“Why are people not talking about something that matters to them so much? Even if we agree it’s real and it’s serious, talking about it can be discouraging and depressing. There’s too great a risk the conversation might devolve into a screaming match or end up leaving everyone overwhelmed by the enormity of the problem. We want to talk about it; we just don’t know how." -- Katherine Hayhoe

I talk about climate A LOT! In all kinds of groups and settings. It's not that it gets easier per se, especially as I put myself in more and more rooms with different viewpoints, but here's some experiences I had this week that I hope will help you in your next conversation.

Acknowledge Earth Is Our Home

Spring has been pretty sunny here in PDX.

Then on Sunday, the days started to be...well...spring-like.

Moments of rain. Moments of sun. Clouds of a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes.

Then yesterday, someone complained about the "lack of sun."

Now I get it.

As mammals, we love the warmth and our vitamin D. The freedom to frolic outside with bare skin and without a care. Count me in as one of them!

But what if, we connected with the cycles of our planet more?

Honored the den-like quality of winter. Honored the temperament of spring growth and fall harvest. Honored the high energy celebration of summer. Even in the comforts of HVAC systems....

Just imagine for a moment.

My response was...

I'm grateful for the 2 days of rain. Living in a temperate rainforest, we need it to keep all this lusciousness vibrant and healthy.

How would you do it?

Discover Your Earth Archetype

ClimArts organized a lovely (monthly!) group online writing session today.

Moderated by the community Manager Secil Honeywill, she encouraged us to consider the idea of "borrowing."

Growing up in Istanbul, it's something she witnessed and participated in regularly. But now notices how infrequently and even stressful it can be for her.

So it made her wonder...."Why?"

My head quickly went to ideas about "sharing." Sharing ideas like brainstorming or networking connections. Sharing objects like libraries or public transit. Sharing space like housemates or hostel bathrooms.

For some reason, that felt very present in my life. And to be blunt, safe. Control was still often present in some way.

But borrowing...that feels more...vulnerable.

So much so, that even when Secil shared the writing prompt, I found myself staying distant from it. Writing about the "why" behind the vulnerability rather going into it with the detail of story.

Until finally, after reaching the end of my 3rd page of my habit of writing 3 Morning Pages in the tradition of The Artist's Way, I finally wrote...

And now, I take a deep breath. I needed to get all that out before I could perhaps, just maybe, be vulnerable to "borrow" my own story of borrowing. I close my eyes. Trying to imagine the object in my hands. Feel it. Hold it. See it. A book that still gathers dust on my bookshelf...

So, no I turn to you, my dear. What does borrowing bring up for you? Does it change based on your Earth Archetype?

Here's Secil's prompt to help:

Think of something you once borrowed or that someone borrowed from you. Maybe it was your neighbor's ladder, your aunt's winter coat, a cassette tape, a rolling pin or a pair of shoes you only meant to wear once. Maybe it was a recipe scribbled down and passed along, or a book that never found its way back. What was the story behind it? Who did it belong to first, and where did it end up? Was it something you treasured, or something practical? Did borrowing it bring you closer to someone?

Would love to hear your thoughts and/or story!

Work Together in Community

Last night, I was in a room full of clean tech start up type folks. From electric semis to smart HVACs to pricing apps for EV charging in rural areas to compostable tableware made out of leaves. It was a place full of big dreams, innovative ideas, and economic goals.

Then this morning, I was in a zoom room with associate editors for the new journal Earth Stewardship. We are hashing out how exactly to create a scientific, scholarly journal that breaks the bonds of such traditional (and quite frankly colonial) frameworks. In an fairly academic way, we explored... How can we create a journal that is truly about a rigorous transdisciplinary process to co-produce knowledge and to link it to action?

Each has their own goals for how to get people not in the room to participate.

For the clean tech folks this may range from investors to app users to truck drivers -- this means focusing on elements that drive economic decisions. From ROI for the investors to adoption of the app to the truck drivers asking for the electric semis because they are easier to navigate in urban traffic -- plus a a whole lot quieter on their ears.

For the journal folks, they want to earn the respect of colleagues in order to shift the paradigm of science, research, and ecology. And though the colleagues they know best are fellow academics, they are wanting outliers like me to help them open their scope to artists -- plus others from indigenous populations, the global south, and more.

As a Metaphor Earth Archetype in these rooms, I found myself bringing up 3 words over and over as a key element to consider...

Storytelling. Creativity. Imagination.

What rooms do you find yourself in? How are you seeking to invite others in? What is your Earth Archetype that will help you do that?

Take the quiz to find out!