they came to their senses and brought Earth back to life!” Coming to our senses means embracing the awareness that we are part of Earth’s living system of interdependence, that our survival depends on Regeneration, a rapid shift from our growth-obsessed economy to a life-sustaining society.
If this shift seems daunting, listen to the sage Joanna Macy who says, “Action is the antidote to Despair.”
Our Vision: The planet we want to gift future generations is one that, within its ecological limits, can meet the needs of all living beings, so that social systems and ecosystems can thrive together: a world where the dominant purpose is to build togetherness to regenerate and maintain all life on Earth.
This planet will meet the needs of all its people: food, water, energy, health, housing, education, income and work, justice, political voice, and social equity, without “disposable people” or “sacrifice zones.” The good news is that we already have the means to heal the planet and address the climate crisis, with solutions that will improve both ecosystems and social systems.
What do Regenerative Agriculture, Solar Farms, Education of Girls, Indigenous Land Management, Marine Protected Areas, Wetlands, Kelp Forests, and Wind Turbines have in common?
They are some of the data-based solutions for reversing global warming, documented with research published in the book, “Drawdown” and its sequel, “Regeneration.” These visionary works describe inspiring projects that have already been implemented and are ready to be applied on a larger scale to improve our farms, oceans, cities, food, forests, energy systems, and quality of life.
Our Role: Regenerative solutions need to be put into action rapidly and at scale. And there is much more work to be done to rein in our destructive, business-as-usual, extractive economy.
In the aftermath of the COP26 travesty, it is critical for everyone to ramp up our activism. As Paul Hawken says in “Regeneration” “Hundreds of millions of people need to realize that they have agency, that they can take action, and that collectively it is possible to prevent runaway global warming.” Collectively!
We are all in this together, friends. What talents can you contribute? What is your passion? Where are you investing your time and financial resources? There is a role for everyone in the Regeneration movement.
The climate crisis presents an exciting opportunity to regenerate our planet and create a just and livable world, a gift we will be proud to give future generations. Are you in?
Hawken asks, “If putting the future of life at the heart of everything we do is not central to our purpose and destiny, why are we here?”