Sustainability Tips
Resources I've found helpful in my own sustainability practices.
Climate Change
Check out these NEW resources:
Nature is always telling us about the world we share—and these days conservation scientists are really listening. From dolphins in the Indian Ocean to the enormous Western Capercaillie in Europe, new methods and tools for listening to the environment are revolutionizing biological research and accelerating conservation efforts around the globe. See how the astounding science of bioacoustics is reshaping conservation.
This story originally appeared in bioGraphic magazine.
Other resources:
From my Indigenous colleague, Dawn Newman, who pointed out this resource from IAF Facilitation Week a while ago, “Developing an Indigenous Informed Facilitation Practice”:
A facilitator just won the 2023 IAF Impact Award for using facilitation to start this organization: https://globalcommonsalliance.org
UN tips for taking action for climate solutions: https://www.un.org/en/actnow/
Common Earth - a community for a post-carbon caring society: https://www.commonearth.com/
10 New Insights in Climate Science 2023/2024
Eco-grief: How to cope with the emotional impacts of climate change
Addressing and Coping with Climate Grief: A Toolkit for Group and Individual Use (PDF Download)
Here is a great Native led organization (First Nations Development Institute), I found out about by my ToP USA colleague, Kim Howe. They have a branch (Tribal Lands Conservation Fund) devoted to Indigenous led climate change.
En-ROADS is a freely-available online simulator that provides policymakers, educators, businesses, the media, and the public with the ability to test and explore cross-sector climate solutions. Their website hosts a workshop that states:
Visualize the impact of different climate solutions in real-time, using the En-ROADS Climate Solutions Simulator—a user-friendly climate model. We'll use En-ROADS to explore the impacts of cross-sector solutions—from carbon pricing to energy efficiency, to innovations in new technology—and learn about how to create equitable transformation. The En-ROADS Climate Workshop is a free event and is a great remote learning experience for people of all backgrounds and expertise. We encourage you to invite your co-workers, community group, family, students, or anyone else who comes to mind.
Find out more about the simulator and how your policies might impact climate here.
A webinar I attended recently talked about the importance of not listening solely to news feeds for climate change news. The stories are rarely hopeful nor do they provide solutions. This webinar was hosted by Stephanie Cairns, currently at the University of Guelph, Ontario, and it was about reminding us of resources and stories that are hopeful. We MUST remain hopeful to enact change. If we are too discouraged, we give up fighting for this precious planet’s life and all our lives – especially those of the younger generation and those to come.
Here are some key resources to consider:
Protecting Wildlands
I attended an amazing online conference in April 2023 led and presently by mainly indigenous peoples from around the world. The concept was on "Unfencing Fortress Conservation" and how we need to change that. I was ignorant of the history behind conservation that has led to hindering rather than helping sustain our planet and the original peoples. Below are just a few fascinating articles that they offered at the conference.
Please take a moment to do more research yourself and rethink how you might support caring for and protecting wildlands without taking away indigenous rights to that land.
https://www.global-focus-50x50-indigenous.org/
https://shop.survivalinternational.org/products/the-big-conservation-lie-book
https://www.whiteswanenvironmental.org/longhouse-restoration.html
https://www.whiteswanenvironmental.org/longhouse-restoration.html
https://www.fao.org/indigenous-peoples/our-pillars/fpic/en/
https://thenaturalhistorymuseum.org/what-is-red-natural-history/
Book Recommendations
