Your Cause, Your Joy, Your Team
By Jim Ganley
Eighteen months ago my life was enriched when I became the co-sponsor of the Environmental Action Team at my high school. I was thrilled to get the position – but I also suspect that I was the only applicant. 🙂
Wyrd?
As an environmentalist, I am a novice, enthusiastic amateur. I’m a long-time English teacher and rowing coach who hasn’t thought much about science since first-year chemistry – where I broke so many test tubes that the friendly lab assistant gently suggested I consider a different path.
As an adult student of the Climate Crisis – despite the immense challenges and daily tide of dire news – I find joy in working alongside inspirational teenagers and colleagues.
American biologist Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson’s Ted Talk “How to Find Joy in Climate Action” and the accompanying Venn diagram, modelled on the Japanese concept of ikigai (a reason to live) have been great catalysts for me and my fantastic teenage colleagues. The Venn encourages us to find the intersection of 1) what we’re good at, 2) what brings us joy, and 3) what needs to be done. For me, that was 1) coordinating projects, 2) working with teenagers, 3) bringing greater environmental awareness and action to my school community of 800 students and staff.
Our Environmental Advocacy class works to understand the complex challenges of the Climate Crisis – and then, as quickly as possible, channel our new knowledge, collective energy, and individual enthusiasms into projects, large and small, that provide solutions. The students choose passion projects ranging from pollinators to recycling, food waste, fast fashion, fall fruit harvesting, organic farming, clothing swaps, beach & trail cleanups, and environmental career exploration. My co-sponsor and I work to facilitate their projects with an eye on the impact/difficulty matrix – to get the biggest bang for our activist buck!
Speaking of my remarkable co-sponsor, Murryn, be sure to find and foster allies. The immensity of the task to address the Climate Crisis means we require everyone’s help: their skills, passions, energy and time. Help others to find their sweet spot in Dr Johnson’s Venn! Also, looking the Climate Crisis in the face takes an emotional toll – sharing the journey lessens the burden and increases the joy.
We have learned to celebrate our victories, large and small. Every step in the right direction builds momentum, community, and hope. We ensure our work is well publicized and our allies get credit.
And, as much as possible, we make the work communal and fun. Early on in our process, Lauren, a sage seventeen-year-old, announced “Sir, if we’re going to do this, it needs to be fun.” Her wisdom has been a game-changer. Our group is conscious of regularly enjoying ourselves, laughing together, and sharing good news of our accomplishments, those in our community, and internationally.
And speaking of “Think Globally, Act Locally”, the disproportionate impact of the climate crisis on women and girls aligns the goals of environmentalists and feminists. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change reports that “Women often face higher risks and greater burdens from the impacts of climate change in situations of poverty and due to existing roles, responsibilities and cultural norms. For example, in many societies, women are responsible for household energy, food, water and care for the young and elderly.”
What greater moral duty do we have than to leave our children a world that is more just, equitable, peaceful, and healthy than the one we inherited? The climate crisis, with the threats it poses to food production, water supply, public health, and security, is the challenge that will define our age. If we get it wrong, our children and grandchildren will suffer immeasurably. If we work together, right now, to get it right, the benefits for the common good will be the stuff of legend.
Find your environmental cause, your joy and your team. They are out there!