Today's the Day

Today’s the Day

Day after day, I read about deadly decisions of politicians, judges, and business men to take tomorrow way from my son’s sons, away from salmon returning to spawn, away from native Alaskans living off the land. Today’s the day I remind those choosers, mostly men, of life-giving clean water, air and water, of the serenity of living in a wild place, of the wealth we enjoy from the natural resources of our home. This woman sees Alaska as the last great unspoiled spot in North America. Our waters are not cruise ship havens ready to be sucking up invasive species. Our air is not worth breathing when it carries the poisoned fumes of methane burn-offs. Our land is no longer wilderness when we directionally drill and build roads.

Today’s also the day a nationally recognized eco leader, who happens to be 16, reported that her “i Matter” lawsuit against the state of Alaska to take immediate and drastic action to address climate change was dismissed. What does an adult ally say to the disappointment of a young leader who is tasting the sting of prejudicial thinking narrowly and disrespectfully dismissing her call for action for her future. For the water, air, and land she and her offspring will need to live, deadly in dismissal not only to her idealism, but in fact to her family’s survival.

What day was it that women gave in to the guys carrying power? Too long ago and too many generations before I was born. But today’s the day this woman can say, “No way! Who’s going to stand in the way?” Again I requested of Pebble Goldmine, a proposed 20 mile wide open pit gold mine that would forever damage the last great wild salmon fishery, Bristol Bay, to let me see the place they want to take the money and run. They are making the economic case as a way of coercing support. But who among those mining executive will ever live in the place they will build two 750 high earthen dams in a seismically active zone. Imagine the size of that. Imagine the wild birds attracted to those toxic reflective tailing ponds. Imagine the return to innocence which will never again come. Once the permit is signed, the die is cast, the community is split, the place will never again be pure. Women it is time to stand for the wild places.

Nature Needs Half to survive and for humanity to thrive. We just have been listening to the wrong master. The banker, the buck, the bully are not my masters. Women we can stand up. Speak clearly. The grandmothers are with us. The 13 International indigenous Grandmothers call for reconciliation. I say great, but let’s be precautionary with the wild places before they are gone. Give nature its due. Just because we can does not authorize we should. Grandmother Drum is now beating around the planet her deep tones of healing. Elder women we hear you and with your strong wisdom we are beginning to stand one woman at a time. And now is the time for this woman to stand up, speak up, and sway with an outreached hand to my next sister, wherever you are in friendship, and say that you are not an outlier. We are joined together to be stronger for nature, in our womanly nature, to live in the community of Earth, including elements and climate and migrating animals and voiceless mountains and priceless wild places.

So enough complaining, today’s the day for action. I write, I post, I walk, I call, I TEDx (Technology, Entertainment, and Design independently organized ideas worth spreading event). I just returned form Qatar where TEDxSummit gathered 700 of the most committed passionaries to share ideas, exchange resources, and gather in the name of good. Minor miracles made themselves noticed multiples of moments. Peace prevailed among Pakistani’s and Indians. Women and men spoke on equal footing. We talked about ways of solving some of the most pressing problems facing humanity today. Yes, big ideas bubbled up, vulnerable voices were heard, gratitudes exuded from intensely solution-oriented leaders. I share this to say, this is one way we women can have our communities strengthened. This is a way to include those young voices. This is a way to bring in the judge and jury and let them relax into a future of big beautiful ideas. If you have a TEDx in your community consider yourself already living in a place where bright ideas shine. If not, ladies get up and get organized. So often decisions are made from ignorance. TEDx in your town can inform us all to a higher level of living on Earth.

f women had more X, we’d be birthing humanity balanced within nature.

In partnership with the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), World Pulse is collecting personal stories outlining women’s experiences and recommendations on sustainable and equitable development for presentation at the Rio +20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.

All stories submitted on our community platform between now and June 3, 2012 will be presented at the Rio+20 Conference. Additionally, selected entries will be published in World Pulse’s digital magazine and distributed widely to international media partners.