ORIGIN Magazine Issue 26 by THRIVE. ORIGIN + MANTRA Magazines

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CONTENTS SIDE ONE

SIDE TWO

The danger of ambition, the sexiest thing, time spent apart, not wasting your life complaining, and the importance of living in the present

On why she must stay healthy, meditation, being more self-aware and being inspired by everyday interactions

Three poisonous things, loving failure, no shortcuts, doing the work, and the fallacy of winning

32 The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top wildlife, nature, and culture photographers

Artists. Entrepreneurs. Social-Good Leaders. Musicians. Filmmakers. Revolutionaries

On authentic music and art, getting in the best shape of his life, his new album, and doing what you love

Spice it up for the holidays

Calling for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050

Actress and model Joy Bryant talks to ORIGIN about her passion for helping others, her commitment to taking risks, and her travels to cambodia with international nonprofit, Oxfam

A world free from AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria

Sending signals to wildlife traffickers: enough is enough

Syrian refugees shine in their own darkest hour

The day people power defeated Shell Oil

On how our hearts are more powerful motivators than our brains, how activists need to get the facts right, and remaining hopeful for the future

Racing our own extinction

CLIMATE CHANGERS Reshaping the world to deal with the climate crisis siDe TWo

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 9

origin issue 26 ORIGIN TEAM

EDITOR’S LETTER # : Keystone XL Pipeline Victory A couple of years ago, I flew to Washington, D.C., to get arrested. Bill McKibben and Daryl Hannah said that we’d all stand shoulder to shoulder together to fight for clean energy and stop the devastating Keystone XL Pipeline. I held a black Sharpie in my hand and prepared to write phone numbers on my body to call from jail. It was freezing. Painfully cold. I never thought we really had a chance against the money and power of oil lobbyists and companies that control so much of our political system. Today I sit here at my desk in tears. We really did it. We stopped what could not be stopped. I learned that sometimes you must fight for what is right, even when you think you can never win. This month the president announced there will be no pipeline. We won. # : Join Me in Paris: The Climate Movement: COP We’re headed to Paris for a gathering of world leaders for the biggest climate summit, COP . We’re putting together one of the largest art installations in history under the Eiffel Tower, lighting it up with human energy. A signal. A sign. A movement. A warning and a declaration to our politicians everywhere. We will vote you out of office if you sell us out to the fossil fuel industry. We cannot outspend dirty energy, but we have the numbers. Our project will be covered by media in more than 85 countries. We’ll be listing daily activities, meetings, and art projects on our home page throughout COP , December 4–12, 2015, at originmagazine.com. Send info on your events to director@originmagazine.com. Our site will be a hub for anyone interested in this epic gathering who wants to connect and collaborate. # : Bernie and Mark. Seriously? How cool is that? Mark Ruffalo’s interview is one of the most honest, raw, and concise interviews we have ever run. I’ve waited three years to feature him, and it’s pretty epic. His love, passion, and commitment to improving our world is one of my main inspirations. When I walked with him last year in New York City at the climate march, I was deeply moved by his generous spirit and enthusiasm. A big thank you to Senator Bernie Sanders for talking candidly about the urgency of climate action, prison reform, and the danger of a corporate-funded government. # : Women Are the Bomb I believe that women rising together will change this planet more than anything else. Women with depth, tenacity, and substance. The more we love and support powerful women, the better this world will be. # : Boundary Issues I believe in cracking every glass ceiling. We can’t ever do anything big in the world as long as we need validation and approval. The bigger you shine and the more you do, the more people will talk. Expect people who have never met you, who don’t understand your heart, vision, or passion, to talk smack about you. Get ready and go anyway! We have big, beautiful work to do in this world, and we can’t be worrying about what people are going to say.

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Maranda Pleasant Twitter: @marandapleasant CREATIVE DIRECTOR Melody Tarver EXECUTIVE EDITOR Paul D. Miller/DJ Spooky SENIOR EDITOR S. Jacob Scherr COPY EDITOR Colin Legerton ECO EDITOR Ian Somerhalder ANIMAL EDITORS Barbi Twins CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Leilani Münter Moby Laura Dawn Osprey Orielle Lake Shari Sant Plummer GLOBAL YOUTH EDITOR Ocean Pleasant COVER PHOTOGRAPHY BERNIE SANDERS Marius Bugge MARK RUFFALO Matthias Vriens-McGrath CONTACT US HEAD NINJA editor@originmagazine.com ADVERTISING ads@originmagazine.com IDEAS ideas@originmagazine.com

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on The Danger of ambiTion, The sexiesT Thing, Time spenT aparT, noT WasTing Your Life CompLaining, anD The imporTanCe of Living in The presenT Only Duran Duran can get away with a seven-minute title track that offers electro grooves, hand-waving harmonies, and upbeat lyrics about the world going to hell in a handbasket. Welcome to the party that is . The Brit band that gave us its eponymous first album in 1981 now gives us not only the always-excellent combination of lead singer Simon Le Bon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, bassist John Taylor, and drummer Roger Taylor, but also stellar collaborations on their new album, including a moving ballad, “What Are the Chances?” with a wiry solo by former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante, and the synth-happy “Change the Skyline,” featuring singer Jonas Bjerre of Danish rock band Mew. also features Janelle Monáe, Nile Rodgers, Kiesza, and Lindsay Lohan, but its relevance lies more in its optimistic mood than its star power. ORIGIN caught up with Simon Le Bon to find out more.

KYW: You’re one of the only bands who never complained about the transition of the music industry from the old ways to the new digital world. SLB: Complaining doesn’t make a difference; it’s useless and it’s wasted energy. We’re very pragmatic. Our time is best spent figuring out how to work within the new framework. That’s just our basic philosophy. And also, I think Duran Duran has always tried to exploit change. When we started, we learned how important video was, and we really exploited the new technology. Throughout our career we’ve used that kind of approach to everything.

Kristi York Wooten: What was it like working on with producer Mr. Hudson, a Kanye West and Jay-Z collaborator who hails from your home turf of Birmingham, England? He was in diapers when you recorded “Girls on Film” thirty-four years ago. Simon Le Bon: Ben Hudson gave us a huge amount of confidence. When I listen to , what I hear is space. He gave us the confidence to use quiet as a sound. KYW: Speaking of sound, Roger said that harks back to an earlier sound in your career and that your funky, Nile Rodgers-produced 1986 album, , was used as a starting point for the new songs. SLB: I don’t tend to think of as looking back to another album. We wanted to make a sexy dance record. We wanted this album to have danceability, because there’s nothing better than having girls dancing to your music. I think it’s the most satisfying, wonderful feedback that there will ever be for us in this world. It’s always great when Roger and John get a beat really locked in; everything seems to fall in place. It’s fun making dance records.

KYW: You and Nick Rhodes are the only members of Duran Duran who have not left the band at some point. Original guitarist Andy Taylor left in 1986, returned in 2001, and left again in 2006. Roger and John have had spells outside the band as well. The group has weathered several lineup changes, but four of the five original members are playing together on , your fourteenth album. You’ve known each other for more than three decades. You must have a strong bond. SLB: The years we spent apart have made us really appreciate each other, not just as players and as people to work with, but as friends. It was so wonderful when we all got back together in 2001. And it’s really a shame that Andy is not [in the band], but it just wasn’t working. Apart from that, we do trust each other and we trust each other musically. I think it’s important when you make a record that you know you’re working with the people

who are going to get the best out of you. I think that’s how I feel about them. Nobody pushes me like Nick does—nobody. He really, really pushes me hard. But then John does, too. Roger is different; Roger gives me solace. [ ] KYW: in some ways feels like a modern record by a solo artist—everybody’s playing as one entity. And then you’ve got collaborators like Janelle Monáe, Lindsay Lohan, and Jonas Bjerre, who sings on “Change the Skyline.” SLB: Yes, Jonas is such a lovely singer. His voice sounds like the cream on top of a cup of coffee. We’ve never done an album of collaborations before. It’s the first time for us. It may be the only time. I think we’ve got good timing as a band. We timed this record well in many ways—not just by putting it out now, when there’s a bit of a hunger for Duran Duran… but also because we made the decision when we started that we weren’t going to put a deadline on it. We basically made the record and then took it to a record company to see if we could get ourselves a deal. The timing just worked perfectly. There’s a rhythm going on in the background of this band. There’s a solid kind of tick that’s happening—a heartbeat. KYW: Where do you go from here, with your personal goals or your goals as a band? SLB: Ambition is a funny thing. You can completely screw yourself with it if you’re not careful. You can set unachievable goals, and you can end up missing out on your life because, in some ways, ambition is kind of living in the future. You’ve got to make sure that you make the best of the day that you’re in. You don’t really want to be always thinking about the future, always thinking about where you’re heading for. You’ve got to think about how you’re getting there. For us, it’s simple: we make an album, we want to get it into people’s minds, into their homes, into their ears, into their heads, and we want to go out and play it. The fact that we’ve done it for thirty years doesn’t make it any less interesting and exciting. We’re very happy with where we are, who we are, and what we do. PHOTO: STEPHANIE PISTEL ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 13

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Empire Actor

ADAM RODRIGUEZ on reading food Labels, Three phrases to Live by, to Win for Love, forward Thinking, and how We’re all in This Together INTERVIEW: ROBERT PIPER

Robert Piper: What inspires you? Adam Rodriguez: Inspiration comes from so many things that it’s hard to define what that is or when it happens. It’s always been a strong feeling that comes over me in a given moment, and it feels like hope, desire, strength, magic, excitement. A supreme motivation to create or do something special. To win for love. And my hope is to incite that feeling of inspiration in as many other people as possible. To receive and pass along that baton to anyone willing to carry it further. I guess the answer to the question would be I’m inspired by the work of those (and sometimes even the people themselves) who strive to inspire. RP: What is the hardest obstacle you’ve had to overcome in your life? AR: They all seem like the hardest in the moments you’re faced with them. Because obstacles will always present themselves, the hardest obstacle of all is developing a way of living, a way of practicing your approach to life that allows you to keep a healthy perspective on things. A perspective that allows you to consistently make decisions based on the right set of criteria. Positivity and forward thinking. I work on that one every day, and every day I get a little better. Better at knowing that there is no obstacle that I cannot overcome. Nothing I can be faced with that I won’t grow mentally stronger and wiser from having endured. Feeling alone is what most likely sparked this way of thinking. Realizing that everyone (consciously or subconsciously) feels

14 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

alone too—but no matter what, we’re actually ALL together—is what has helped evolve my way of thinking about it. Life feels less lonely, and that’s a big obstacle to overcome. RP: How do you stay healthy? AR: I pay attention. I pay attention to what I eat and to how I balance that with physical and mental exercise. The same way I want to spend time filling my mind with the best information I can acquire from the best sources I can obtain, I also want to consume nourishment from the best sources for my body. We all have choices that we are empowered to make on a daily basis, and while those choices can be limited by affordability and accessibility, we still have the opportunity to make our best choice. That best choice usually requires more effort and more thought, but, undeniably, the results are worth it. What you eat, how much you exercise, what example you set for those you influence are all matters of choice. Consistently making that best choice will add up to living your best life. Your health is the key to that. [It’s] hard to fully enjoy your time on Earth without having your health. Ask anyone battling health issues—most especially, issues that could have been avoided. For me, I read food labels, I seek out places to purchase the best-quality foods available to me, and I inquire about how they are produced (meats and fruits/vegetables). I try not to overeat (which is my biggest problem), and I find that when I’m eating quality foods from good sources, I don’t need to overeat to

feel satisfied. I cook with healthy oils (olive, coconut) and stay away as much as possible from overly processed foods. When I do indulge, I enjoy it. For that moment. And then I balance it with exercise. Staying healthy is about really listening to your mind and body. They will both let you know when you’re doing things the right way for you. And when you’re not. You just need to be honest with yourself and listen to what they’re saying. RP: What’s the best advice you could give someone about life? AR: Three phrases that I do my best to live by: 1. The Golden Rule: Do unto others (as in people, Mother Nature) as you would have done to yourself. 2. Truly know thyself, and to thine own self be true. 3. Have dreams/goals and never quit working toward achieving them. RP: What projects are you currently working on? AR: I’m currently living in the great city of Chicago and having fun working on a tiny little show called . Lol. CSI: Miami Law & Order Empire.

“

because obstacles will always present themselves, the hardest obstacle of all is developing a way of living, a way of practicing your approach to life that allows you to keep a healthy perspective on things.

”

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COUNTRY MUSIC SUPERSTAR

on WhY she musT sTaY heaLThY, meDiTaTion, being more seLf-aWare, anD being inspireD bY everYDaY inTeraCTions

INTERVIEW: ROBERT PIPER

Robert Piper: What inspires you? LeAnn Rimes: Oh, wow, big questions this morning! God, you know what, I guess just humanity. Every day of my life is going out in public and seeing people’s lives and listening to stories—all that kind of stuff musically inspires me. And living life, I mean, my two stepsons, my husband, I think every day-today interaction inspires me—as far as music goes—inspires my art. RP: How do you stay healthy? LR: Many different things. Health to me is an overall mind, body, and kind of spirit thing. I work out often—I switch back and forth between Pilates and circuit training, and then boxing. I’m a bit ADD when it comes to that because I get bored, so I like to switch it up. I also take a lot of supplements. I’ve battled psoriasis; I’ve had an autoimmune disease since I was two. So I’m very vigilant about taking care of myself and eating right and what I put in my body. It’s something that I had to be aware of since a young age. So health is a big deal. I also meditate; I kind of try to reduce stress that way. LEANNRIMESWORLD.COM 16 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

So, I’ve got all the bases covered at the moment. RP: How do you find inspiration when creating music? LR: I think that really it is just about being aware and a little more self-aware. Which can be a good and bad thing. But also just kind of aware of your surroundings. I am incredibly emotionally aware and connected with other people. You know, when you come see me live, you can see that different kind of connection and that connection with what I’m saying, and the things I’m singing about. So it really is about just keeping my eyes open. Like I’ll get into conversations with other people, and all of a sudden they will say something that sparks that… either the titles to me, or just the conversation itself will spark an idea for a song. Or even listening to a lot of other music inspires me, too. Like I’ll find something and be like, “I love this group!” And I want to write something that’s kind of like this. So it’s really, I mean, inspiration is everywhere! I think you just have to have your eyes open.

RP: What projects do you have coming up? LR: I have a Christmas album that will be out called , and I just finished that, which I’m touring right after Thanksgiving on the West Coast. So I’m doing a Christmas tour and I’m working on new music for just another record and a few other things. This year is kind of a growth year for me to really, you know, just kind of sit back and create. And that’s what I’ve been doing in many different facets of business other than just music. There are a few other things that I’ve been working on. It’s really just about sitting back and creating, which has been nice because I haven’t really had a time like that where I was working on something new. I’m really excited for all the new stuff. I finished my record deal—I was with the same record label for twenty years. I finished that about a year and a half ago. So I’ve really just been figuring out where I wanna go, what I wanna do, and what I wanna sound like. It’s been fun.

PHOTO: SARA HERTEL

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Robert Piper: What inspires you? Tricia Helfer: I am inspired when I see goodness in other people. I am inspired by hard work and honesty. And I am inspired by nature. RP: What is the hardest obstacle you’ve had to overcome in your life? TH: I think sometimes the hardest obstacle is yourself. I can certainly be my own worst critic and oftentimes forget to enjoy the here and now. Physically, the hardest obstacle I have overcome was severe back issues. [This] resulted in finally getting surgery to replace four discs, which changed my life back to active—which is how I am happiest.

“

Do noT expeCT anYThing; There is more To be gaineD bY earning iT.

”

RP: How do you stay healthy? TH: I have always been physically active. I grew up a tomboy and [was] into sports, so staying active is something that I enjoy. I get antsy and annoyed if I am sedentary too long. I mix up exercise—yoga, Pilates, hiking, running, and weights. I also eat well. I do not eat meat or poultry have not since I was eighteen. I eat vegetarian. I am just drawn to clean eating, and although I do not deprive myself of sweets or French fries once in a while, my body just feels better if I give it good fuel to work with. RP: What’s the best advice you could give someone about life?

Battlestar Galactica, Razor, and Suits Actor

TRICIA HELFER on Working harD, pLaYing fair, anD overComing obsTaCLes, inCLuDing herseLf inTervieW: roberT piper

TH: Well, I am still learning, myself, but I guess I would say to be aware of what is around you. Do not expect anything; there is more to be gained by earning it. Work hard, play fair, be kind to all living creatures, and take a moment to just sit back and breathe. RP: What projects are you currently working on? TH: I filmed a movie called earlier this year and did a couple small comedy bits on and . Predominantly, though, I have been working to try and get a project going—a series of books that I love. Dark and twisted, but [it] would be oh-so-much-fun to play. So I have been working behind the scenes a lot this year. Looking forward to hopefully bringing this character to the screen soon.

Galactica, Razor, Suits

Dark Blue.

Battlestar

PHOTO: RUSSELL BAER 18 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

Empire Actor

seraYah

praCTiCing paTienCe

keeping hope aLive

INTERVIEW: ROBERT PIPER

Robert Piper: What inspires you?

RP: How do you stay healthy?

Serayah: Testimonials of people getting through difficult times in their lives. I get so inspired listening to people talk about the journey their life has taken them on as they follow their life dreams. It’s amazing how life can change in an instant. It feeds my faith. I know that all things are possible for those who believe.

S: I try to have a balanced diet. I work out at least five times a week, and I meditate often. I also play basketball and dance all the time. I also try other things, like boxing and yoga, to add something new to the mix so I don’t get bored with just one or two workouts.

RP: What is the hardest obstacle you’ve had to overcome in your life? S: Financial struggles and self-identification.

“What’s for you was always yours, but faith without work is dead. ”

RP: What’s the best advice you could give someone about life? S: Never, ever give up! Just when you are about to quit, all you have ever dreamed of can come true in the blink of an eye. Wait, practice patience, and stay full of hope and

expectancy. What’s for you was always yours, but faith without work is dead. RP: What projects are you currently working on? S: We are filming the second season of I’m so busy with that and I’m also currently working on my own personal music for my soonto-be-released mixtape. I can’t wait to perform and release my music as Serayah I am so excited!

Empire.

SERAYAHLOVE.COM ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 19

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ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT ’S

inTervieW: roberT piper

NANCY O’DELL on kinDness, inCLusion anD respeCT,

The speCiaL oLYmpiCs, Losing her moTher, anD raising aWareness for aLs

ALS.NET 20 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO: EVINE LIVE/STEPHANIE DAVIS KLEINMAN

Robert Piper: What inspires you? Nancy O’Dell: Well, I just actually spent an entire weekend with the Special Olympics and doing a bunch of stuff with them. I did the opening ceremony, and then I did the “sports experience” yesterday. And so, honestly, I have to say—and [it] sounds predictable— kindness. Because the Special Olympics, like having to see that yesterday, it’s so much about inclusion and respect for people. And I think that’s another thing that inspires me. I think so many times people forget how important that is. I was with one of the kids yesterday doing the “sports experience,” and after I was done, that athlete was so concerned with the umpire and making sure that we thanked him, and making sure that we included him in the photo. And I was like, isn’t that cool? That Special Olympics is all about inclusion and respect for all people. And making sure that nobody feels left out, and he was so conscious about that. You know, when someone works hard at something like that and they’re kind to people, that’s very inspirational to me. RP: What is the hardest obstacle you’ve had to overcome in your life? NO: The death of my mom, for sure. I still don’t feel like I’ve overcome it all, and I still struggle with it on a daily basis. I mean, we were just really, really close. So, you know, I’ll even think, “Oh, I’m gonna tell Mom that!” and then I realize so often I can’t. Because we would talk every single day, and I was just really close with her and she was just such an incredible mom, and she was there with me every single minute of my life. And so, she passed away from ALS, like two days shy of my daughter turning a year old. RP: You’re a big advocate for ALS now, right? NO: I am. I just became the spokesperson for

ALS.net. The Ice Bucket Challenge is coming back around, and they do so much for research with ALS and trying to find a drug and trying to find a cure. There’s really only one drug that is out there right now, and it really doesn’t do much other than extend one’s life by a month or so. So there’s really some research that needs to be done. That’s why the Ice Bucket Challenge was amazing! So I’m very honored to be able to do that. And Augie Nieto, who is kind of a well-known figure in the ALS world, has been living with ALS for about ten years. He’s very involved in the forefront of research. So I’m looking forward to working with them… hopefully doing some good and helping them raise awareness for funding and research. You know, hopefully no one else will have to go through what we did. RP: What projects are you currently working on? NO: Well, I’m really excited because I have a clothing line coming out with EVINE [Live]. It was started by an incredible group of executives; you can shop online, you can shop on TV, and, you know, it’s like I have to report so much on the current trends and on the fashion. And I have to work so much on , and so often I’ll have people write in and say, “Hey, where did you get your dress?” you know, or “Where’d you get your shoes?” and “Where’d you get that?” So it will be fun to say, “It’s actually from the Nancy O’Dell collection.” It will be fun to finally be able to say that. We’ve had a lot of fun; we’ve been, like, sifting through my closet, and I’m like, “I like this, I like this.” And it’s been great; I like to call it “elegance with an edge.” Because it’s great—it kind of works within your career, and then it can transition into a school meeting, if you’re a mom. Or going out to meet someone for dinner; it works for that. You can add one piece or take off another. It works for all those different phases of one’s life.

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THE VAMPIRE DIARIES + THE ORIGINALS STAR

Daniel Gillies on Three poisonous Things, Loving failure, no shortcuts, Doing the Work, and the fallacy of Winning inTervieW: roberT piper

Robert Piper: What’s the best advice you could give someone about life? Daniel Gillies: Do your work. I love to watch my daughter. At twenty-two months, that little soul is developing at a rate I will never understand. She’s kind of taught me that growth and expansion are a person’s natural state and inclination. When she falls, she rises. When she holds something, she really studies its dimension and form. When she wants something, she’ll find a way to get it or throw the fuck down. When she communicates with you, she’s not simply learning to navigate the language of words, she’s also mastering emotional nuance, gesture, tone, cadence, humor, movement, and hundreds of other personal and cultural idiosyncrasies we rarely acknowledge or see. If she can’t say a word, she relentlessly rehearses it until her perfect little mouth and lips form the structure of a sound, together with the brand-new instruments of her hard palate and tongue. She has no pride. She has no ego. She doesn’t think she is terrible or worthless if she doesn’t do something well. She doesn’t know what a word like “sin” even means. I hope she never does. She can identify love. She lives from moment to moment and pursues joy with everything she has. She is uncompromisingly true to her desire. Her

desire is everything that nature intended. In short: she’s a genius. Most infants are. They’re indomitable, fearless, and completely in harmony with a cosmic proclivity for growth. They’re heroes because they walk directly through adversity with love and ardent resolve. What happens to us? We are taught to want a thing. We are taught that having that thing will make us happy. We are taught that having it immediately is the answer. We are taught a corrupted version of success. And love. And fulfillment. We are taught that hardship is the anvil upon which we are beaten into beauty. We are not taught that some of our greatest moments are some of our most difficult. The romance of circumvention is one of the most destructive forces at work in our society. The freeway to greatness, Instagramming one’s way into popular consciousness with selfies of our ass folds beneath short shorts, human growth hormone and performance-enhancing drugs for athletes, Adderall for the idle mind, reality television that sacrifices our dignity for fifteen lousy minutes… It’s all just venom to the soul and symptomatic of a larger issue: the idea of the shortcut. The result without the fight. The fight is the thing. The work. PHOTO: WARNER BROTHERS

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“It’s all just venom to the soul and symptomatic of a larger issue: the idea of the shortcut. The result without the fight. The fight is the thing. The work.

”

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 23

Daniel Gillies

THREE POISONOUS THINGS 1) The Dominion of Distraction. At every turn you have to find a new kind of selfsovereignty over your environment. Every kid I see is at the mercy of Periscope, Twitter, or an Angry Bird of some description. People are shackled to their mediocrity by companies and businesses who want to consume your life with theirs. 2) Malevolent Inertia. This prevalent and pervasive waiting, particularly among young people, as though the determining forces of this world were luck, money, and the correct moment. Which is, of course, complete horseshit. You have to declare war upon this falsehood. Whatever you want is as elusive as you make it. 3) Art as Competition. We are contaminated with the idea of “winning” and defeating others. Indoctrinated by parents, schools, and our ubiquitous media, hammered with a lie: The only way to be truly triumphant is if we are dominant before supposed “competitors” rather than beautiful before ourselves. If you do your work, eventually there will be a spark. A fire. A blaze. If you devote yourself entirely to a pursuit, there is no way you cannot find beauty and fulfillment. Love the failure. Fuck the shortcut. Do the work. Begin. RP: What projects are you currently working on? DG: I do a television show called . I am writing the movies I will direct when I am not doing . I have a son and a daughter that shoot magic at me from every direction.

Diaries, The Originals

Spider-Man 2.

The Vampire

“If you devote yourself entirely to a pursuit, there is no way you cannot find beauty and fulfillment. Love the failure. Fuck the shortcut. Do the work. Begin.

”

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MAD MEN AND THE WALKING DEAD ACTOR

ON THE TRANSPORTING QUALITIES OF MUSIC, HIS HEALTH YO-YO, AND LIVING TO YOUR FULLEST POTENTIAL INTERVIEW: ROBERT PIPER

Robert Piper: What inspires you? Josh McDermitt: Everything. I know that sounds like a cop-out answer, but I find inspiration in literally just about everything. As an actor, I have to watch people and observe their behaviors—this is how I create characters. My daily surroundings feed my work, whether it’s something I’m working on right now or it’s something down the road. Music, art, landscape – these are all things I draw inspiration from. Music is very transporting. I’ll hear a song for the first time and I rarely listen to the lyrics. I picture that song playing as a soundtrack to a movie, or even just in the background of someone’s life. This all sounds weird, but I have an active imagination, and music opens the floodgates of that area of my brain. RP: What is the hardest obstacle you’ve had to overcome in your life? JM: Myself. I stand in my own way on a daily basis. I don’t know if this is something I will ever overcome completely, and I’m oddly okay with that. That’s not to say I’m okay

with standing in my way and in turn allowing it to impede my progress, but I’m okay with the struggle of overcoming obstacles despite myself. RP: How do you stay healthy? JM: I’m on a constant yo-yo of health. I will go a week eating incredibly clean, but then I’ll follow that up with a month’s worth of binge eating. Then I hit the gym and eat clean, and then I mix it up with core exercises, yoga, Pilates, and sitting on an incline bench while checking my phone. For my mind, I try to reduce stress by finding quiet time and meditating. Never underestimate the power of sitting quietly. RP: What’s the best advice you could give someone about life? JM: Stop trying to figure it out. I love puzzles, but when I’m done putting together a puzzle, I feel accomplished, and then I wonder, “What’s next?” Then I go start another puzzle. Life is a puzzle that I feel like we’ll never fully put together. And I like that

because, ultimately, I don’t want to have life figured out and then wonder, “What’s next?” That seems scary to me. I like to be surprised by life; it’s a good thing to search for the puzzle pieces. It’s human nature to work on ourselves, to get better in mind, body, and spirit, so there’s nothing wrong with trying to live life to your fullest potential. RP: What projects are you currently working on? JM: on AMC, where I play the role of Eugene Porter. This has been the most creatively fulfilling job I’ve ever been a part of, and I count every day I’m a part of it as a blessing. My work has been elevated just from working on the show, and I hope I can bring everything I’ve learned during my time there to my next projects. This show is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

in Mad Men,

The Walking Dead.

PHOTO: ISAAC STERLING ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 25

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Robert Piper: What is the hardest obstacle you’ve had to overcome in your life? Sanaa Lathan: It’s kind of an ongoing thing. I wouldn’t call it an obstacle, but it’s that thing of where you step outside of your comfort zone. I feel like people grow the most when they step outside of the box that they are used to. For me, it’s constantly challenging myself to step outside of my comfort zone. As soon as you do that, then you grow, but then you get comfortable again. It’s that consistent reminding yourself to step outside of that comfort zone. RP: What’s the best advice you could give someone about life? SL: In this day and age, especially with all the media and television, social media, and the Internet, we are constantly being compared and comparing ourselves to others’ lives and journeys. Keep your eyes on your own road. You can never be happy when you’re constantly comparing yourself to others. Keep your eyes ahead. RP: How do you stay balanced?

THE PERFECT GUY ACTOR

Sanaa Lathan

INTERVIEW: ROBERT PIPER

“

keep Your eYes on Your oWn roaD.

”

On Working Through Panic Attacks with Transcendental Meditation, the Danger of Comparing Ourselves to Others, and Challenging Ourselves Beyond Our Comfort Zone

SL: About a year ago, I started doing Transcendental Meditation. That really was a game changer for me. I was feeling a lot of anxiety; it even got to a point where I was having panic attacks. I had a rough year last year, and the doctor wanted me to get on medication, and I didn’t want that to be my first resort. I had learned to practice TM about four or five years ago, but I hadn’t really followed through with it. So I contacted my teacher, thinking maybe this could help. As soon as I started doing it, it’s like a veil lifted, and that was wonderfully grounding for me. I do it every day. RP: What projects do you have coming up? SL: I have out right now. It’s a sexy thriller with myself, Morris Chestnut, and Michael Ealy; it’s about a professional woman who really wants to have a family and meets a guy who is seemingly perfect. But then she realizes that all is not what it seems. Her life is turned upside down by having this man in her life. I also just shot a movie in London, called ; it’s a sequel to and includes Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Jesse Eisenberg. It’s a great cast. I had a blast working on that. That will be out next year.

The Perfect Guy Out of Time, Contagion

Powder Blue.

PHOTO: DEREK BLANKS 26 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

“I wish EVERYONE could wake up with a birdie on your shoulder, reminding them that this could be your last day.

”

inTervieW: roberT piper

SONS OF ANARCHY ACTOR

Robert Piper: What inspires you? Theo Rossi: My legacy. What lasting impact will I make on the world and those around me? What will I live my life for? How will I be remembered? I want to leave the world a better place than it was when I got here. I want to experience as much as I can in this very short life that we have. RP: What is the hardest obstacle you’ve had to overcome in your life? TR: Doubt. Doubt is probably the biggest obstacle to overcome. Once you rise above doubt, you are on your way to success. RP: How do you stay healthy? TR: I believe that a healthy lifestyle isn’t just a regular exercise routine or your eating habits, but a synergy of a healthy mind and body. To fuel my body, I am relentless about never eating anything that isn’t of this Earth. I have no interest in putting stuff in my body that’s made in a lab.

ON OVERCOMING DOUBT, CREATING A HEALTHY MIND AND BODY, SEIZING YOUR LIFE, THE VITALITY OF MOVEMENT, AND BEING FULLY PRESENT Movement is vital. Whether it’s running, cross training, hiking with the dogs, or walking the streets of New York, I am constantly active. I encourage people to pick up small habits like taking a walk after meals… we’ve become way too sedentary. Just move!

this could be your last day. As you get older, you see how rapidly the years and decades fly by, so I would encourage anyone, no matter the age, to seize their life and be fully present. Savor every moment and go after your dreams. Be relentless in pursuing your happiness.

For joy, I live by the mantra of surrounding yourself with people who make your life better… people who enhance your life and motivate you to be the best version of yourself. It’s not always easy, but I’ve had to make a conscious effort to remove people who are a lot of work and drain my energy... you know, those energy suckers we each have in our lives. It was a hard lesson to learn, but eventually I had to come to grips with the fact that I cannot solve everyone’s problems and lead them to a happy, fulfilled life. They have to figure that out on their own.

RP: What projects are you currently working on?

RP: What’s the best advice you could give someone about life? TR: I wish everyone could wake up with a birdie on your shoulder, reminding them that

TR: Following , I’ve been blessed to take on some really terrific characters, and I have three films coming out in 2016. The first is , my production company’s first feature film, which I produced and starred in. That comes out at the first of the year, and then I have from SONY/Screen Gems, and , which I just wrapped filming on for Universal/ Imagine. Gearing up for a big year! Sons of Anarchy, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Hawaii Five-0.

PHOTO: JAMES LAW ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 27

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THE CHASE ACTOR

Brooke Burns on not CrumBlinG When thinGs Fall apart, CreatinG opportunity From traGeDy, anD ChoosinG your Destiny INTERVIEW: ROBERT PIPER

Robert Piper: What inspires you? Brooke Burns: So many things—the first thing that comes to mind, I think, are people who are incredibly strong, and I mean that not physically, but spiritually and emotionally. People who are overcomers. I love hearing stories about, you know, people who are overcoming challenges in their life. And when you experience hardships, you can either fold or rally, and just by a paradigm shift in your belief system. When you choose to overcome something that could paralyze people, you have the choice to either let that happen or use that as a stepping-stone to something new and different in the future. And, in a simpler way, beautiful things like nature inspire me. Sunrise is my favorite time of the day. A sky full of stars can be very inspiring. Quiet moments where you’re alone with yourself and the beauty, nature, and majesty that God has created. That is pretty inspiring. RP: What’s the hardest obstacle you’ve had to overcome in your life?

Not being able to dance anymore [was the hardest obstacle]. But, at the same time, I

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“When you experienCe harDships, you Can either FolD or rally, anD just By a paraDiGm shiFt in your BelieF system.

“

BB: I broke my neck in 2005 from diving, and I would think that most people would assume that that was the hardest thing that I’ve had to overcome. Because my mobility was challenged, I was paralyzed for a short period of time. But that happened in 2005, and I feel like, in a lot of ways, that actually my skiing accident—when I was fifteen, I tore my ACL— was probably the hardest obstacle for me to overcome. It sounds bizarre, but I think it was because of my age. I was only fifteen years old, my identity was as a dancer, and my identity was challenged in a way, as a teenager, that I thought was life-threatening and devastating.

feel like that was one of the very first things that did give me that opportunity to say, “Are you gonna crumble here? Or maybe God has another destiny for your life and it’s a different road than what you think it is?” RP: What projects are you currently working on? BB: We just came out with the fourth season of for GSN, and our second for Hallmark Movies and Mysteries just aired. We will be shooting a third one in October, so we’re just now prepping and planning for that. Then I’m also working, actually, on a new jewelry line, something different for me and new—a spiritual jewelry line. PHOTO: DOVE SHORE

One Million! THANK YOU for helping JadeYoga plant 1,000,000 trees through our “Buy a Mat, Plant a Tree” program.

Let’s keep it going!

Dean Jerrehian Lives: Philadelphia, PA

Nature’s Best Yoga Mat Founder: JadeYoga Philosophy: Businesses can make a difference in the world Mat: Jade

Great grip. Earth friendly.

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 29

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MAD MEN AND TRUE DETECTIVE ACTOR

AbigAil Spencer Finding Her Artistic Voice Through Unconditional Love for Her Son INTERVIEW: ROBERT PIPER

Robert Piper: How do you stay healthy? Abigail Spencer: I try to be really balanced. I walk a lot, I wear a Fitbit, and that has really been a game changer for me. I get my steps, I eat whatever I want, I go to France and put on my bread-and-butter suit. Then I’ll be balanced, like I’m going to eat my salads for a few days. But I just try to be really balanced with my body. And that has been a good pact for me so far. RP: What inspires you? AS: Paris, France, inspires me. That’s it at the moment. And I love photography. Photographers and photos. I took a ton of pictures in Paris, and I find that I’m most inspired by following other photographers on Instagram. RP: How has having a child impacted your life? AS: It completely changed everything for the better. It oddly slows me down and yet speeds me up in a certain way. I’m much more still, and the quality of my life has increased. But the frenzy, you know, spinning my wheels, or just the lack of substance, waned. I became a more quality human by getting to be his mother and getting to love him. So it’s been amazing and it totally changed my creative

30 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

life, too. I really felt like I found more of my voice as an artist through unconditional love toward him. RP: What projects are you currently working on? AS: Well, I just wrapped a movie right before traveling to France called with Chris Messina. It’s just a wonderful, dark romantic comedy about two people who meet on a bridge in Chicago at the end of their road. Then I have this movie, , that just premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival. And we got such amazing reviews. I’m really excited to see what’s going to happen with that film. I’m very invested in it and in the filmmaker, Daniela Amavia. I also have two or three writing projects that I’m working on at the moment, and I’m

doing press.

came out in July and is airing, so there’s a lot of hoofing it right now.

Mad Men, Suits, True Detective Rectify. The Sweet Life.

“I became a more quality human by getting to be his mother and getting to love him.”

The Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

TOP WILDLIFE, NATURE, AND CULTURE PHOTOGRAPHERS The International League of Conservation Photographers PHOTO: WENDY SHAT TIL The International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP) includes in its fellowship an international cadre of some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top wildlife, nature, and culture photographers. Together, we work with conservation organizations all around the globe to visually document their efforts in protecting and conserving the animals, places, and cultures that make

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our planet so special. As we celebrate our tenth anniversary, we are thrilled to celebrate a decade of amazing collaborations and honor the work of our photographers and partners in iLCP Expeditions. For more information and to support our work, visit ConservationPhotographers.org.

The WorLD’s Top WiLDLife, naTure anD CuLTure phoTographers

oCTavio aburTo 2010 CHESAPEAKE BAY EXPEDITION WITH THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION

Historians say that Holland Island had more than 360 people around 1910, with two stores, a school, and a baseball team that traveled to other islands by boat. The century-old house in the picture was the last structure left on the island. It ultimately collapsed in October 2010, illustrating the Chesapeake’s problem with rising oceans and sinking land. octavioaburto.com

OctaviO a

keiTh eLLenbogen iLCP 2014 MEXICO MESOAMERICAN REEF EXPEDITION WITH COMUNIDAD Y BIODIVERSIDAD

I am passionate about the art of underwater conservation photography. On this expedition to the Mesoamerican Reef in Mexico, I focused on capturing inspiring images that communicate the dramatic beauty of wildlife and ecosystems, with the goal of sparking environmental awareness and positive social change toward protecting our blue planet. bluereef.com

KEitH e L L e n b o g e n

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 33

The inTernaTionaL League of ConservaTion phoTographers

WenDY shaTTiL iLCP 2010 GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST EXPEDITION WITH PACIFIC WILD

No environmental threat creates a greater peril to cultural and natural values of British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest than the tar sands pipeline originating in Alberta, Canada. I see the region’s Kermode spirit bear as a worthy symbol of the globally unique ecosystem at risk in the path of a pending pipeline that could destroy more than six hundred freshwater systems and British Columbia’s salmon culture. dancingpelican.com

WENDY s

miChaeL reaDY iLCP 2013 DANAJON BANK, PHILIPPINES EXPEDITION WITH PROJECT SEAHORSE AND THE LONDON ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Documenting the biodiversity of Danajon Bank was a challenging but rewarding experience, enlightening me to the complex pressures at hand for this rare ecosystem and the people it supports. Along with the beauty and the destruction, I saw the dedicated efforts of Project Seahorse and other groups working with local communities to restore this marine wonder of the world. michaelready.com

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MicHaEL r

The WorLD’s Top WiLDLife, naTure anD CuLTure phoTographers

pauL CoLangeLo iLCP 2010 SACRED HEADWATERS EXPEDITION WITH THE SKEENA WATERSHED CONSERVATION COALITION

The Sacred Headwaters Expedition is a perfect example of the impact iLCP can have on conservation. With images, we projected this little-known wilderness onto the world stage, helping the Tahltan First Nation succeed in their fight to protect a million acres of land dear to their culture and environment. paulcolangelo.com

baLan maDhavan iLCP 2009 YUCATÁN EXPEDITION WITH AMIGOS DE SIAN KA’AN AND OTHERS

I come from India, the Land of Tigers. Like tigers, nature photographers are usually solitary creatures. It’s rare that we can work for a common cause, and that’s the most exciting thing about the iLCP Expeditions. We join forces, realizing that time is short and we need to act immediately and collectively... The results speak for themselves. balanmadhavan.in

baLaN m a D h a v a n

PaUL C o L a n g e L o

The inTernaTionaL League of ConservaTion phoTographers

Jaime roJo iLCP 2007 EL TRIUNFO EXPEDITION WITH CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL AND UNIDOS PARA LA CONSERVACIÓN

The cloud forests of El Triunfo in Mexico are one of those rare examples of where the clock of evolution seems to have stopped ticking. I am humbled by their ancient wilderness feeling and have always tried to create images that speak to that. We need more primary forests for the future. rojovisuals.org

JaiME ROJO

krisTa sChLYer iLCP 2010 CHESAPEAKE BAY EXPEDITION WITH THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION

The Chesapeake Bay watershed expedition focused on the faltering health of the bay, North America’s largest estuary. Though a sad reality, hope lies at the foundation of this landscape’s story, where a community of people is trying to revive the watershed from centuries of deforestation and pollution. kristaschlyer.com

KRiSta ScHLYER CLauDio ConTreras koob iLCP 2014 HONDURAS MESOAMERICAN REEF EXPEDITION WITH THE CENTRO DE ESTUDIOS MARINOS

Our seas are overfished, no doubt about it. There is an urgent need to establish no-take zones to allow fish populations to survive, thrive, and repopulate other areas. To be successful, these initiatives need full support of local fishermen, like the one pictured catching a yellowtail snapper, whose future can be brighter if the area is properly managed. claudiocontreras.com

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The WorLD’s Top WiLDLife, naTure anD CuLTure phoTographers

LuCiano CanDisani iLCP 2013 DANAJON BANK, PHILIPPINES EXPEDITION WITH PROJECT SEAHORSE, AND THE LONDON ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY

I worked an entire day with this young boy wearing a homemade dive mask. He was gathering sea slug eggs in the seagrass bed just off the shore of his village on Bilangbilangan Island. Done mostly by women and children, this form of fishing is an incredibly important source of food for local communities. This is a traditional and sustainable way of life that is now threatened by population growth, poverty, and pollution that came with changes in cultural habits. lucianocandisani.com

LUciaNO C a n D i s a n i

ian mCaLLisTer iLCP 2010 GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST EXPEDITION WITH PACIFIC WILD

In 2010, Pacific Wild invited iLCP to the Great Bear Rainforest. Despite being the largest remaining coastal temperate rainforest on Earth, five years ago it was little known and deeply threatened by pipeline proposals. Today, though battles with industry and government continue, iLCP images have helped us put—and keep—the rainforest on the map. pacificwild.org

iaN mCaLLisTer

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 37

The inTernaTionaL League of ConservaTion phoTographers

sanDesh kaDur iLCP 2011 SULAWESI EXPEDITION WITH THE ALLIANCE FOR TOMPOTIKA CONSERVATION

Our mission was to capture the spirit of the maleo, an endemic ground-nesting bird found in Sulawesi. These large, turkey-like birds nest by burying their eggs deep down in the sand and protect their space from other maleos by their calls and with their fearsome displays. This image, to me, shows how full of character these birds can be at the nesting ground. Every day, I had to make sure I was in the hide pre-dawn, while it was still dark, as the birds were extremely skittish. After a few days, they accepted our presence and came close enough to make images. sandeshkadur.com

SaNDESH k

peTer maTher iLCP 2014 YUKON PEEL WATERSHED EXPEDITION WITH THE CANADIAN PARKS & WILDERNESS SOCIETY

In 1993, I attended a presentation on the fight to protect the Peel River watershed. I was blown away by the beauty of this wilderness and was inspired to pursue a life of environmental advocacy using my photography. This iLCP Expedition brought me full circle and has inspired others to protect and preserve this remarkable Yukon landscape. petermather.com

cLaUDiO cONtRERaS KOOb 38 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

PEtER m

The WorLD’s Top WiLDLife, naTure anD CuLTure phoTographers

miCheLe WesTmorLanD iLCP 2013 FRENCH POLYNESIA EXPEDITION WITH THE KHALED BIN SULTAN LIVING OCEANS FOUNDATION

Before heading out to the Tuamotus and Gambiers in French Polynesia, I asked myself, “What if the earth were made of coral?” Just this thought had me envisioning how I would capture that question in the form of an image. Equally important was to capture what the scientists must do to reach their goals of understanding the health of coral reef systems around the planet. westmorlandimages.com

MicHELE WesTmorLanD

Chris LinDer iLCP 2013 CHILOÉ ISLAND EXPEDITION WITH THE CENTRO DE CONSERVACIÓN CETACEA

Chile’s Chiloé Island is a wild place. Relentless Pacific waves, driven by the “roaring 40s,” sculpt the jagged western coast. Migrating shorebirds wheel overhead while penguins, marine otters, and blue whales ply the fertile waters. I am working with Chilean NGOs to preserve Mar Brava beach from mega-wind farm development that would irrevocably alter this diverse ecosystem. chrislinder.com

cHRiS LiNDER karen kasmauski iLCP 2014 HONDURAS MESOAMERICAN REEF EXPEDITION WITH THE CENTRO DE ESTUDIOS MARINOS

My passion centers on exploring relations between people’s health and their environment. The Mesoamerican Reef faces threats from overfishing, changing water temperatures, and invasive species. Those making their living from the seas are affected first. I focus on documenting their lives and the struggles they face as their world changes.

KaREN

kasmauski.com

k a s m a u s k i

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The inTernaTionaL League of ConservaTion phoTographers

amY guLiCk iLCP 2013 CLEARWATER BASIN EXPEDITION WITH THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY

Photographing the indigenous Nez Perce, I felt shame and astonishment. Shame for the atrocities inflicted on American Indians. Astonishment at the kindness and generational forgiveness I was shown at a powwow in their homeland along the Clearwater River. Drums beating, voices rising, they are there dancing. Strong, beautiful, enduring. amygulick.com

aMY g

DanieL beLTrá ILCP 2009 YUCATÁN EXPEDITION WITH AMIGOS DE SIAN KA’AN

This photo of the Yucatán Peninsula rainforest distills the conflict between humans and nature. It is my hope that it—and other images like it from iLCP—inspire a deeper appreciation and empathy for the natural world and also an understanding of the precarious balance that our lifestyle has placed upon our home, Earth. danielbeltra.com

DaNiEL bELtRÁ Jürgen freunD iLCP 2014 GREAT BARRIER REEF EXPEDITION WITH THE KHALED BIN SULTAN LIVING OCEANS FOUNDATION

This expedition was a wonderful opportunity to revisit and photograph remote, hardly visited coral reefs that few people ever see. As the representing Fellow of iLCP, I documented the GBR and the science that happened on board LOF’s research vessel and underwater. juergenfreund.com

JÜRgEN f

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The WorLD’s Top WiLDLife, naTure anD CuLTure phoTographers

raLph Lee hopkins iLCP 2007 & 2013 BAJA CALIFORNIA EXPEDITIONS WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

I’ve been photographing in Baja California for more than a decade. With the help of iLCP and other conservation partners, we’ve been successful in putting a spotlight on many important issues in the region, including stopping the proposed development of Bahia Balandra near La Paz, protecting Cabo Pulmo National Park, and opposing a proposed open-pit mine in the Sierra de la Laguna. ralphleehopkins.com

RaLPH L e e

h o p k i n s

Jason housTon iLCP 2014 MEXICO MESOAMERICAN REEF EXPEDITION WITH COMUNIDAD Y BIODIVERSIDAD

My photography focuses on the intersections of social and environmental issues. Nearly half the world’s population relies on fish for a significant portion of their protein, making the collapse of fisheries around the world one of the most urgent environmental and humanitarian issues we face today. jasonhouston.com

JaSON h

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 41

[ TOP ]

CREATIVES WhaT

InsPIres

You?

ARTISTS. ENTREPRENEURS. SOCIAL-GOOD LEADERS. MUSICIANS. FILMMAKERS. REVOLUTIONARIES.

42 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

Top CreaTives: WhaT inspires You?

DAV I D YA KO S DIRECTOR OF CREATIVITY + CO-OWNER, SALIENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC. BOZEMAN, MONTANA

I am most passionate about sharing the world of invention. I am thrilled to have developed hundreds of products, from cryogenic valves for NASA to indestructible, environmentally friendly dog toys. I can now harness my cross-industry foundation to mentor youth and dream up toys and games that inspire creative play for kids around the world. Creativity is boundless, limitless, and free to everyone who is open to receive it. salient-tech.com Photo: Yarrow Kraner

MAKER GIOVANNA MINGARELLI CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER + CO-FOUNDER, MCROWDSOURCING CANADA, INC. (MC2)

Collective action, fearless courage, and improving the state of the world—these three things inspire me every day and are the central driving forces in my life. I believe that one action, however big or small, can create ripples that have a lasting impact on us all. My goal is to make it really easy for us to take fearless action together in building a better world. playmc2.com Photo: Jessica Deeks

“Collective action, fearless courage, and improving the state of the world—these three things inspire me every day and are the central driving forces in my life.

STUART R O B E RT S O N CONTEMPORARY ARTIST + HUMANITARIAN, PEACE IN 10,000 HANDS QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND

I believe one of the most powerful things in the world is not man, a bomb, or a country, but an idea. I’m inspired that an idea has the ability to create change. I’m using photographic art as the borderless language, transcending boundaries both real and imagined, creating a spark powered by modern social networks, spreading as a living interactive global conversation for peace. peacein10000hands.com Photo: Semele Robertson

” “i believe one

of the most powerful things in the world is not man, a bomb, or a country, but an idea.

”

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 43

TOP CREATIVES: WHAT INSPIRES YOU? G RE G O RY G. G O M E Z , ESQ. GOMEZ & VOURNAS, LLC

I work to achieve social justice for the less fortunate by representing indigent criminal defendants in the Manhattan criminal courts. The criminal justice system needs reform. We should aim for significant changes, so that everyone can have equal protection under the law. Until then, many lower-income Americans, those people that need our help the most, require a strong advocate like myself to give them hope within this faulty system. gomezvournas.com

T H E RES IL IE N C E C O LLA B O R AT I VE , L L C CALIFORNIA

For those of us under the age of thirty, governments have been negotiating how to “address” climate change since before we were born. We see climate change happening all around us; it is getting exponentially worse the longer we fail to take action. But we have the resources, ingenuity, and vision to transform this challenge into a tremendous opportunity. This is the make-or-break-it decade, and we are the make-or-break-it generation. resiliencecollaborative.org

“i get inspired

by the notion of transforming people into extraordinary versions of themselves.

”

ELAN LEE FOUNDER, EXPLODING KITTENS LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

I get inspired by the notion of transforming people into extraordinary versions of themselves. I want to show you that you can leap tall buildings, walk through walls, and change reality. Every TV show I’ve ever made, every game I’ve ever built, and every book I’ve ever published has had the common thread of building the biggest, brightest spotlight imaginable and then flipping it around to shine on you. explodingkittens.com

44 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

Top CreaTives: WhaT inspires You?

TOM GR U BE R PRODUCT DESIGNER, APPLE SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA

I am inspired to design experiences that people actually need and love to use. I believe that products should use technology to empower people of all abilities, to augment our minds and bodies, to make us better human beings. I am also a photographer of nature from the air, land, and water. I try to use photography to move people to action to save the wildlife in our beloved ocean.

DESIGNER tomgruber.org Photo: Karina Louise

CHRI S T E N L I E N COMPOSER. PERFORMING ARTIST. STORYTELLER. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Context. Stories. Unicorns, rainbows, and darkness. Challenging dualism. The mysterious nature of creating art. Closing my eyes when I perform so I can see the music better. Concept albums. Laughing fits. Courageous women. Overdue confrontations. Defying expectations and creating new pathways. The wormhole of martial arts. during the World Cup. Snakes and honeybees. Losing all sense of time. Our misunderstanding of Hope. Curiosity. Vulnerability. It all inspires me. christenlien.com Photo: Josh Rubin

STORYTELLER TRIS HA SH R U M

CO-FOUNDER OF DEARTOMORROW SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS

When I see the limitless ingenuity of individuals and markets, I know that we are capable of solving the toughest problems we face. When I see how the love for our children and for each other unites us across ideological divides and political boundaries, I know that, in the end, we will not let our differences stop us from fighting climate change, the biggest threat human civilization has ever faced. deartomorrow.org

“When I see the limitless ingenuity of individuals and markets, I know that we are capable of solving the toughest problems we face.

”

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 45

TOP CREATIVES: WHAT INSPIRES YOU? RAVÉ M E HTA FOUNDER, HELIOS ENTERTAINMENT

The Inventor, Acts of compassion, selflessness, and triumph. Whether it’s some stranger taking a few minutes to help an elderly lady across the street, a fireman running into the burning building to save a cat trapped under the table, or a war veteran doomed to a wheelchair using yoga and self-determination not only to walk again, but to run. These represent the true nature of our human spirit unleashed from our perceptual bonds of doubt, judgement, and fear. flowtheshow.com

”

“Acts of compassion,

CH LOE M AX M IN FOUNDER, FIRST HERE, THEN EVERYWHERE MAINE

What would you do for what you love? Climate change requires all to answer this question. I’m an activist because I love my home. At Harvard, I co-founded Divest Harvard, pushing Harvard to withdraw investments from fossil fuel companies threatening my home. We grew from three to seventy thousand people in three years. Now I’m a fellow with , creating platforms for the climate movement to become politically effective.

ACTIVIST chloemaxmin.com Photo: Marti Stone

M I CHE L L E T H AL L E R, PH . D. DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF SCIENCE COMMUNICATION, NASA HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON, DC

It is a tremendous honor to represent NASA, where I work beside some of the most brilliant, passionate, and dedicated people in the world. We’re not doing this for the money; we’re not parasites on society, frittering away your tax dollars. We are the most forward-thinking, innovative organization in the world. It’s time to own that a bit more, talk about the real pride we have in our work to explore the universe, and push every boundary that exists. theatlantic.com/video/index/370784/we-are-dead-stars/ | pbs.org/wgbh/nova/blogs/ secretlife/space-science/michelle-thaller/

46 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

Top CreaTives: WhaT inspires You?

SC HUYL E R B R OW N PARTNER, SIGHTFUL NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Realizing the full weight of the ecological crisis, I have trained my vision on a regenerative future. My company, Sightful, helps big companies innovate with integrity by bringing environmentalists, activists, and entrepreneurs into the process. I teach in the Design for Social Innovation program at the School of Visual Arts, and am known as a catalyst for purposeful change bringing true insight to the task of navigating chaos.

FUTURIST sightful.io Photo: Brooke Slezak

“

i’m deeply inspired by everyday moments of human experience—a meal, a view, an unexpected conversation, an act of generosity, a deep

”

B E T H A LT R I NG E R, P H. D. FACULTY, HARVARD UNIVERSITY CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

I’m deeply inspired by everyday moments of human experience—a meal, a view, an unexpected conversation, an act of generosity, a deep reflection. As a researcher, designer, and teacher, I break down what makes some experiences more desirable than others. I’m fascinated by how we might leverage technology to better understand and enhance the little moments that contribute so much in aggregate to our individual and shared quality of life. bethaltringer.com Photo: Pierre Fatal

AARON RASMUSSEN CO-FOUNDER + CREATIVE DIRECTOR + CTO, MASTERCLASS SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

I’m inspired by knowledge of the world, people, and art. I get a high off of learning a new concept, especially a difficult one, and finding out how that concept weaves into the grand story of reality. Any time I learn something new, it pushes me to create more, create better, and share. Teach me something, and I’ll remember you forever. Then I’ll try to do the same for you.

INVENTOR masterclass.com | aaronrasmussen.com Photo: Emily Caldwell

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 47

origin series:

same QuesTions | DifferenT arTisTs | poWerfuL ansWers

Robert Piper: What inspires you? Witney Carson: A lot of things inspire me, but I would have to say the main thing that drives me is music. If I hear an amazing piece of music, I can’t help but think of ideas, choreography, and everything that comes along with it. RP: What is the hardest obstacle you’ve had to overcome in your life? WC: In 2012, I was diagnosed with melanoma— skin cancer—and had to get surgery on my left foot. I was out for four weeks—no dancing, no walking, nothing! It was horrible, but it taught me patience and to never take for granted the simple things we have. RP: How do you stay healthy? WC: I eat healthy most of the time. Whole foods are the best for you when you are super active, so I get plenty of fruits and veggies to keep me energized. I love being outdoors, water sports, hiking—really, anything that keeps me moving!

“ M y fa m i l y e s p e c i a l l y h a s a l ways t a u g h t m e t o b e mys e l f a n d n o t l e t o t h e r p e o p l e ’s o p i n i o n s c h a n g e m e .” RP: What’s the best advice you could give someone about life? WC: I’m lucky to have so many supportive, inspirational people in my life. My family especially has always taught me to be myself and not let other people’s opinions change me. To always believe my instincts and follow my heart. DANCING WITH THE STARS DANCER

WITNEy CARSON O n B e i n g D i a g n o s e d w i t h C a n c e r, H ow M u s i c M ove s H e r, W h at H e r F a m i l y H a s Ta u g h t H e r, a n d N eve r Ta k i n g L i fe fo r G r a n t e d

INTERVIEW: ROBERT PIPER

RP: What projects are you currently working on? WC: This next season of is just around the corner, and I could not be more excited! I can’t wait to start fresh and create on a show that I’m so lucky to be a part of! The Emmy nomination is such an honor, and I couldn’t have done it without Alfonso [Ribeiro] and the support of my friends, family, and the show!

the Star Think You Can Dance.

Dancing with So You

PHOTO: BROOKE MASON 48 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

Robert Piper: What inspires you?

MUSICIAN

Brian mCkniGht

Brian McKnight: Any type of truly authentic music and art. It doesn’t matter the genre or type of art, if it’s authentic there’s an apparent beauty to it and as an artist, that’s very inspiring. RP: What is the hardest obstacle you’ve had to overcome in your life?

on auThenTiC musiC anD arT, geTTing in The besT shape of his Life, his neW aLbum, anD Doing WhaT You Love INTERVIEW: ROBERT PIPER

“

RP: How do you stay healthy? BM: This year I’ve really decided to get into the best shape of my life, and I’ve gotten there by changing not only what I eat but when I eat and how often, as well as my usual workout routine. The combination has made such a big difference, and I finally feel in the best shape of my life. RP: What’s the best advice you could give someone about life?

Love WhaT You Do anD Do WhaT You Love.

MCKNIGHT360.COM

BM: Honestly, the hardest thing to do in this business is to still be around. When music changes, when labels’ resources have dried up, it becomes harder and harder to continue to make a living at this. I’ve been very fortunate.

”

BM: Love what you do and do what you love. RP: What projects are you currently working on? BM: My single, “Uh Oh Feeling,” is out now and doing very well. My new album, , comes out in January 2016, and then we will continue to tour worldwide to the tune of about 100–120 shows next year. Besides that, working my golf handicap to a two.

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 49

origin series:

same QuesTions | DifferenT arTisTs | poWerfuL ansWers

Club de Cuervos Actor

Luis Gerardo Méndez on how failure is a part of success, the enemy in our head, Living Life in a hurry, and the exercise routine That keeps him fit INTERVIEW: ROBERT PIPER

Robert Piper: How do you stay healthy? Luis Gerardo Méndez: I exercise three or four times a week. I try to stay outdoors, going to the park with a personal trainer; we do HIIT, TRX, etc. If I’m in LA, I sometimes surf, and I like running or cycling by the beach. I eat everything except dairy, but if I’m filming, I stay on a really strict alkaline diet. RP: What is the hardest obstacle you’ve had to overcome in your life? LGM: Myself. I think sometimes your worst enemy is inside your head. All your insecurities, your ego, your fears, your expectations. It’s a lifetime effort, trying to understand the way our minds work, and make it work in your favor and not against you. It took a lot of time for me to understand that I’m not competing against anybody but myself. The most important thing for me to succeed in is day by day becoming a better and more prepared person. RP: How do you deal with overcoming failure? LGM: I try to learn the most I can from every mistake. I try to recover quickly and, most importantly, I have learned that failure is a part of success; it’s part of the

learning curve. Sometimes you have to walk that road to achieve big things. RP: What’s the best advice you could give someone about life? LGM: My whole life I have been in a hurry, like running fast after a goal, and now I realize it’s nice to sometimes slow down a little bit and enjoy the ride. RP: What projects are you currently working on? LGM: I’m starring in the first Spanish Netflix original series, . It’s a dramedy about everything that happens in the world of soccer on the management level. A story about family, egos, and, most of all, about what happens when power ends up in the wrong hands. My character, Chava Iglesias, is the new president of the team Cuervos de Nuevo Toledo. He is a playboy with no experience but very hungry for fame and glory. is a satiric take on class and gender politics in Mexico, among other things. I’m really happy to be part of this show.

Club de Cuervos.

“

it took a lot of time for me to understand that i’m not competing against anybody but myself.” PHOTO: LEO MANZO

50 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

THRIVE MARANDA PLEASANTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

Anniversary Double Issue

Plant-baseD: culture. FooD. liFestyle.

TOP +Plant-Based

60 chefs the Food issue:

TOP Vegan aThleTes

20 -

Busting

Gourmet VeGan recipes

the

Protein Myth

Wisdom NATiONAlly LeGends: ON STANDS NOw From

Paul Mccartney Moby russell siMMons neil young

aniMal+ eco heroes

Why organic+ nongMo Matter ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 51

origin reCipes feaTure

The pLanT sTrong vegan:

Margaret ChapMan Q: What can’t you live without in your kitchen? A: I use quite a bit in my kitchen, but the one thing that’s an absolute must would have to be my high-speed blender. Talk about a great investment. I use mine up to three times a day, every day. Sometimes even more if I’m testing recipes. I love it for smoothies, sauces, ice cream, and even mixing up cake batters. It has been the most beneficial tool to my lifestyle. Q: What does food represent to you? A: To me, food is a representation of your soul. Each meal is an opportunity to express yourself to others, sharing a different perspective of your personality. I have the privilege to make ethical choices through my food each day. It’s

beyond nourishment to me. Each meal represents a lifestyle I passionately believe in. I’m able to advocate for animals while expressing my creativity. Food is love, for my body, wellbeing, and the animals that go unheard every day. Q: Your fav dish? A: When I think about what I eat most and crave frequently, I’d have to say broccoli wings, my own personal spin on the classic cauliflower wings. I love to make a wide variety of sauces and dips each time. The combinations are truly endless! If I had to choose a dish to pick up, it’s hands down, without a doubt Thai food. I adore veggie spring rolls with peanut sauce. Anything with a sauce or dip is basically my favorite.

Korean BBQ Zoodle Stir-Fry Bowl gLuTen free & vegan | YieLDs 2-3 servings

ingreDienTs:

2-3 large zucchini, spiral cut (zoodles) 2 cups Brussels sprouts, halved 2 cups broccoli, florets 1½ cups Broccoli Slaw Mix (shredded broccoli carrots and purple cabbage) 6-8 white button mushrooms, quartered ½ cup Korean BBQ Sauce ¼ cup onion, diced 1 tbsp oil 2 spring onions, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt and pepper, to taste ½ avocado, thinly sliced to top Hot sauce, to top Sesame seeds, to top

insTruCTions:

Sauté onions and garlic for 1 minute in oil in a large skillet over a medium heat.

2. Add in sprouts, flat side down to brown up for about 6 minutes.

3. Add in your remaining vegetables (minus zoodles) and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

everything is cooked through, mix in the Korean BBQ and 4. Once turn off the heat.

5. Let sit while you assemble your bowl. Start with a base of the

spiral-cut zucchini (zoodles). Use about 1-2 zucchinis per serving, more if desired.

6. Evenly divide your Korean BBQ stir-fry and top with avocado slices, hot sauce, and sesame seeds.

THEPLANTSTRONGVEGAN.COM | @PLANTSTRONGVEGAN 52 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

“

food is love, for my body, wellbeing, and the animals that go unheard every day.

”

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 53

origin reCipes feaTure

The Full Helping

gena hamshaW Top insTagram fooDie + nuTriTionisT Q: What can’t you live without in your kitchen? A: Kale, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, oats, cashews, a lot of nutritional yeast, and my food processor. Q: What does food represent to you? A: To me, food represents nourishment on both a physical and a spiritual level. It fuels the body and feeds the soul. It’s also one of life’s greatest pleasures! Q: Your fav dish? A: Probably a bowl or salad stuffed with whole grains, root vegetables, legumes, and a really killer sauce.

“

To me, food represents nourishment on both a physical and a spiritual level.

”

THEFULLHELPING.COM | @THEFULLHELPING 54 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

goLDen buTTernuT sQuash and ChiCkpea CurrY makes 6 servings

I juggle graduate school with managing my blog, working full time as a nutritionist and in professional recipe development and writing cookbooks. Even though I’m thinking about food all the time, I don’t always have much time to cook, so I tend to focus on nutritious, hearty recipes that make a lot of servings and deliver tons of flavor. This butternut squash and chickpea curry is a perfect example: quick enough to whip up on a weeknight, easy to freeze and save for later, and so delicious. I love how the chickpeas add texture and protein to the dish, and the golden raisins are a lovely, sweet touch. ingreDienTs:

2 teaspoons grapeseed, melted coconut, or safflower oil 1 white or yellow onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon minced ginger 1 teaspoon curry powder 1 teaspoon turmeric powder ½ teaspoon garam masala ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ¾ teaspoon salt (or to taste) Black pepper to taste 1 ½ pounds peeled and cubed butternut squash or pumpkin 2 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth 3 cups chickpeas (or 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed)

Heaping ¹/³ cup golden raisins 1 tablespoon lime juice 1–2 cups frozen, chopped spinach or kale, defrosted and excess water drained out, or 2–3 cups fresh baby spinach (optional) 3–4 cups cooked brown rice or quinoa, for serving (optional) insTruCTions:

1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or a large pot. Add the onions and a pinch of

salt. Cook the onions for 7 minutes, or until they’re very tender and browning lightly. Add a few tablespoons of water as needed to prevent sticking. Add the garlic and ginger. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the garlic is very fragrant. Add the curry, turmeric, garam masala, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper. Give everything a good stir.

2. Add the squash and two cups of the vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a

boil. Reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the squash is tender. Turn off the heat. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup about halfway, so that there are still chunks of butternut squash, but some of the squash has been turned into a thick purée. Alternately, you can transfer half of the mixture to a standing blender, blend, and return it to the pot.

3. Stir in the chickpeas, raisins, lime juice, and an additional ½ cup broth

(or enough to create a thick but easy-to-stir stew). Bring the curry to a gentle simmer again. If you’re adding greens, stir them in now and allow them to wilt completely. Check seasonings and adjust to taste. Serve with cooked grains. Leftovers will keep for up to five days in an airtight container in the fridge and can be frozen for up to six weeks.

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 55

origin reCipes feaTure

The Neurotic Mommy

JENNIfER R. ROSSANO our vegan inspiraTion + insTagram fooDie

inTervieW WiTh The neuroTiC mommY Q: What can’t you live without in your kitchen?

Q: What does food represent to you?

A: Apple cider vinegar is a must-have in my kitchen. Not only is it super healthy but also it serves many purposes. It’s a natural detoxifier, aids in weight loss and weight management, good for cleaning fruits and veggies, helps fight against colds and other viruses, promotes proper digestion, and so much more. I use it all day, every day!

A: I go by Hippocrates’ famous quote: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” That’s exactly what food is to me: delicious, wholesome medicine. Food nourishes life, and I’m always grateful for that. Q: Your fav dish? A: I make a killer vegan mac ’n’ cheese!

NEUROTICMOMMY.COM | @NEUROTICMOMMY 56 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

“

food nourishes life, and i m always grateful for that.

’

”

The besT veggie burger with raDiCChio sLaW ingreDienTs:

VEGGIE BURGERS: 1 cup sweet onion, chopped 1 cup carrot, grated 1 ½ cups zucchini, grated 4 garlic cloves, sliced thin or minced 3 cups white button mushrooms, chopped ¼ cup Bragg’s Liquid Aminos 1 cup oat flour 1 cup sunflower seeds Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup mixed greens (evenly distributed between burgers) 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1 tablespoon Thousand Island dressing (per burger) ½ avocado, sliced (per burger) Sesame seed burger buns SLAW: 3–4 cups radicchio, shredded 1/2 cup cashews, soaked 2–4 hours 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar ½ cup unsweetened almond milk 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon oregano ½ teaspoon paprika Salt and pepper to taste insTruCTions:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat up coconut oil. 2. Add onions and garlic, and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

Throw in grated carrots and zucchini, and cook for 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

After 7 minutes, add mushrooms and cook everything for another 5–7 minutes, until mushrooms are evenly browned, stirring occasionally. Once cooked, remove from heat and prepare dry ingredients.

Using a blender or processor, grind up rolled oats and sunflowers seeds until fine, like flour.

In a large bowl, sift together dry ingredients, oat flour, ground sunflower seeds, salt, and pepper.

Using tongs, transfer cooked veggies into the dry mixture, leaving out excess water.

Toss veggies in flour until well combined, and add Bragg’s Liquid Aminos. Mix well.

Place veggie mix into the freezer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, take a handful of the veggie mixture, roll into a ball, and then flatten it with the palms of your hands.

10. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line baking sheet with parchment

paper. Place prepared patties on baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, flipping them over midway.

11.

For the slaw, place all ingredients (except for radicchio) into a high-speed blender. Run until smooth and creamy. Taste as you go to adjust seasoning. Toss radicchio in the creamy mixture.

12. Spoon a tablespoon of Thousand Island dressing onto bottom bun, then top with the veggie burger, mixed greens, avocado slices, radicchio slaw, and close bun.

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 57

origin reCipes feaTure

“

To me, food represents a beautiful extension of one’s ethical choices on the one much you like or dislike yourself on the other hand.

” Kim-Julie Hansen besT of vegan

The Instagram Guru Q: What can’t you live without in your kitchen? A: A high-speed blender, a spiralizer, an extra-sharp knife, and a coco jack. Q: What does food represent to you? A: To me, food represents a beautiful extension of one’s ethical choices on the one hand and a reflection

BRUSSELSVEGAN.COM | @BRUSSELSVEGAN & @BESTOFVEGAN 58 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

of how much you like or dislike yourself on the other hand. Food can be both nourishing and self-destructive depending on what you choose to put in your body. Q: Your fav dish? A: I’m obsessed with zucchini pasta, kale salads, and smoothies, but I’m not going to lie, I also have a weakness for vegan tiramisu.

babY beLLa basiL ZuCChini pasTa with ToasTeD WaLnuTs serves 2

Preparation time: 20 minutes ingreDienTs:

2. Slice the mushrooms thinly and soak them in the juice of the two lemons for 20 minutes.

4 small- or medium-sized zucchini 2 cups organic baby bella mushrooms ¾ cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil- and salt-free, if possible) 1 avocado 1 mango 1 cup organic heirloom cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes) 2 Meyer lemons (or regular, if you can’t find Meyer lemons) ½ lime 3 green onions 1 handful fresh basil 1 handful fresh cilantro ½ handful chives 10–15 walnuts

3. Spiralize the zucchini using a spiralizer or a vegetable peeler.

insTruCTions:

7. Strain the mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. Cut the sun-dried

Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in a cup of water for about 20 minutes. If you can’t find any salt-free ones, make sure you add them to the dish at the very end; otherwise it becomes too salty.

4. In a blender (preferably at high speed), blend the avocado, mango (both should be super ripe), basil, cilantro (keep a few of each to garnish), the dark green part of one green onion, and the juice of half a lime.

5. In a bowl, mix the zucchini pasta with the dressing and add the

cherry tomatoes (halved). Make sure you keep your tomatoes at room temperature instead of refrigerating them—they’ll be much more flavorful.

6. Chop the walnuts and toast them in a nonstick pan at medium

temperature for about 3–5 minutes. Keep an eye on them while roasting, as they can easily burn. tomatoes into thin slices and add everything to the bowl. To garnish, add the chives, the green tops of two green onions (chopped), and the remaining basil and cilantro. Lastly, sprinkle the toasted walnuts on top and enjoy!

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 59

origin reCipes feaTure

The VeganFatKid

TiM Moore FOOdie PhenOm

Q: What can’t you live without in your kitchen? A: I most definitely can’t live without my Green Pans. I’m most certainly a low-calorie, “oil free” cook, so chemical-free nonstick ceramic pans make cooking with water a breeze. As much as I enjoy washing dishes, I can appreciate not spending all day doing it! Oh, and I can’t forget my spiralizer, which turns more than just zucchinis into low-calorie nutritious pasta! Q: What does food represent to you? A: Food is my anchor. I use the meal in front of me as a way to connect to my present. My hunger is for this meal and not next week’s or last month’s, so food is my meditative tool and reminder to be present in my life. Cooking enhances this. You get your hands on the ingredients and learn the processes and hopefully slow yourself down just long enough to appreciate these moments that make up your life. As a lifelong “fat kid,” I also appreciate the opportunity my next meal gives me to become the person I want to be. No matter who that kid was, eating that last calorie-laden dish, my next meal is a chance to do something positive for my future self—thankfully, he loves kale salads. Q: Your fav dish? A: I’m a sucker for a cooked breakfast. Going vegan doesn’t mean your Sunday morning can’t be filled with a warm, comforting, fat stack of protein pancakes! I blend oat flour and flax meal, along with my favorite vegan protein powder, to pack in a ton of muscle-building nutrients. Fresh fruit, a few pecans, and a drizzle of sweet maple syrup, and I’ve elevated my “breakfast in bed” game to a whole new level!

Oil-Free “Cheesy” QuinOa FOCaCCia serves 2

When I needed a healthy, low-carb bread to dress up my zucchini noodle spaghetti dish, I decided to put together my quick-and-easy oil-free, gluten-free, lowcarb “Cheesy” Quinoa Focaccia. So deliciously easy and nutritious that even a VeganFatKid can make it!

Process your mixture until it’s nice and smooth.

Take a 6" x 9" baking dish and line with parchment paper.

Sprinkle half of your nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and rosemary on the paper to form an even layer covering the bottom of the pan.

Pour in your quinoa mixture and spread evenly.

Sprinkle the remainder of your nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and rosemary on top of mixture.

Bake in oven for 15 minutes.

ingreDienTs:

¾ cup of white quinoa (well rinsed) ¼ cup of water 1 teaspoon of baking powder ½ teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast (or more if you like it extra cheesy) 1 teaspoon of garlic powder 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary

10.

Remove from oven and, using the ends of the parchment paper, carefully lift bread out of pan and place on counter.

11.

Flip bread over and place back on parchment paper and into the baking dish.

insTruCTions:

1. Measure your quinoa and rinse thoroughly.

Then place in a bowl, cover with water, and allow to soak for at least six hours (or overnight).

12. Bake for another 7–10 minutes or until you reach the desired crust/color.

2. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

13. Remove from baking dish and allow to cool.

3. Rinse and drain your soaked quinoa again and then

14.

place into a food processor, along with the water, baking powder, and salt.

VEGANFATKID.COM | @VEGANFATKID 60 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

Enjoy!

*Original recipe adapted from Lauren Goslin.

“

FOOd is my anChOr. i use the meal in FrOnt OF me as a way tO COnneCt tO my Present.

”

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 61

WOMEN IN CLIMATE WhaT Can We Do righT noW to besT DeaL with CLimaTe Change?

s o L u T I o n s o n T h e r o a d T o Pa r I s a n d B e y o n d

emiLY arasim, Women’s earTh anD CLimaTe aCTion neTWork

omen’s voices must be at the forefront of conversations on climate change if we are to rebuild an equitable and healthy world. Women are critical stakeholders both because they experience climate impacts with disproportionate severity and because of the unique and critical insights, skills, and solutions that they bring to the table. Women are central to farming, water stewardship, biodiversity protection, clean energy promotion, and household purchase decisions. As givers of life, they also hold on to a deeply felt and fundamental connection to the Earth and its natural regenerative processes. When women are involved in environmental policy decisions, we see major

WECANINTERNATIONAL.ORG 62 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

shifts toward actions to protect people and planet for generations to come. As we enter into pivotal COP21 United Nation climate talks in December, women’s leadership is more vital than ever. The Women’s Earth & Climate Action Network, International (WECAN) and allies across the globe will be highlighting women’s leadership, struggles, and solutions at COP21 to make it clear that climate justice and gender justice are inseparable. This collection of voices from outstanding women leaders is presented in honor of women shaping bold, transformative climate solutions. You can learn more about WECAN International initiatives on the road to Paris and beyond at wecaninternational.org. PHOTO: EMILY ARASIM

Women in CLimaTe

S A L LY A NN RA NNE Y PRESIDENT + COFOUNDER, AMERICAN RENEWABLE ENERGY INSTITUTE (AREI) & AREDAY SUMMIT COFOUNDER, WOMEN’S EARTH AND CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK ( WECAN) PATRON OF NATURE, INTERNATIONAL UNION OF THE CONSERVATION OF NATURE (IUCN)

Show up! Stand up! Speak up! Flex your citizenship muscle and VOTE. Buy and eat only what you need, and what is sustainably produced and disposed. Understand that women have real power, making 80% of purchases in the Global North. A transaction is not just between me and the clerk. Legions of impacts trail behind everything single thing I buy—supporting and restoring, or destroying and depleting. Where did the raw resources come from: was a forest felled or burned? A river poisoned? Species put on the brink? Indigenous rights violated? Think about what it really costs to get that new “thing.” Then stop shopping. areday.net | wecaninternational.org | iucn.org Photo: Brian Clopp

“

KATH AR IN E HAY HO E CLIMATE SCIENTIST, TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY LUBBOCK, TEXAS

if We WanT To DefenD our gLobaL CLimaTe,

We must prepare for a changing climate by incorporating climate preparedness into every aspect of our planning— for food, water, health, energy, even national security. We must reduce our emissions to prevent even more dangerous change. The IMF estimates carbon emissions are already subsidized at over five trillion dollars per year; the impact on our economy may be even greater. We need a price on carbon that accurately reflects its real costs on our society and our wellbeing. And lastly, we must also suffer the consequences of our past decisions. And for that, we must open our hearts to those in need.

We musT DefenD The amaZon, The Lungs anD

”

hearT of our pLaneT.

katharinehayhoe.com Photo: Ashley Rogers

L E I L A S A L A Z A R- L Ó P EZ W IN ONA L AD U KE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HONOR THE EARTH

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AMAZON WATCH OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

It’s time to transition beyond our fossil fuel addiction to a just economy based on green jobs, renewable energy, and local organic food. It’s time to respect the treaties our ancestors signed and care for our land, water, and cultures so that they remain healthy for our future generations. The time is now for a graceful transition from this destructive economy and way of life, back towards land-based economics. We must keep these waters for wild rice, these trees for maple syrup, our lakes for fish, and our land and aquifers for all of our relatives—whether they have fins, roots, wings, or paws. Let us be the ancestors our descendants will thank.

If we want to defend our global climate, we must defend the Amazon, the lungs and heart of our planet. If we want to defend the Amazon, we must support indigenous rights and territories which are continually under threat by deforestation and unwarranted industrial development. We must stand with indigenous peoples from the Amazon to the Arctic to keep fossil fuels in the ground and promote 100% renewable energy. This will require a global shift in how we live our lives on Mother Earth. This is what we need to do to ensure life for all future generations.

honorearth.org Photo: Tomas Alejo

amazonwatch.org Photo: Rucha Chitnis

WHITE EARTH NATION, MINNESOTA

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 63

WOMEN IN CLIMATE

WhaT Can We Do righT noW To besT DeaL WiTh CLimaTe Change?

O S PRE Y O RI E L L E L A K E COFOUNDER + EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WOMEN’S EARTH & CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA

Nature will not wait while politicians debate. We cannot negotiate or buy our way out of the climate crisis. We must keep 80% of fossil fuels in the ground and finance a just transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050. To achieve these pressing goals, it is essential to look to women worldwide who are already creating small-scale solutions with large impacts. Reclaiming power at the local level and restructuring our systems of production towards circular, local economies is central. We must respect the Rights of Women, Indigenous Peoples, Nature, and Future Generations, and ensure that their voices and leadership are recognized as the backbone of climate justice and solutions for a livable future. wecaninternational.org Photo: Emily Arasim

“

FA R A H K A BI R

if We Do noT DeaL WiTh CLimaTe Change ToDaY, Then none of our oTher aChievemenTs maTTer.

ACTIONAID BANGLADESH DHAKA, BANGLADESH

”

If we do not deal with climate change today, then none of our other achievements matter. Women in South Asia are not resilient enough to face climate impacts and uncertainty—why? Because we, the women, are socially marginalized, economically poor, and marginalized by the system. On top of all that, we are challenged by multiple climate change impacts in our everyday life here in Bangladesh. Science tells us that this will become worse, our successes will become unsustainable, and we will be forced to live in greater uncertainty. We, the women, must act and lead by example to create our own spaces contributing to sustainable development.

—farah kabir

JAC QUI PATT ER S ON DIRECTOR, NAACP ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE JUSTICE PROGRAM

actionaid.org/bangladesh Photo: ActionAid / Amir

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

Our priorities must be on frontline community building and leadership. Strengthening local self-reliance, local economies, and local resilience are the keys to reducing harmful industries and practices, decentralizing power currently held by big corporations, and simultaneously mitigating the progression of climate change while enabling communities to withstand existing and future effects. Historically, our culture of domination and extraction led us to the path we are on towards catastrophic climate change. However, with a society of communities making decisions based on principles of sustainability and human rights and wellbeing, we can live in harmony with each other and with the Earth. naacp.org/programs/entry/climate-justice

“

naTure WiLL noT WaiT WhiLe poLiTiCians DebaTe.

”

—ospreY orieLLe Lake

64 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

LO R E NA AGU IL AR GLOBAL SENIOR GENDER ADVISER, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE (IUCN) WASHINGTON, DC

Women empowerment should be one of the priorities in adaptation and mitigation efforts. Women in developing countries confront climate change from two different scenarios. On one hand, they are disproportionately and adversely exposed to the effects of climate change; on the other hand, they are active leaders in providing solutions. Recognizing women’s special skill sets and environmental knowledge—specifically, viewing women as powerful agents of change that can lead us to a more sustainable, equitable, and less vulnerable future—will unlock powerful solutions for combatting climate change and securing improved livelihoods and a sustainable future for all. genderandenvironment.org

K RI S T E N G R A F EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WOMEN OF WIND ENERGY ( WoWE) BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

We can and must take charge of our energy future. Energy decisions are made at all levels—in our homes and offices, our communities, and our governments. We can educate ourselves about our energy choices. We are all accountable for the story, the collective decisions, and for moving toward clean renewable energy as quickly as possible. We must think long term, lift our voices, and take action. And whenever possible, if we have the privilege, we can hand over the microphone or the megaphone to lift the voices of those that aren’t being heard as clearly or as often. womenofwindenergy.org Photo: WoWE

Women in CLimaTe

CI NDY W I E S NER NATIONAL COORDINATOR, GRASSROOTS GLOBAL JUSTICE ALLIANCE MIAMI, FLORIDA

To truly tackle the climate crisis, we must not only demand deep and immediate cuts to carbon emissions at the source, we must challenge the fundamental nature of the extractive economy as a whole. I see the struggle for climate justice as inseparable from the Movement for Black Lives, migrant rights movements, and the anti-austerity fights growing across Europe. We must look to the strategic leadership of women of color leading intersectional movements for our survival and building new alternative economic models based on an internationalist strategy of Just Transition toward renewable energy, cooperative economies, and community control. ggjalliance.org Photo: Christian Losson, Libération magazine

NINA G UA L INGA INDIGENOUS RIGHTS + ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST SARAYAKU, ECUADOR + LUND, SWEDEN

We must keep fossil fuels in the ground, starting in Earth’s most biodiverse places, like the Amazon. This means stopping oil expansion and the burning of carbon, and reforesting areas that have been lost. International governments, organizations, corporations, and other institutions should prioritize these conversations at the global level and take responsibility to end further fossil fuel extraction. While we continue to fight the root causes of climate change on the local level in our communities, as an interconnected world society we must support people on the front lines whose daily lives are most affected. amazonwatch.org Photo: Caroline Bennett / Amazon Watch

“

N E HA M I S RA

When Women Learn ThaT

hoW TheY use The foresT impaCTs The WhoLe WorLD, a revoLuTionarY Change in Thinking happens.

”

—neema namaDamu

COFOUNDER + CHIEF COLLABORATION OFFICER, SOLAR SISTER

I am a Solar Sister. I believe in light, hope, and opportunity for all. Climate change, energy access, and women’s empowerment are closely related. This means that we must equip women and girls around the world with skills and confidence to be on the front lines of climate change solutions. This means helping them help their communities leapfrog to a sustainable energy future. Investing in women as climate leaders is not only the right thing to do, it is also the smart thing to do. Every Solar Sister is a testimony to this. WECAN and we must grow this movement. solarsister.org | wecaninternational.org Photo: Solar Sister

NE E M A NA M A DA M U EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SAFECO (SYNERGY OF CONGOLESE WOMEN’S ASSOCIATIONS) DR CONGO REGIONAL COORDINATOR, WECAN INTERNATIONAL MARUNDE VILLAGE, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

We must inform and educate about climate change. People living in the remote forested areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo recognize that the weather has changed, but are not aware that what they are experiencing is a global issue, nor that Congo holds the second-largest rainforest in the world, giving us an opportunity to make a large impact. When women learn that how they use the forest impacts the whole world, a revolutionary change in thinking happens. Growing the tree-planting, reforestation movement in every locale throughout Congo and the world is another critical action we can take now to change course. Photo: Neema Namadamu

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 65

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Calling for net-Zero greenhouse gas emissions

by 2050 Article:

richArd BrAnson

V i r g i n

g r o u p

elighted to join my fellow B Team leaders in calling for a global commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, a meaningful and effective price on carbon, and a shift of fossil fuel subsidies to renewables. These are absolutely essential steps to be taken if we are serious about tackling climate change.

The underlying science doesn’t give us much room for maneuvering. The latest assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that achieving net zero by 2071 will only provide a 66 percent chance of limiting global warming to 2°C. This is the threshold humanity must not cross in order to avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change—consequences that are already being felt in many parts of the planet, disproportionately affecting the world’s poorest. That’s why we’re calling for net-zero emissions by 2050, and for this to be a cornerstone of the Paris climate agreement to be reached later this year. We have no time to lose. But despite the urgency to act, I remain optimistic. We have the enormous opportunity in our hands to make a positive difference for business, people, and the planet. Taking bold climate action now has the potential to unleash the full power of business and at the same time lift millions of people out of poverty. We’re the first generation to recognize this and the last generation that will have this opportunity.

PHOTO: KATE HOLSTEIN 2 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

F o u n d e r

One thing is clear. This must be a collective effort. Ambition and bold commitments from our governments in Paris will be rewarded by innovation and investment from businesses. We all are now very aware of what a connected world we live in—connected to each other and to the earth that gives us everything we have. We need all countries and companies to step up and play their part—setting strong goals, having clear plans, and openly demonstrating progress. Virgin is a leading international investment group and one of the world's most recognized and respected brands. Conceived in 1970 by Sir Richard Branson, the Virgin Group has gone on to grow successful businesses in sectors including mobile telephony, travel and health and wellness. Since starting youth culture magazine Student at age 16, Richard has found entrepreneurial ways to drive positive change in the world. In 2004, he established Virgin people and entrepreneurial ideas to create opportunities for a better world. Most of his time is spent building businesses that will make and organizations it has incubated, such as The Elders, The Carbon War Room, The B Team, Ocean Unite, and the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship. He also serves on the Global Commission on Drug Policy and supports ocean conservation with the Ocean Elders.

Published on Virgin.com

“

We need all countries and companies to step up and play their part—setting strong goals, having clear plans, and openly demonstrating progress.

”

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 3

LEADER IN SOCIAL + ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR

Van Jones on The Green economy, a Deep commiTmenT To social JusTice, anD creaTinG Jobs for people of color inTerView: paul D. miller aka DJ spooky

parT i of iii

Paul D. Miller: Let’s jump in to the idea of aesthetics versus implementation. One of the things I’ve always found incredibly powerful is you’re one of the people who’s able to bridge the gap between praxis and theory, and I’d love to hear how you made the transition from #YesWeCode [to] some of your green jobs initiatives as well. Maybe you can just talk about your evolution of ideas. Van Jones: Well, you know, I consider myself to be sort of a progressive Afrofuturist that is deeply committed to social justice. So that’s the starting point. If you look at my career over the past twenty years, I’ve always been trying to look around corners for low-income communities of color. So [in] the 1990s, it was police brutality and prisons. Long before that became a popular thing to work on, I came out of Yale Law School in ’93, a year after the Rodney King rebellion in LA, and I started building a relational computer database to track problems, precinct problems, practices of the problem officers. Initially, that was kind of my claim to fame, having built the area police watch, having gotten a horrible police officer fired in 1997, and having built the organization that stopped the super-jail for kids in Oakland from being built, etc. Because even though at that time most of even the civil rights establishment was saying, “Hey, we got some of these crack dealers and these people with their pants sagging down and we’ve got to get them off our streets,” I was able to see down the road and say, “Hey, wait a second, that’s going to wind up with what we now call ‘mass incarceration.’” So it started off with that. Then, in the 2000s, if we started bringing folks home from the VANJONES.NET 4 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

prisons, we started closing prisons, [and] we were starting to close youth facilities in California, what kind of jobs are they going to have? So I started trying to figure out what are the jobs of the future where there might be a job shortage or there might be a worker shortage, because a lot of times, if something is a new industry, you just don’t have people who are already trained to take those jobs. So the first set of jobs I saw were “green jobs”: jobs in the solar industry, wind industry, energy efficiency, organic food, etc. So these are new companies, new products, new services, and they needed a new workforce; maybe we can get in there. We’re proud of the work that we did at Green For All; we created about ten thousand green jobs across the country in about fifty different cities, mostly for people of color. We would have been able to create more jobs if Congress had done more to pass GAPPA Trade and create more demand for green jobs, but we felt good about that and still feel good about that. But if you look around now, you think, “Okay, well, green jobs are actually still growing faster than the rest of the economy,” so we’re working through Green For All. Even today they increased the number of people who are working in the green economy. The president’s climate plan is going to roll out this summer for the EPA. That’s going to create more jobs; it’s going to be strong there as well. Obviously, now, information technology is still really just taking off, so we’re supplying that same framework. We are likely to be left out, and how can we make sure our communities are locked in? If next year there turns out to be a massive bloom of jobs in bioengineered space larvae [laughs], then you’ll see me making a case for urban kids to have a shot at those jobs as well.

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INTERVIEW

ACTRESS +

Oxfam ambassadOr JOY BRYANT

ACTRESS AND MODEL JOY BRYANT TALKS TO ORIGIN ABOUT HER PASSION FOR HELPING OTHERS, HER COMMITMENT TO TAKING RISKS, AND HER TRAVELS TO CAMBODIA WITH INTERNATIONAL NONPROFIT OXFAM Q: How did your childhood influence your desire to help others? Joy Bryant: I grew up in the South Bronx, raised by my grandmother, who scrapped and scraped to make sure I had a roof over my head and food in my stomach. I was painfully aware of what it was like to live with limited resources and a certain level of uncertainty. But in spite of those realities, my grandmother instilled in me two important lessons: I was just as good as anyone else, and education was my salvation. Fortunately, I was able to get scholarships to excellent schools, but I was one of the lucky ones. All of this is what draws OXFAMGIFTS.COM 6 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

me to anti-poverty organizations like Oxfam. We live in a country where the belief is that anyone can succeed, but for so many here, and for the majority of the world, that’s not the case. In many parts of the world, women and poor people are at a huge disadvantage— certain rights and protections don’t exist, and they don’t have the chance of upward mobility. Being involved with Oxfam has really opened my eyes to the world at large and the suffering of others. But my background and my life experience are what have allowed me to understand how interconnected we all are. I believe one person suffering reverberates throughout the world.

Q: When you visited Oxfam’s programs in Cambodia, what inspired you the most? JB: What inspired me most was the resilience of the Cambodian people. The country is still living with the trauma of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. People lost everything—family, friends. The rich culture of Cambodia was nearly extinguished. They are a nation of survivors. And while poverty and infant mortality affect a disproportionate amount of the people there, those I met were hopeful for the future and doing the best they can with what they had.

Q: During your travels, how have you seen climate change affect women in particular? JB: When I was in Cambodia, we talked a lot about climate change and how it affects the most vulnerable, especially women. There was one woman I met who had been struggling to support her family as a rice farmer. She’d been dealing with a lot of uncertainty around her crops because of extreme weather, but Oxfam introduced her to a new technique to grow rice plants with stronger roots that help them withstand the heavy wind and rain. Because of its yield, she was able to harvest enough rice to keep her family out of extreme poverty, and she was able to send her kids to school. When you empower women and help them thrive, you help their communities thrive. Women shoulder the burden disproportionately. It’s been encouraging to hear the pope talking about climate change and take it away from being a political issue to being one of survival. He literally said, “Any harm done to the environment is harm done to humanity.” I don’t agree with the pope’s positions on other social issues, but he’s on point with this one. PHOTO: BRETT ELOFF

PHOTO: PATRICK BROWN

“I BELIEVE ONE PERSON SUFFERING REVERBERATES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.” PHOTO: ISABELLE LESSER

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 7

Joy bryanT | oxfam

“WE CAN ACT INDIVIDUALLY FOR THE COLLECTIVE GOOD. WE CAN ALL DO SOMETHING.” wasteful. For instance, people who have to walk miles for water—and we just turn on the faucet and let it run. Or people right here in our country who are food insecure, and yet we as a nation throw out an inconceivable amount of food. Action: Donate time, food, or money to organizations that fight the good fight. We can act individually for the collective good. We can all do something. Q: You recently started a new fashion line. What would you say to people considering a new risk or career challenge? JB: I never wanted to be the person who said, “I woulda, coulda, shoulda.” Life is way too short, and you may not last that long. I dropped out of Yale after two years to pursue one of the most uncertain careers—modeling. That seemed like a crazy decision, especially coming from where I came from and given what Yale is. Most people I knew told me so. But I was following what my heart was telling me I needed to do. I took the risk. It could easily have not worked out, but it did. Phew!

PHOTO: SOKUNTHEA CHOR/OXFAM AMERICA

Q: During this season of giving, are there simple ways people can make difference? JB: Awareness: Mindfulness of the resources we have and respect for where we live, eat, and sleep is a good starting point. Being conscious of your consumption, what goes in and out, will help cut down on wastefulness. Acknowledgement: Understanding and compassion for others and their suffering is the next step. Put yourself in the shoes of people who don’t have the luxury of being OXFAMGIFTS.COM 8 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

You have to move to your own beat. There will be times when no one believes in you or understands what you’re doing and why you are doing it. The most important thing is for you to believe in you. Following your own vision is one of the only things that will sustain you. And failure isn’t really an option because, as my grandmother used to say, “Nothing beats a failure but a try.” Thanks, Nana. Like Joy, you can join Oxfam and stand with from poverty by helping them access the tools they need to succeed and thrive. Whether you donate a water pump, books for kids, or any other gift, you

A World Free From

AIdS, TuberculoSIS,

And mAlArIA

A RT I CL E: GLOBA L F UN D EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARK DYBUL

Not long ago, the world watched AIDS rip apart entire communities. Paralyzed by confusion, fear, and a lack of solutions, the global community stood by helpless as the epidemic devastated a generation while orphaning another. Malaria killed young children and pregnant women unable to protect themselves from mosquitoes or access the right medicine. Tuberculosis unfairly afflicted the poor, as it had for millennia. When my career as a public health bureaucrat began, these diseases seemed unbeatable. There were – and remain – many challenges. But the showstopper was a lack of vision. In 2002, many believed treatment in Africa was not possible. Especially for HIV. A former British prime minister famously said, “Never trust experts.” There are always many reasons not to do something. It takes vision to see possibility, and then you have to make sure that the job gets done. I am privileged to have spent my career as part of the global health partnership that came together to fight back. By working together, by pooling resources and expertise, and by involving people affected by the diseases, including civil society, the private sector, and governments, we have made progress way beyond what seemed THEGLOBALFUND.ORG 10 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

possible. Fifteen years ago, we were fighting just to stop the dying. Today, we have the tools to end these epidemics for good if we can maintain global solidarity for this vision and continue to adapt to the rapidly changing landscape. Last month, the Global Fund issued a results report showing that health investments made through the Global Fund partnership have saved seventeen million lives, expanding opportunity and achieving greater social justice for families and communities worldwide. Even better, the report shows that advances in science and innovative solutions are accelerating progress at an ever-faster rate, getting us on track to reach twenty-two million lives saved by the end of next year. However, we must remember that many more lives are still at risk. We must seize the momentum, embrace ambition, and move faster to end HIV, TB, and malaria. Let’s remember that a magnificent display of the human spirit has gotten us this far. The greatest reward for this collective achievement lies not in the massive number—seventeen million— but in the impact every life saved has for a loved one, a family, a friend, a community, and a nation. A life saved from AIDS is a mother who can raise her daughter and teach her to stay safe from HIV. A life saved from TB is a father who can return to work and earn a living to support his family. A life saved from malaria is a child who thrives beyond her fifth birthday and becomes a doctor, or perhaps the next president of Liberia. Mark Dybul is the executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Dybul has worked on HIV and public health for more than 25 years as a clinician, scientist, teacher, and administrator. He previously served as the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and the head of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS

“

A lIFe SAved From AIdS IS A moTher Who cAn rAISe her dAughTer And TeAch her To STAy SAFe From hIv. A lIFe SAved From Tb IS A FATher Who cAn reTurn To Work And eArn A lIvIng To SupporT hIS FAmIly. A lIFe SAved From mAlArIA IS A chIld Who ThrIveS beyond her FIFTh bIrThdAy And becomeS A docTor, or perhApS The nexT preSIdenT oF lIberIA.

”

PHOTOS: THE GLOBAL FUND/JOHN RAE

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 11

o t s l a n g i s g n sendi : s r e k C i f f a r t Wildlife

s I h g u o En

h g u o n E

AFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION ARTICLE: JIMMIEL MANDIMA

ombating the illegal wildlife trade, one of the most persistent conservation challenges of our time, is all about sending signals.

As a government, it’s about sending a signal to your citizens, and to all who reside and do business in your country, that wildlife crime of any kind will not be tolerated. Together and through their collective action, leaders, lawmakers, and law enforcement can send a clear signal that those involved in wildlife trafficking—from poacher to kingpin—will be caught and face justice. The only way to convey clearly to a wildlife trafficker that the illegal ivory he or she is attempting to smuggle to Hong Kong will never reach its destination is by ensuring that ivory never leaves the airport in Mombasa, Kenya, or the seaport in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) is working with governments throughout sub-Saharan Africa to strengthen their law enforcement response to wildlife trafficking, in turn amplifying the message to wildlife criminals that African nations will no longer stand by as their natural heritage is stolen and smuggled abroad.

AWF.ORG 12 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

In two key areas, AWF is working with law enforcement authorities: detecting illegal wildlife products and investigating and prosecuting wildlife crimes. In June 2015, eight ivory detection dogs and thirteen canine handlers from Kenya Wildlife Service and Tanzania’s Wildlife Division graduated from AWF’s Conservation Canine Programme. After undergoing two months of daily intensive training in which dog and handler were trained to search transport vehicles and detect pieces of ivory of varying sizes – from powder to larger tusks – the canine units have been deployed to the airports of Mombasa and Dar es Salaam, both identified as East Africa’s primary hubs for trafficked ivory. The canine units have begun patrolling the airports in these locations and will soon also be covering the seaports, where large shipments of ivory have been seized in the past. At the same time, AWF is sensitizing magistrates, prosecutors, customs and border agents, police, wildlife authorities, and other members of the law enforcement and criminal justice communities to the issue of poaching and wildlife trafficking. Through a series

of criminal justice workshops, AWF’s law enforcement program provides sentencing guidelines for those convicted for wildlife crimes and enhances the way a wildlife criminal case is carried forward through the justice system—from arrest and evidence collection to prosecution, conviction, and sentencing. Trainings have so far been carried out in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These efforts are already bearing fruit in the courts. These two complementary interventions focus on the “trafficking” part of the illicit supply chain, and success on this part of the chain contributes significantly to dismantling the illicit transnational organized crime this has come to be. Jimmiel Mandima is from Masvingo Province years as director of AWF’s Zambezi Landscape, a Zambia. Now based in Washington, DC, Jimmiel liaises with the U.S. and other governments, as well as multilateral institutions, to support AWF’s

PHOTO: BILLY DODSON, AFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Combating the illegal Wildlife trade, one of the most persistent Conservation Challenges of our time, is all about sending signals.

â&#x20AC;?

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 13

“as a government, it’s about

sending a signal to your CitiZens, and to all Who reside and do business in your Country, that Wildlife Crime of any kind Will not be tolerated.

”

AFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION AWF.ORG 14 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO: CHERYL-SAMANTHA OWEN, AFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION

Love & Consciousness in Action At the heart of ORGANIC INDIA is our commitment to be a living embodiment of love and consciousness in action. We work with thousands of family farmers in India to cultivate thousands of acres of sustainable, organic farmland. Each of our products embodies a flow of love, respect and connectedness between Mother Nature, our farmers, our company and you.

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100% certified organic sustainably & ethically grown vegetarian kosher gluten free

“

people are inTimaTely bounD up wiTh The DiVersiTy of life on earTh. as our planeT faces seeminGly insurmounTable oDDs, we musT finD new ways To surViVe anD ThriVe ToGeTher.

”

WORLD WILDLIFE FUND Water for elephants…

and

people.

arTicle: nikhil aDVani, senior proGram officer, climaTe chanGe aDapTaTion, wwf

his past June I set out on a trip to Kui Buri National Park in Thailand to see a World Wildlife Fund project that combines three vital areas of our work: protecting wildlife, preserving fresh water, and building resilience to climate change.

What’s the connection? Asian elephants! Elephants in this part of the world need up to 225 liters of water a day for drinking, and that doesn’t include water for bathing and play. Climate change is putting their water supply at risk. This area has seen a significant decrease in rainfall since 2009. While parts of the world like Kui Buri are getting drier, others are getting wetter, and throughout the world we are seeing more extreme weather events and less predictable seasonality of rainfall.

Kui Buri National Park is a beautiful place. It lies in the southern-most part of the Kaeng Krachan-Kuiburi Forest Complex in Thailand’s Tenasserim Mountains. Established in 1999, Kui Buri is home to between 150 and 200 Asian elephants and many more people. My WWF colleagues in the region have been working for a number of years with both the Thailand Department of National Parks and local communities to help stop human-wildlife conflict in the park. The biggest problem facing the elephants and the people who live here? Water. There isn’t enough of it. Elephants and locals are vying for the same precious water supply, which leads to conflict. During the dry season, elephants will often venture into lower parts of the valley to find more permanent sources of water, which happen to be dangerously close to agricultural fields. During my visit, I met Paechuap

WORLDWILDLIFE.ORG/PAGES/WILDLIFE-AND-CLIMATE 16 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

Pimpimai, a farmer who has lived in the area for thirty-seven years. She said that it’s become so hot nowadays that she works fewer hours in the fields than she used to. The rainy season is also shorter. However, human-elephant conflict isn’t as bad as it used to be and she says she’s grateful for that. Many of the elephants are now spending more time inside the park and away from farming fields. The construction of check dams have greatly improved things. Check dams are small, relatively temporary structures that are used to accumulate water. WWF worked with partners to build dams in the central part of Kui Buri Park, away from human settlements and farms like Paechuap’s. These dams were intentionally built in streams that used to flow year-round but, thanks to changing rainfall patterns, are now only seasonal. When the streams do flood, the check dams can accumulate water for up to two months. PHOTO: ARANTXA CEDILLO/OXFAM AMERICA

This stored water is keeping elephants and other wildlife away from the more permanent sources of water, which reduces humanwildlife conflict. Community members have also received support to construct wells and rainwater harvesting tanks to help them secure additional sources of fresh water. The project I saw in Thailand is a promising example of a new approach WWF is taking around the world to help wildlife and humans adapt together to a changing climate. Most research has focused on how climate change directly impacts wildlife. Now, we’re starting to study indirect impacts, like increased human-wildlife conflict over access to water and how human responses to climate change may have other negative impacts on wildlife. And we’re coming up with solutions: t *O UIF 7JSVOHB .BTTJG BOE #XJOEJ Impenetrable National Park in east central Africa, people are encroaching on this fragile mountain gorilla habitat to collect water, resulting in increased poaching and encounters with wildlife. WWF is supporting rainwater harvesting tanks for the communities to minimize park encroachment. t *O "TJB T IJHI NPVOUBJOT XF SF NFFUJOH XJUI community members to better understand how they are responding to a changing climate. As they move to higher elevations, we are beginning to see people intrude into important snow leopard habitat. People are intimately bound up with the diversity of life on Earth. As our planet faces seemingly insurmountable odds, we must find new ways to survive and thrive together. It is our responsibility to help wildlife adapt to a changing climate. We need to move beyond assessments and recommendations and begin implementation. That’s why I’m so excited about our project in Kui Buri. It’s a vital step forward in our vision for a future where people live in harmony with nature. Nikhil Advani focuses on climate change and species, and human responses to climate change. His species work includes conducting vulnerability assessments and developing and implementing adaptation strategies for WWF priority species. The human responses work primarily focuses on Africa, changes in weather and climate, and how their responses impact biodiversity.

PHOTO: © LUKE DUGGLEBY/WWF-US ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 17

arTicle: DaViD barron

IllegAl WIldlIFe TrAFFIckIng:

Crisis in afriCa international conservation caucus foundation

n the next fifty years, the world population is expected to increase from seven billion to eleven billion, with three billion more people in Africa alone. We are facing an enormous crisis in Africa right now in terms of illegal wildlife trafficking, which is decimating animal populations, destroying local economies, and funding armed insurgencies and terrorist syndicates. If we do not find solutions to this crisis now, there will be little habitat left beyond sparse areas of national parks that will serve as glorified zoos to small pockets of remaining animals.

INTERNATIONALCONSERVATION.ORG 18 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

Many people and organizations are working hard to prevent this, including The ICCF Group, which is leading the way in building multipartisan political support in the US and internationally to combat the crisis as well as providing onthe-ground expertise. African governments are committed and asking for help. Eight countries have recently signed the Arusha Declaration, pledging to work together to combat illegal wildlife trafficking, and last month in New York, heads of state from African nations and major donors came together at an ICCF event to pledge support.

PHOTO: FAO/ALESSANDRA BENEDETTI | ELEPHANT PHOTO: THE NATURE CONSERVANCY

Many of our leaders are involved in the fight to protect Africa’s wild animals and wild places. In the US Congress, Kay Granger, Lindsey Graham, Pat Leahy, Ed Royce, and Nita Lowey are working together in a truly bipartisan fashion to provide funding for the crisis through agencies and institutions such as USAID and the Global Environment Facility. What is needed are economic models for local peoples to sustainably utilize their natural resources in ways that protect them for future generations while allowing them to feed their children. We must find solutions that pay for themselves in terms of economic returns and seek true “conservation through development.” ICCF calls it Natural Resource Wealth Management™. Several years ago, I sat in a meeting with then-Secretary of the Treasury Hank Paulson and a number of CEOs of leading conservation organizations to discuss what he might speak about during an upcoming trip to Africa. I pointed out that visiting Mt. Kilimanjaro to address climate change would appeal to American and European audiences, but that if he were going to engage Africans, he must address development. Secretary Paulson leaned across the table and said, “They’re just trying to get through the night!” He “got” it. For conservation to succeed, we must embrace conservation models

where people use their natural resources to create jobs, to grow economies, and to feed their people while protecting wildlife and Africa’s iconic species. Tourism is one proven model, but not the only. The best tourism companies in Africa are actively involved in communities, developing local economies while maintaining extraordinary properties in ecologically fragile places, including Abercrombie & Kent, Grumeti Reserve, Ol Jogi, and Wilderness Safaris. But in addition to tourism, it is essential to employ other ways to benefit more from the use of natural resources than from their destruction—from wildlife breeding operations to—yes—hunting of abundant species where viable. We still have time left to make a difference, but the clock is ticking. We must embrace comprehensive new models before there is little left to save. David Barron is the founder of the International Conservation Caucus that supports the leadership of the most popular multipartisan caucus on Capitol Hill, and chairman of the board of governors of The ICCF Group. He is among eight conservationists selected to serve on the Advisory Council to the Presidential Task

“

preSIdenT rooSevelT WAS very much AheAd oF hIS TIme In SAyIng ‘conServATIon meAnS developmenT AS much AS IT doeS proTecTIon. —prince charles speakinG aT iccf Gala, march 2015

”

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 19

SyrIAn reFugeeS

ShIne

in their own

DARKEST HOUR

aweD by The DepTh of The human spiriT in DisplaceD syrians. CARE PRESIDENT + CEO MICHELLE NUNN On a recent trip to the Middle East, I met Aziz, who at sixteen is mature beyond his years. He told me in English, one of four languages he speaks, that his name means “proud.” His dad died when Aziz was twelve. And after his neighborhood in Syria came under barrel-bomb attacks, his mom escaped with him and his brother to Turkey, where they knew no one. With his love of language, Aziz said he wants to be an English professor. “I want a future,” he said. “I will graduate from high school next year, and then I will go to university. And one day I want to go back to Syria. I can do anything, and if I can bring change for my people, I will do it.”

Aziz’s spirit and confidence soar in spite of a war that imposes heavy hardships on him and more than four million fellow Syrians thrust from their country by the fighting. One of those refugees is Nisreen, who told me her story as I sat cross-legged on the floor of her temporary home in the Azraq refugee camp about sixty miles outside of Jordan’s capital, Amman. “The war took away everything beautiful in my life,” she said. She had taught English in Syria, where her husband was an electrician. But war wrecked all of that. It destroyed her home and nearly her husband, who was severely injured in an attack. She and her family now chase a new normal in Jordan—“strangers in a strange

land,” she said. Another mother told me of her two older boys, aged nine and thirteen, who never missed a day of school in Syria but now have to work full time to feed the family. I immediately thought of my own children, who are ten and twelve, and tried to imagine such a heavy burden resting on their shoulders. Perhaps picking up on this, the mother felt a need to explain further. She raised her sixyear-old son’s shirt to reveal a jagged scar from shrapnel that had ripped through his little body. “What choice did I have but to leave?” she asked. What choice indeed? No six-year-old—or mother—should ever be so scarred. Millions of people—shopkeepers, lawyers, engineers, construction workers, teachers, electricians—have lost their homes, their livelihoods, their families. For many, their only choice has been to run. In addition to the more than 4 million who have left the country are 7.5 million displaced inside Syria. Together they represent the largest human displacement the globe has seen since World War II. Most of the people I met in Jordan and Turkey had fled their homes with nothing but a suitcase and the determination to one day return. They told me candidly how that determination wrestles with despair, and at times they're not sure which will prevail. But Nisreen, who once spent evenings cooking dinner and helping her son with his homework, said she had discovered her own strength in the midst of chaos. She now applies it to helping others as one of CARE’s community advocates. She finds purpose as their champion—and by using her skills as an

CARE.ORG 20 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

Volunteers like Nisreen, who share the language, culture, and struggles of those they serve, are often best equipped to effectively serve and help their fellow refugees. They receive extensive training on how to identify and report cases of domestic violence, for example, and to advise refugees on how, where, and when to seek medical care. Because the response still lacks sufficient support—the UN’s overall humanitarian appeal, like CARE’s, is less than half-funded—they must identify the most vulnerable families to be prioritized for aid such as cash vouchers so they can eat, pay rent, and buy the basics to survive. But it’s the volunteers’ empathy and compassion, more than any training, that lead the way. Compassion is the life force I encountered in people all along the front lines of the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, and it has been CARE’s lifeblood since we were founded seventy years ago this month as a way for Americans to send CARE Packages to warweary families in Europe. Just as then, we find in survivors now an ability to radiate light,

“

now an ability to radiate light, even in their darkest hour, and in supporters around the world a commitment to helping them.

”

even in their darkest hour, and in supporters around the world a commitment to helping them. I think again of Aziz, whose words—in all four languages—are mature beyond his years: “We are all refugees with similar struggles going through this together. The best possible hope we can receive is through helping each other. Volunteering . . . makes me feel like a human again.” Aziz may have been speaking about his fellow refugees, but his message holds true for all of us. Michelle Nunn is president and CEO of the global leading humanitarian organization that provides extreme poverty around the world by empowering girls and women. Last year, CARE worked in 90 countries, reaching more than 72 million people. To read more stories like Nisreen’s and Aziz’s and to learn how you can help them respond to the Syrian crisis, visit www.care.org.

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 21

presidential Candidate

SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS DefininG The worD “socialism,”

HOW HE PLANS TO PAY FOR EVERYTHING, The failure of The war on DruGs, prison reform,

CORPORATE MEDIA, THE KOCH BROTHERS, CITIZENS UNITED, how The fossil fuel inDusTry conTrols The republican conVersaTion on climaTe chanGe,

AND HOW THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM IS TOTALLY RIGGED. Senator Bernie Sanders almost single-handedly changed the focus of the national conversation of the 2016 election cycle and made history raising $26+ million in record time—without Super PACs. Rising in the polls, with unprecedented enthusiasm from his supporters, Senator Sanders is at the front of this presidential race.

inTerView: maranDa pleasanT

SANDERS.SENATE.GOV | BERNIESANDERS.COM 22 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 23

PHOTO: MARIUS BUGGE 24 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

Maranda Pleasant: We simply cannot afford to have a president in office that denies climate change, which would be a disaster. Can you speak about the climate crisis? Senator Bernie Sanders: Absolutely. I am a member of both the Senate environmental committee and the Senate energy committee, and I can tell you that I have heard from scientists, not only across America but all over the world, who tell us that absolutely the debate is over. Climate change is real. Climate change is caused by human activity, and climate change is already causing devastating problems in our country and around the world. What we’re talking about is not only rising sea levels, droughts, floods, and the warming and the acidification of the ocean, but what we’re also looking at, if we do not transform our energy system, is more international war and conflict as countries fight over limited natural resources, including water and land to grow their crops. That’s the bad news. The other bad news is we see how campaign finance has impacted the Republicans’ view by and large on climate change. Most Republicans are not prepared to stand up to the fossil fuel industry because they get a lot of their campaign funds from the Koch brothers and other people in the fossil fuel industry. That tells me why we have to reform our campaign finance system. That’s the bad news. The good news is that we’ve seen in recent years significant reductions in the cost of solar panels and wind production. We know how significant an impact we can have by moving towards energy efficiency and transforming our transportation system. So we know what has to be done. We have to develop the political will to do it, and, as president, this would be an issue of huge concern to me. MP: Well, you just covered campaign finance and the Koch brothers. Let’s talk a minute on the need for prison reform. BS: Absolutely. A very important issue. What every American should know is that we have more people in jail today than any other country on Earth, more than China. We have some 2.2 million people in jail. What that means is that a lot of lives are being destroyed. When people get out of jail, it is not easy for them to find a job. It is not easy for them to return to civil society. In my view, one of the major reasons that we have so many people in jail is that we have turned our backs on a lot young people. Youth unemployment for high school graduates in this country if they are Hispanic is 36 percent and African Americans 51 percent. When you have kids that have no

“

jobs and are not in school, too often they get themselves into trouble. So what we have got to do is invest in education and in jobs, something which I have fought for, rather than more jails and incarceration.

MOST REPUBLICANS are noT prepareD TO STAND UP TO THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY because They GeT a loT of Their campaiGn funDs from The koch broThers anD oTher people in The fossil fuel inDusTry.

THAT

TELLS ME WHY WE HAVE TO REFORM OUR CAMPAIGN FINANCE SYSTEM.

”

Second of all, I think it is now widely understood that the so-called “War on Drugs” has largely been a failure. Too many people have developed criminal records for smoking marijuana. Too many people have gone to jail for nonviolent crimes. So I think it’s important for us to rethink the war on drugs. I think that it is absolutely imperative that we reform a very broken criminal justice system which allows for mandatory minimums, which has police departments that are not reflective of the communities that they serve, and a lot more. So criminal justice reform is something that we have got to address in a very bold way. MP: Thank you. Let’s talk about how our political system is owned by a minority of billionaires. Many people feel like the system, Democrat or Republican, just stays the same. It seems like you’re giving millions of people hope. BS: Right. MP: Citizens United. Our government seems to be funded by corporations and, like you said, with the Koch brothers and climate change, I feel like oil and gas bankroll a lot of politicians. Can you talk about that and the growing inequality? BS: Absolutely. Thank you. This is a very important issue that the corporate media chooses not to talk about a whole lot, that we have an economic system which is rigged, which means that at the same time as the middle class of this country is disappearing, almost all of the new income and wealth in America is going to the top percent. You have the top one-tenth of percent owning almost as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent—58 percent of all new income is going to the top percent. That’s economically. Politically, as a result of Citizens United, billionaires are now able to spend as much money as they want on campaigns, which means that you have a political system which is heavily dominated by corporations and wealthy individuals. Unless we get a handle on this issue, the degree to which our economy and our political system is controlled by a small number of very, very wealthy people—I fear very much that it is not going to be easy to transform our nation and make government work for the middle class. So this is an issue of huge consequence, something we have been focusing on very much during this campaign.

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 25

MP: I went to my family reunion in the South and mentioned your name to my relatives, mainly farmers. I thought they would be proBernie, and the words out of my uncle’s mouth were, “I’m not voting for a socialist.” I think a lot of people are so scared and misunderstand that word. Can you answer what that means to you? BS: Well, it means several things to me. First of all, it means a government that reflects the needs of the middle class and working families, the vast majority of our people, and not just the top 1 percent, which is currently the case. It also means that the United States has got to join the rest of the industrialized world in making sure that working families of the middle class have benefits that they absolutely need. We are the only major country on Earth that does not guarantee health care to all people as a right. We are the only major country on Earth that does not provide paid family and medical leave. There are many countries around the world which make sure that public colleges and universities are tuition-free. In our country, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to afford to go to college. What I think people should realize is that programs like Social Security, programs like Medicare, programs like the Veterans Administration, programs like your local park and your local library—those are, if you like, socialist programs; they’re run by [and] for the public, not to make money. I think in many ways we should expand that concept so that the American people can enjoy the same benefits that people all over the world are currently enjoying.

26 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

“

i Think iT is Time To ask

THE WEALTHIEST PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY anD The larGesT corporaTions To sTarT payinG Their fair share

SO THAT WE CAN PROTECT THE NEEDS of The

of Taxes

miDDle class of This counTry.

”

MP: Well, that doesn’t sound very scary. BS: {Laughs} No, in fact virtually all of the programs that I am advocating have the support of the vast majority of the American people. MP: How would we do that? I think when they hear that, they think, “Are you going to take money away from people that are working hard and give it those who refuse to work?” Are you advocating, instead, ending corporate welfare (subsidies) for large companies making record profits that most Americans don’t even know about? Some numbers say that the government spends twice as much on corporate welfare to profitable companies as all social welfare combined, including things like food stamps and housing assistance. BS: That’s a good question, and here’s the answer—for the last thirty years, we have seen a massive redistribution of wealth, from the middle class to the top one-tenth of 1 percent. In other words: The middle class is shrinking while at the same time the people on top are doing phenomenally well. And I think it is time to ask the wealthiest people in this country and the largest corporations to start paying their fair share of taxes so that we can protect the needs of the middle class of this country, working families, the elderly and the children, and the sick, and I think if we can do that, we can create a much stronger country and a much fairer country. MP: Thank you so much, Senator Sanders. Thank you so much for your time.

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SIERRA CLUB THE DAY PEOPLE POWER

DEFEATED SHELL OIL Shell Leaving the Arctic Is Worth Celebrating, But Our Work Is Not Finished, AND This Movement WILL CONTINUE UNTIL ThE ARCTIC AND OUR CLIMATE ARE PERMANENTLY PROTECTED. Article: Dan Ritzman

s my family’s weekend was winding down on September 27, I looked at my phone to see some amazing news: Shell was abandoning its plans to drill in the Arctic.

This only seemed possible in dreams just a few days ago. President Obama had given Shell the green light to begin drilling in the Arctic in June, putting this delicate ecosystem and the world’s climate at risk. President Obama gave approval despite hundreds of thousands of Americans screaming for him to stop this reckless drilling, as well as warnings from his own advisers that any drilling in the Arctic carries a 75 percent risk of a major oil spill and a 100 percent chance of furthering climate disruption. Ever since Shell received the go-ahead to drill, people have been mobilizing across the country to demand that the Arctic remain protected—especially from the extraction of dirty fuels. In mid-May, “kayaktivists” became a household name when nearly one thousand people gathered in Seattle—on land and in the harbor —to protest Shell. Hundreds of people in kayaks surrounded Shell’s rig with homemade signs demanding that the president say “Shell No” to drilling in the Arctic. This event wasn’t the first of the movement, but it did capture the country’s attention of what is at risk. SIERRACLUB.ORG 28 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

After Seattle, hundreds of thousands of people began to take action, from calling the White House to submitting letters to the editor at their local newspapers to joining in rallies across the country. Unfortunately, President Obama did not listen to their calls. As Shell was assembling its fleet of ships in the Arctic, it put a three-foot gash into the side of the icebreaker Fennica, forcing the ship to head to Portland, Oregon, for repairs. Then, the activists kicked into gear. Twenty-six activists suspended themselves from the St. Johns Bridge, and hundreds more in kayaks gathered below to block Shell’s icebreaker from leaving the port, holding the company’s drilling plans at bay. The protest captured the country’s attention as people saw what was at risk. Eventually, the Fennica departed for the Arctic and Shell was set to start drilling, but the movement was only beginning. This movement played a key role in Shell’s abandonment of Arctic drilling for the foreseeable future. Shell’s announcement led to much rejoicing, and while we should all celebrate that the Arctic will not be destroyed from drilling in the near future, our work is not finished. If we do not act to protect the Arctic and leave dirty fuels in the ground both there and throughout the world, the region will continue to melt at a precipitous rate, harming the world community as a whole. That’s why President Obama must cancel all existing and future drilling leases in the Arctic and permanently protect this refuge from the dangers of drilling. Dan Ritzman is the senior campaign manager of the Sierra Club’s Our Wild America program. As this issue went to press, President Obama took the by canceling the lease sales that were set for 2016 and 2017.

“

if we Do noT acT To proTecT The arcTic anD leaVe DirTy fuels in The GrounD boTh There anD ThrouGhouT The worlD, The reGion will conTinue To melT aT a precipiTous raTe, harminG The worlD communiTy as a whole. ”

TOP PHOTO: MARCUS DONNER/GREENPEACE | BOTTOM PHOTO: STEVE DIPAOLA/GREENPEACE ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 29

losing our oCeans,

the sixth mass

extinCtion, and Why We Could be the next

dinosaurs PARLEY: TACKLING THE

WORLD’S BIGGEST ISSUES AND FORGING NEW COLLABORATIONS AROUND OCEAN HEALTH FOR COP21. PARLEY FOUNDER: CYRILL GUTSCH INTERVIEW: BONNIE CALVIN

Bonnie Calvin: What is Parley for the Oceans? Cyrill Gutsch: Parley is a space where creators, thinkers, and leaders come together to raise awareness for the beauty and fragility of our oceans. It is a collaboration forum, a call to action, a place where ideas are exchanged and solutions are not only made but acted upon. We are facing a threatening reality. Our oceans are about to die. Scientists defined the deadline for their collapse in the year 2048. We are losing species at light speed, and we know today that we already entered the sixth mass extinction event. There is no doubt: if we continue like this and don’t change rapidly the way we treat this planet, then we are the next dinosaurs, because we simply cannot live on a planet with a dead ocean. Our lives depend on it as part of our life support system. There are many individuals and organizations who fight for the conservation of our oceans. But believe that it takes more than one individual or one group to solve the problems. They are too complex to repair in a monodisciplinary way. Parley is designed for exactly this challenge. BC: What drove you to create Parley? CG: On June 16, 2012, I was sitting in a small law office and meeting Captain Paul Watson, founder of Sea Shepherd and cofounder of Greenpeace. Through Paul, I became fully aware of the crises around our ocean’s health and how the way we do business contributes to these crises. How we deal with our assets, how we create products. And that makes my PARLEY.TV | #FORTHEOCEANS 30 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

profession, the creative class, responsible. The idea that we are the generation that allows our oceans to die is something I could not accept. BC: What current projects are happening and in the works? CG: Parley works to identify the different aspects of a problem, isolate them, and design a set of initiatives that can tackle [them] from different angles. The actual implementation is then done by our network of collaborators. Our strongest focus right now is on ocean plastic pollution. We developed a strategy called A.I.R., which stands for “Avoid. Intercept. Redesign.” [It] has the potential to become the new industry standard of how to deal with plastic on the levels of product design, production, distribution, and promotion.

In short: The current plastic is a design failure. It never dies. We can end plastic pollution by stopping the production of new “virgin” plastic and only recycling what we have already, then inventing our way out of this mess by creating new materials that have the same or better attributes. BC: What is the Parley Paris event about? CG: Parley in Paris is a space where we invite leaders from environmental organizations, governments, corporations, and the creative industry to learn about the interdependence between the oceans, climate, and life. It’s also a collaboration space to work on solutions, to start initiatives or projects, or simply to get some inspiration.

“

WE ARE FACING A THREATENING REALITY. OUR OCEANS ARE ABOUT TO DIE. SCIENTISTS DEFINED THE DEADLINE FOR THEIR COLLAPSE IN THE YEAR 2048. WE ARE LOSING SPECIES AT LIGHT SPEED, AND WE KNOW TODAY THAT WE ALREADY ENTERED THE SIXTH MASS EXTINCTION EVENT.

”

We prepared for Paris by collaborating with the president of the General Assembly [of the United Nations], who hosted Parley Talks on June 29 at the General Assembly Hall in New York as a supporting event of the High Level Meeting on Climate Change, the pre-meeting of COP21. Our objective is to get the creative community and the industry behind the cause, and find efficient ways for their participation in the solution.

A voIce for the oceAnS

a Gathering of filmmakers, scientists, explorers, conservationists, and celebrities.

blue ocean film fesTiVal anD conserVaTion summiT, noVember 6–9, 2015 phoTo: paul nicklen

arTicle: Debbie kinDer, co-founDer anD ceo of blue ocean film fesTiVal anD ocean conserVaTion summiT (blue)

ince the beginning of time, the ocean waters have sustained and nurtured humanity. Like many people, I am drawn to the mysteries of uncharted waters and species of the Earth’s oceans. But, like so many millions of others, I also am drawn to the sea to seek solace and serenity. Compelled to devote my life to being an “Earth Ambassador,” I have made it my mission to encourage everyone I come in contact with to take an active role in becoming stewards of the ocean and protecting this amazing lifegiving resource. I founded the BLUE Ocean Film Festival with my husband, Charles Kinder, in 2007. By gathering filmmakers, scientists, explorers, conservationists, and celebrities from around the world for a three-day event of film screenings, industry workshops, and keynote speakers, the BLUE Ocean Film Festival and Conservation Summit (BLUE) aims to broaden the voice of ocean stewardship. I am thrilled to tell you our international film festival has grown to become the Oscars of ocean filmmaking. BLUE is important

BLUEOCEANFILMFESTIVAL.ORG

because the festival connects industry leaders with directors, photographers, and other artists who are doing important work and exploration. This festival honors the ocean and will hopefully have an impact on the people who attend the festival way after the festival ends. We want people to leave and continue the work of protecting our waters in their communities and in the way they live their lives. Ocean cinematography takes someone like me to places I will never journey on my own. And to see the fragile beauty that exists below the surface does have a powerful pull on your heart and can forever change your worldview. The BLUE screening of Racing Extinction, directed by Louie Psihoyos, who won an Academy Award for The Cove, is sure to be one such movie event. With keynote speakers like Sylvia Earle, PhD, and Celine Cousteau talking about the importance of our oceans, this festival is all about preserving the outdoors and the importance of our oceans for all life. BLUE takes place in Monaco every other year, alternating with St. Petersburg, Florida.

Monaco became the second home of BLUE in 2013 when a strategic partnership was announced with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco. While BLUE 2015 will focus on global ocean issues, including the ocean’s role in climate change, international attention will be drawn to Monaco’s commitment to environmental sustainability and ocean conservation as ocean leaders and filmmakers convene on its shores three weeks before COP21 in Paris (November 30 through December 11) to put forward solutions. The BLUE Legacy Award will go to HSH Prince Albert II, the reigning monarch of the Principality of Monaco. “This event uses the power of film, photography, entertainment, and science to educate, empower, and inspire ocean stewardship around the globe. To awaken consciousness toward environmental protection more effectively, our best weapons are those that win over our hearts and minds,” says Prince Albert II. BLUE 2015, November 6–9, 2015 Oceanographic Museum of Monaco

PHOTO FROM SEA LEGACY’S POLE TO POLE EXHIBIT AT BLUE 2015 IN MONACO ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 31

execu TiVe D i r e cT or annie leonar D

greenpeace usa

on why a successful acTiVisT musT be a GooD sToryTeller, our hearTs are more powerful moTiVaTors Than our brains, how acTiVisTs neeD To GeT The facTs riGhT, anD remaininG hopeful for The fuTure. inTerView: paul D. miller aka DJ spooky

Paul D. Miller: Your work as executive director of Greenpeace USA leads you all over the world to engage in activism, but many people know you from the wildly successful web video series What inspires you and how did you bridge the two roles of storyteller and activist? Annie Leonard: A successful activist must be a good storyteller because we need to connect with and inspire people to join our movement for a better future. It took me a while to realize this. For decades, I thought that scientific truth, solid economic case studies, and common sense were enough to bring about change on the environmental front. After all, the data is so compelling! I thought that if people just understood the severity of today’s environmental threats and knew about available solutions, those solutions would happen. Not so. Turns out, people’s brains are not nearly as powerful a motivator as our hearts. Facts, data, and economic models don’t move people to courageous action the way that powerful stories can. It’s crucial we know the facts and science, but it’s naïve to rely on them alone to build a movement for change.

being able to shape the stories about how that history is written and told.

storytellers about the time of passion in their work?

Just recognizing and naming that many of the things we treat as historical fact are stories can help erode their power over our sense of identity and thinking. If they are stories rather than “truth,” we can write new stories that better represent the country we aspire to be. Our new stories can be about diverse people working together to overcome challenges and make life better for all, about figuring out how to live sustainably on this one planet we share, and on deep respect for cooperation, fairness, and equity instead of promoting hypercompetitive individualism. Fodder for these stories is real too, but they just haven’t been included in our dominant national narrative.

AL: Activists need to get the facts right. One of the big assets we have on our side is the truth, and we lose credibility and power if we’re loose with that. It is true that fossil fuels are changing the climate. It is true that corporate interests have hijacked our democracy. It is true that we have permeated our everyday products and the planet with chemicals so thoroughly that babies today are born with over one hundred industrial and agricultural chemicals already in their tiny bodies. Doing the extra work of doublechecking facts protects our credibility and prevents wasting time in distracting arguments with deniers who want to challenge specific data points rather than engage in a bigger-picture, productive conversation about how to build a better future.

PDM: Every selection of your video and activist work is deeply researched. What would you suggest for other activists and

PDM: What do you think of the role of history in forming the ideologies of our time? How do you think storytelling can change our way of life? AL: I think history has less of an impact on current times than the stories that we tell ourselves about that history [do]. We all know by now that the stories we’ve told ourselves about the founding of this country are vastly inaccurate, yet they are so deep in our collective subconscious (not to mention our school textbooks) that we still use them to tolerate systemic racism against indigenous people and African Americans. The power that comes from knowing the facts of history is dwarfed by the power that comes from PHOTO: N. SCOTT TRIMBLE/GREENPEACE 32 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 33

“ We ’ ve got to rescue our democracy by using it.” That said, don’t stop there. Solid information is necessary, but insufficient. We also need to present that information in ways that are inspiring and accessible. That’s where stories come in.

never had a day of schooling.

And I want to clarify that one doesn’t need to be a scientist or have fancy college degrees to know the truth about the health of our children, our communities, and the planet. Community members generally know far more about the health of their own communities than visiting “experts,” yet that knowledge is often discredited because of another story that we tell ourselves: “real” education happens [only] in the halls of universities. Some of the most powerful activists I’ve met are women survivors of Union Carbide’s gas leak in Bhopal, India, providing community health services to gas-affected neighbors, or forest dwellers who know how to harvest a forest sustainably for generations but who

AL: I am afraid that I think both the nearfuture environmental reality and political landscape are not looking good—and they are connected. The best tool we have for advancing environmental solutions is our democracy, and we can’t currently access it because it has been so thoroughly hijacked by big corporate interests. So, regardless of if we’re more concerned about climate or economic equality or racial justice or anything else that is good for people and the planet, we simply must also spend some time wresting back our money-marinated democracy. This will require getting money out of politics and then getting people back in. Between

PDM: What do you think of the near-future political landscape and its intersection with environmental activist work and digital media?

the disillusionment that people feel about politics-as-usual, assaults on the right to vote, and the constant feelings of pressure that Americans suffer in our overworked, overstressed economy, too many people have checked out of the political process. No more! We’ve got to rescue our democracy by using it. Even though near-term environmental and political outlooks are bleak, I remain hopeful. Everywhere I go, I meet people ready for change. People who are fed up with the exhaustion that comes from devoting one’s life to the work-watch-spend treadmill. People who know in their hearts that it’s wrong to treat the planet and whole groups of people as disposable. People who are challenging the bogus stories we’ve been fed for years and are writing their own about hope and love and working together to build a better future for everyone.

PHOTO: TIM AUBRY/GREENPEACE 34 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

liVesTock + climaTe chanGe: whaT no one wanTs To Talk abouT.

more Than half of humaniTy’s Greenhouse Gas emissions currenTly come from liVesTock proDucTion.

DOMINICK THOMPSON, FOUNDER/CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF CRAZIES AND WEIRDOS

Twenty minutes into my 2.4-mile swim, I begin to smell toxic fumes that have become all too familiar to me in each triathlon I have competed in over the years. During this specific open-water swim, the smell of gasoline was stronger than usual. I tried to ignore it and continue the swim, but the smell intensified to the point I had to pause to observe my surroundings and make an assessment of why I could taste gasoline in my mouth. At this point, my lungs were burning because of the fumes I had been inhaling. To the left of me, the bay was filled with multiple small boats lined up along the swim course, occupied by safety personnel monitoring the thousands of swimmers participating in this race. In hindsight, swimming in an open-water swim, breathing in toxins from the motors attached to boats is not normal, let alone safe. If I experienced trouble breathing properly during my swim, I could only imagine how marine life feels every day throughout our oceans and rivers, polluted with toxins and chemicals caused by humans. Whether in water, land, or air, the day-today activities of humans are increasing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, which in turn warms the air and increases the amount of CO2 in the ocean. The implications will be felt from the ice caps to our own backyards. Our oceans and marine life are dying, and we as a human race are in critical danger as well. According to the National Oceanic and CRAZIESANDWEIRDOS.COM

Atmospheric Administration, the first nine months of 2015 had the warmest global land and sea temperatures ever recorded. 2015 is clearly on pace to be the warmest year by a wide margin. The warmer climate impacts every region of the globe, but nowhere is it more evident and more impactful and visible than in the polar regions. The National Snow and Ice Data Center recently reported that Arctic sea ice has been declining at a rate of 13.4 percent per decade through 2015. Retreating sea ice has a negative impact on numerous species in the Arctic ecosystem, from microscopic organisms to polar bears. Polar bears were the first vertebrate species to be listed by the U.S. Endangered Species Act as threatened by extinction primarily because of global warming and the decline of their sea ice habitat. As climate change shrinks the sea ice further, and for longer periods of time, polar bears have fewer hunting opportunities and more scarcity of food. The retreat of the sea ice leads to a longer, more treacherous swim to hunt for food. If the rate of change in sea ice coverage continues, the US Geological Survey projects a loss of two-thirds of the world’s already small polar bear population by 2050. This projection is based on a continued rate of global warming and can be managed by decreasing CO2 emissions and reducing the rate of climate change. It’s no secret where the primary source of climate change comes from. Many credible sources have pointed to animal agriculture as

| @DOMZTHOMPSON | #CLARKKENTWASVEGAN

the biggest contributor to global warming. An article called “Livestock and Climate Change” released by the journal World Watch suggests that livestock and their methane byproducts account for at least 32,564 tons of CO2 per year—meaning 51 percent or more of humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions currently come from livestock production. This is a serious matter. We must take responsibility and slow down this problem by reducing or eliminating meat and dairy from our diets. This is critical to saving and preserving our planet. If we continue with our current habits as a human race, life as we know it will continue to deteriorate rapidly to the point that some areas of the world will no longer be able to sustain life. We each make daily decisions that affect the environment and the overall ecosystem in an impactful way, and changing those decisions can change our environment. Dominick Thompson is a leader of the vegan conscious clothing company that advocates for animal rights and a holistically ethical lifestyle, diets. He is also the founder of IRON BRUKAL,

industry. Despite this rigorous schedule, at the core he is still a working athlete whose training includes endurance training, weight lifting, calisthenics, and competing in triathlons.

PHOTO: NSIDC COURTESY ANDI PFAFFLING ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 35

leilani mÜnTer

MARK acT or

inTerView:

RUFFALO on fiGhTinG for The ThinGs you loVe, 100% clean renewable enerGy, climaTe chanGe, The monopoly on our enerGy sysTems, fiGhTinG frackinG,

The True cosT of fossil fuel polluTion, showinG compassion, anD beinG who you say you are.

Leilani Münter: You are extremely active in the environmental community. Tell us about the issues you are focused on and the organizations you work with. Mark Ruffalo: It really began with the fight against hydrofracking in New York state. This led to my work with local New York groups like Frack Action, Catskill Mountainkeeper, and Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy. I helped start up two environmental organizations, WaterDefense and The Solutions Project. WaterDefense is a water advocacy group that focuses predominantly on assisting communities who are dealing with water catastrophes by bringing them testing to show them what pollutants are in their water so that they can hold polluters accountable. The Solutions Project focuses primarily on accelerating the transition to 100 percent clean, renewable energy for all purposes. LM: You announced on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart that The Solutions Project has a plan to get to 100 percent renewable energy in all fifty states—can you elaborate on that?

MR: I am sure it must sound somewhat astounding that I would say such a thing, but the fact of the matter is the technology is available to us today to begin the transition to 100 percent renewable energy. What is keeping us from making that transition is nothing more than misinformation, a lack of knowledge by most people of what is available, and an unwillingness on the part of many of our politicians for either ideological slavishness or something more self-serving, like major campaign contributions from the oil and gas corporations or from utilities who enjoy the monopoly they have on our energy systems. These plans were developed by Professor Mark Jacobson from Stanford University, along with the folks from Stanford’s civil engineering department. They have put together fifty plans for fifty states that begin to show us the way out of the antiquated fossil fuels energy system we find ourselves chained to. This transition elegantly takes us away from using fossil fuels over a twenty-five-year period. It will lead us to a net gain of millions of jobs, saving us hundreds of thousands of lives and tens of trillions of

dollars in healthcare, greenhouse gas, and fuel costs. By electrifying our lives, we reduce our energy costs by 39 percent, which is a huge savings in itself. It is a fact that, today, up to seven million people a year are dying from fossil fuel pollution. It is a fact that we are already dealing with the catastrophe of climate change in places like California, where people have been burnt out of their homes and where they are dealing with record droughts. It is a fact that our fresh water is becoming more scarce and that the new ways we are getting energy in America—fracking, mountaintop removal, cyclic steam extraction, deep-sea drilling—all pollute water, pollute the air, and pollute our soil and food. It is a fact that many of the wars and conflicts happening all over the world are aggravated or fought strictly for geopolitical fossil fuel energy interests, and many of the world’s most dangerous regimes are funded by fossil fuel dollars. Whoever controls your energy controls your destiny. 100 percent renewable energy is 100 percent American.

PHOTO: MATTHIAS VRIENS-MCGRATH 36 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

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whoeVer conTrols your enerGy conTrols your DesTiny.

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ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 37

Folks should be able to harvest, store, use, or sell their own energy as they see fit. This is not a Democratic nor Republican issue, and if anyone tries to convince you it is, they are being purposely misleading. Renewable energy fits well into the conservative mindset by allowing competition into the energy markets so that consumers have choice. The system as it is, with big utilities monopolizing the energy playing field or fossil fuel energy being given massive subsidies so that they are on a kind of corporate welfare, is the antithesis of conservative principles. Today, wind is the cheapest energy in America; solar is not far behind. In time, fossil fuels will only get more and more expensive. The true cost of the pollution that is being dumped into the atmosphere and manifests itself in our sick children dealing with asthma or older folks dealing with heart and lung disease from the pollutions created by the burning of these fossil fuels, may not be reflected in the prices of fossil fuels, but that does not mean we aren’t paying a high price for them. All of these issues are addressed by harvesting the energy that is free and abundant all around us, carried in sunlight, wind, and moving water. For the added bonus, we get to fight climate change as well. Think of it this way. We went into the Iraq War with nothing more than some very bad intelligence and Colin Powell leading us to believe Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Most of our politicians fell over themselves to commit trillions of dollars and thousands of the lives of our beautiful young people for what ultimately was a lie. Today, we actually have a real threat, one that the Pentagon and nearly 100 percent of the scientific community around the world say is happening. This is a clear and present danger, unlike Iraq. We already have people displaced from fires and lack of water in the western states of the nation. Look at what our politicians were so willing to do for so little. I hold out hope that they will get a chance to right the wrongs of such a poor decision and use real information and the specter of real danger to get it right this time. When you think of it in those terms, the inaction of anyone who calls themselves a leader in America or anyone who says they truly care about this nation without taking some kind of action is either a liar or insane. In either case, they are unfit to lead. We only gain collectively by acting now. We gain by one day not having to pay a thing for fuel. We gain by having cleaner air, water, and food so that we are healthier and our health care costs come down. We gain by deflating the global fossil fuel markets that drive much of the conflict around the world. Maybe—just maybe—we will also have an impact on climate change as an added bonus. LM: Do you remember the moment when you realized you were an activist? MR: Yes, it was when I came home from

Dimock, Pennsylvania, after sitting with the families there who could not drink or bathe in or cook with the water that was coming out of their wells because it had been contaminated by hydrofracking. I lay in bed awake all night that night wondering what I would do. At some point, I got up and went and looked at my kids sleeping. I made my way to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror and said to myself, “Who are you, Ruffalo? Are you really the person you say you are? Do you really care about the people around you? Do you care about your family and friends and community like you think you do? Okay, if that is true, then you’ve got to go and give these people a hand.” That is what I did, and believe me, it was a struggle. It was a fight every step of the way and still is today. Because no great undertaking ever looks like it’s winnable. That only comes later and only if you are lucky and are willing to fight and have a group of folks around you that are willing to do the same thing, too.

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when you haVe To fiGhT for

The ThinGs you loVe, you haVe To measure The Value of Those ThinGs in ways you

may noT in any oTher way.

”

LM: How can the environmental community reach people who don’t believe in climate change? MR: Ha. Ha. Well, at this point, I would say, show them some compassion. Many of the folks who don’t believe at this point are willfully ignorant of the reality that is unfolding in front of their eyes every day. Climate change is not going away. It will only get more extreme and more dangerous with time. There is no hiding from it. Yes, those living in poverty today will be hit first and the

hardest, but we are all going to feel it and see it. We already are. Ask people who are close to the natural world: farmers, people who work the land or in some way use the land for their livelihoods. They will tell you what they are seeing isn’t so good. They will tell you the changes they have seen in the past twenty years are remarkable in one way or another and unlike anything they had seen before that. The people who are in denial now must be shown a lot of compassion. Imagine the amount of lying they have to do to explain away what science and prudent study has made so clear. They mostly are holding out onto some ideological point of view that denies certain realities. People who are slavish to a fantasy ideology become very lonely in the world. It’s very alienating and sometimes reality is very threatening to this magical way of thinking. On the other hand, if it is a politician or leader that chooses for whatever reason to remain in this state of magical thinking, then they should be called out for it strongly and repeatedly. Because they are putting the lives of our children in greater and greater danger with their folly. They are welcome to believe what they want, but they are not welcome to willfully choose to ignore what every indicator tells them is dangerous and by doing so put our people in danger. LM: What do you think our planet will look like in one hundred years? MR: I have no idea. I want to hold out hope for us, though. I want to think that we will be forced to our senses. There are a lot of good signs that tell me we are beginning down the right path. I am grateful to the fossil fuel industry for bringing us the concentrated carbon that took us through the Industrial Revolution and through the technological revolution and brought us to the gateway of the renewable energy revolution, or what I call the sunlight revolution. But that is where we must part ways. It’s the natural order. No great advancement has ever been kept at bay because of ideology, nor greed. Eventually progress moves us forward. Eventually we accepted the world was round, and the flat-earther folks went into the dustbin of time. The abundance that is offered to us by leaving behind the fossil fuel paradigm is very promising for the world and the people of the world. We will have cleaner air, water, and food; we will have more resources to share with our people. There will be more economic freedom because people will be able to harvest their own energy. I see much more money being put into advancing education and health and community and public works and beautiful, important things like art. That is one vision for the world I am willing to fight for, one that we should all be willing to fight for; the other vision that is surely a possibility is too damning to begin to ponder here and now. PHOTO: BRASCHLER/FISCHER

38 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

“

iT is a facT ThaT many of The wars anD conflicTs happeninG all oVer The worlD are aGGraVaTeD or fouGhT sTricTly for GeopoliTical fossil fuel enerGy

”

inTeresTs.

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 39

mark ruffalo

“

iT was a fiGhT eVery sTep of The way anD sTill is ToDay. because no GreaT unDerTakinG eVer looks like iT’s winnable.

LM: What are a few simple things a person reading this interview can do to help the future of our planet? MR: There is so much you can do now that was not available even five years ago. You can begin to transfer your energy to renewables today by switching to energy companies that only create renewable energy, like Ethical Electric. Solar is very exciting at this moment because you can put it on your house without putting any money down with leasing programs from SolarCity or Sungevity and all kinds of other local providers. There are wonderful low-interest loans you can take out to own your own solar and cut your energy bills down drastically. You can retrofit your home to become more energy efficient with on-bill financing, where the upgrades you make pay for themselves with the energy savings you generate. Ten years ago, there were only a few electric vehicles on the market, and today there are many, many more coming, and with each year the cost of them comes down. Electrify your life! With heating and cooling, cooking and travel, and you will be doing a lot to help the future of this planet. There is no need to burn anything anymore. That is the good news. LM: Does being an activist bring more meaning to your life? MR: If definitely makes me aware of the value of things. When you have to fight for the things you love, you have to measure the value of those things in ways you may not in any other way. It’s a presence of mind that one may forget to keep. You value the thing you are fighting for, but then you learn to value the time it takes to do it and

”

the time you have off. Both of which are precious. You learn to value the commitment and sacrifice it takes from all the folks around you who struggle with jobs and families while they do this kind of work. Activists must be admired for the sacrifices they are willing to make for those things they hold dear. I would say those kinds of ways of looking at life enrich the value of life, and that is a good thing. LM: With your filming schedule and activism, you lead an incredibly hectic lifestyle. How do you center yourself, relax, and manage to keep yourself so grounded? MR: There is nothing a good long walk can’t help work out. I try to be with my kids and my family and my friends. I do my meditation regularly and eat well and try to occasionally sleep. LM: Who inspires you? MR: A lot of people. Mostly the working-class folks and the poor, and those normal people living their lives out in the world without the glitter and the fanfare. There is a lot to learn from them. LM: What’s next for you? MR: Resting for a bit and waiting for the next round. LM: How would you most like to be remembered? MR: Well.

PHOTO: BRETT MAZUREK 40 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

lm: if you haD one ask of presiDenT obama on This issue, whaT woulD iT be?

MARK

RUFFALO Dear presiDenT obama,

You are not a climate change champion if you go to Alaska and give a climate change speech on one day and then on the next day OK drilling in the Arctic. You are not being honest if you say that climate change is our greatest threat while at the same time opening our national parks to hydrofracking. I know I can speak for a lot of folks that actually voted for you and believed the words you have said when I say to you [that] you cannot have it both ways. Respectfully, you cannot continue to make America the number-one producer of fossil fuels and say that you are doing something to battle climate change. You may say that you are doing the best you can. But that simply isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t good enough. We have seen to what lengths you will go to get behind something you really believe is worthy, like the Iran nuclear deal or the TPP; you fight tooth and nail to make those things happen. I guess what I am asking you to do today as the leader of this great nation is really take it to the mat for my kids and yours and all the beautiful children in the world who are looking up to you and counting on you to do the right thing. I know it may sound audacious to you and that my hopes are very high, but if you approached this problem like other presidents approached wars they wanted to fight, then I would say there was a heck of a lot more that you could be doing. I would say that you could even take it as far as beginning to enact a gradual elimination of all fossil fuel extraction in the USA and make a strong push for it globally. A global drawdown of what all of science is nearly unanimous about, which is keeping that carbon in the ground. Sincerely and respectfully yours,

my chilDrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s GeneraTion. ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 41

inTerView: maranDa pleasanT

RACING OUR OWN

EXTINCTION oscar-winninG DirecTor

louie psihoyos

Scientists estimate we’re now losing species at 1,000 to 10,000 times the background rate, with literally dozens going extinct every day—in one hundred years, we may lose as many as 50 percent of the current species. They believe we have entered the sixth major extinction in Earth’s history. RACING EXTINCTION, a new documentary from Academy Award-winning director Louie Psihoyos and the team behind The Cove, will incorporate a larger action campaign to empower audiences to join the fight to save these animals from extinction. Louie Psihoyos sat down with Maranda Pleasant to talk about the inspiration behind the film and solutions that can inspire hope for a more sustainable future. It premieres December 2 on The Discovery Channel. Maranda Pleasant: How is this film different from The Cove? Louie Psihoyos: Racing Extinction, like The Cove, is also an eco-thriller – but with less violence. We learned from The Cove that people have a low threshold for violence—if it’s real. While The Cove covers a lot of big environmental issues within the context of this one little geographic area, RE has a much more epic scope—it’s the biggest RACINGEXTINCTION.COM 42 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

story in the world. A friend in paleontology told me that at the end of the century, humans will look back at our impact on the planet and World War II will be a footnote compared to us presiding over the largest loss of biodiversity since a meteor hit the planet sixty-five million years ago. For RE, we started out on a fact-finding mission and we ended up making a film that probably feels more like The Avengers than a doc. Who wants to see a film about the end of life on the planet if you can’t do anything about it? I lived through the Cold War as a child, and we always thought a nuclear bomb could end life everywhere at any time. On one hand, it created an atmosphere where you lived for the moment—because it could end at any second—but on the other, it warped a generation into thinking there was no reasonable expectation of building a future that could be vaporized at any moment by a few morons. For RE, I want people to feel like we can avert an impending planetary disaster and create a future with collective action. I want to do the most subversive thing I couldn’t do as a child: I want to take back the planet’s future. MP: What drove you to make this film? LP: Our planet is currently losing species at

an alarming rate. When I fully realized the gravity of the situation—that we are facing a mass extinction, but that we also have the power to reverse it—I decided to make this film, but more importantly, to help start a movement. I’ve dug up extinct animals all over the world: I dove in rivers for megalodon and mastodon teeth, I photographed four stories on extinct animals for National Geographic and wrote a book about the Mesozoic, the age of dinosaurs—many of my friends run museums of paleontology, but I had never heard of the Anthropocene, the epoch where man is creating a mass extinction event, until I went to Sundance with my first movie. I took two books, one called Terra by a friend of mine, Michael Novacek, who is the provost of New York’s American Museum of Natural History. I dug up dinosaurs and early mammals with him in the Gobi Desert. In it, he talks about losing biodiversity before scientists even get a chance to study the species we are losing. It was a bit depressing, so I set that book down and picked up another book, A Reef in Time, about the Great Barrier Reef, by Charles Veron, former chief marine scientist for Australia. In it, he talks about how we always lose the

PHOTOS: OPS

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i wanT To Do The mosT subVersiVe ThinG i coulDn’T Do as a chilD:

i wanT To Take back The planeT’s fuTure.

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ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 43

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The acTion we Take in The nexT few years will impacT The earTh hunDreDs of millions of years from now.

reefs before a mass extinction event and that’s what’s going on now. It was then that [I] understood that the loss of biodiversity I was seeing on every subsequent dive to the same place was related to this bigger story of the Anthropocene. I realized that in picking up those two books, the biggest story in the world had fallen in my lap. MP: What are you hoping audiences take away from this film? LP: First of all, I wanted to show audiences the astonishing beauty that still exists on this planet. So much of this planet’s diversity lies beyond what most people ever see or hear, so I wanted to use film to allow people to see what they have never seen and hear what they have never heard. Perhaps if people realize what’s at stake, they will rally to protect it. Secondly, I wanted people to leave the theater feeling a sense of hope: urgency and hope. Yes, we need to change, but simple changes can have profound impacts. MP: Can you explain the #StartWith Thing campaign? LP: #StartWith Thing campaign is our effort to remind people that change doesn’t need to be overwhelming; it is not impossible. The RACINGEXTINCTION.COM 44 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

”

simplicity of these changes should inspire confidence and hope: 1. Adopt a plant-based diet, 2. Use more solar, 3. Divest [from] fossil fuels, etc.... As I mentioned before, we’re not just in the business of making films—we’re in the business of starting movements, so years before we completed the film we teamed up with Paul Allen’s Vulcan Productions to create an impact campaign. They’re doing an amazing job—already they’ve managed to help ban the shipping of endangered species through some states. It’s easier and more effective to get laws enacted on a state level now, so we’re going state by state to create change. MP: Where can people watch the film? LP: The Discovery Channel will be showing Racing Extinction beginning December 2 in New Zealand. They’re doing something unprecedented in television history: they’re releasing Racing Extinction on the same day in 220 countries and territories simultaneously across multiple channels with the hopes of reaching a billion people. They’re the largest network in the world, with access to 2.4 billion people. If you can reach just 10 percent of the population, you can begin to reach a tipping point; that’s where true social movements take place—it’s a numbers game. And when you reach that number, the truth becomes

obvious and empires of injustice crumble and fall. They realize that what is at stake is all of nature; it’s the future of the world. The action we take in the next few years will impact the Earth hundreds of millions of years from now. With Discovery as a partner committed to this cause, I really do believe we can we win this race—we have to win. This is the one race we cannot afford to lose.

Psihoyos is the executive director of the Oceanic regarded as one of the world’s most prominent still photographers. He has circled the globe dozens of times for National Geographic and has shot hundreds of covers for other magazines, including Fortune, Smithsonian, Discover, GEO, Time, Newsweek, New York Times Magazine, New York magazine, Sports Illustrated, and Rock and Ice. The Cove, has won more than 70 awards globally from festivals and critics, including the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2010. The Cove touches subject and its ability to reveal the humanity and compassion in each of us. Its underlying themes transcend the slaughter of dolphins in Taiji to address the larger picture of the threat our entire world faces due to human impacts.

louie psihoyos

RACING EXTINCTION

“

i really Do belieVe we can win This race—we haVe To win. This

is The one race we cannoT afforD To lose.

”

PHOTO: DAVID DOUBILET ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 45

NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY

CONSERVATION

PIONEERS WOMEN in the FIELD

EVEN IN THE FACE OF INCREDIBLE THREATS from GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE, THESE FOUR WOMEN PERSONIFY HOPE FOR A HEALTHY PLANET and a SUSTAINABLE FUTURE. ARTICLE: MARANDA PLEASANT “One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, ‘What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?’” That challenge to a generation came from Rachel Carson, the author of Silent Spring, the seminal book that sounded the alarm in the early 1960s about the lethal effects of pesticides on animals of all kinds. Carson’s writing inspired generations of environmental activists, scientists, educators, and legislators who over the last halfcentury have worked to scrub pollutants from the air, halt the extinctions of wildlife, and clean up the water flowing through our faucets and streams.

Still, many of the biggest environmental challenges lie ahead, and some of the people on the front lines of those battles will be women following in Carson’s footsteps. Working for the National Audubon Society, these four women are wading in the swamps to study water birds, fighting in the courts for protections for wild places, harnessing technology to map critical habitats, and inspiring the next generation with education programs that let kids plant a tree for the first time or hold a bird in their hands and set it free. Even in the face of incredible threats such as global climate change, these women personify hope for a healthy planet and a sustainable future.

Since 1905, the National Audubon Society has been saving birds and their habitats throughout the Americas using science,

conservation organization. To learn more or donate, visit audubon.org and @audubonsociety.

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conserVaTion pioneers: women in The fielD

“

These four women are waDinG in The swamps To sTuDy waTer birDs, fiGhTinG in The courTs for proTecTions for wilD places, harnessinG TechnoloGy To map criTical habiTaTs, anD inspirinG The nexT GeneraTion wiTh eDucaTion proGrams ThaT leT kiDs planT a Tree for The firsT Time or holD a birD in Their hanDs anD seT iT free.

”

ILIANA PEÑA DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION AUDUBON TEXAS

Texas native Iliana Peña, director of conservation for Audubon Texas, lives by the words of her college professor, who told her that wildlife conservation is impossible without knowing how to communicate. “If you can’t talk to someone and connect with them about the land and wildlife, you miss a key first step on the road to conservation,” she says. It is a principle she returns to constantly when working with landowners, farmers, and ranchers to use land sustainably and keep it bird friendly. As a girl, Peña had “Don’t Hurt the Dolphins” posters taped to the walls of her bedroom, and she remains steadfast in her ambitions to protect wildlife. When, as an adult, she learned about the severe erosion, lack of fresh water, and pollution facing the six-hundred-mile coastline of Texas, which provides an essential stopover site for about 98 percent of North America’s migratory bird species, she joined Audubon’s coastal conservation program that monitors a system of island sanctuaries. “I have a two-year-old daughter now,” she says. “Watching her become aware of the nature around her makes me want to work harder, to ensure that all the diversity that makes up nature is there for her to learn and experience long after I’m gone.” Photo: Blake Gordon

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 47

NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY BETH BARDWELL DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION AUDUBON NEW MEXICO

Beth Bardwell was seven years into her law career before she seriously picked up a pair of binoculars. Soon afterward, she quit her job and went back to school to pursue a degree in biology. Today, she is Audubon New Mexico’s director of conservation and a key player in negotiating water rights in the nation’s driest region. “Climate change is changing the water cycle in profound ways,” Bardwell says. That’s especially true in the western United States, where she works with farmers and landowners to reallocate water back to critical forests and wetlands, preserving the bird habitats that inspired her to join the environmental movement in the first place. It’s not just about the birds, though. “Fresh water is essential to all life,” Bardwell says. If we are to remain a thriving culture and keep our natural ecosystems intact, we have got to take the challenges of climate change personal. “Our lifestyles have to change,” she says, “and we’ve got to start it.” Photo: Michael Lundgren

MELANIE DRISCOLL DIRECTOR OF BIRD CONSERVATION GULF COAST CONSERVATION/MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY

Five years ago, when the Deepwater Horizon rig spewed toxic oil into the Gulf of Mexico for eighty-seven days, killing eleven workers and thousands of marine animals, Melanie Driscoll found herself confronted with the heartbreaking sight of oilcovered pelicans and shorebirds. In her job as director of bird conservation for Audubon’s Gulf Coast and Mississippi Flyway regions, she works at the state and federal level to ensure that this kind of disaster never happens again. In July, BP agreed to pay $18.7 billion to help restore environmental and economic communities affected by the spill. Although the road to recovery is just beginning, nature’s resilience continues to motivate Driscoll’s work. “In my career I’ve been in some pretty difficult places and seen some really difficult things,” she says. “During the Deepwater Horizon spill, I watched royal tern parents, coated with oil, trying to raise their young. That determination to do what must be done, and to go on and continue to create life, even in the face of tremendous odds, is inspiring.” Photo: Erika Larsen/Redux Pictures

48 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM

conserVaTion pioneers: women in The fielD

MELANIE A. SMITH DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION SCIENCE AUDUBON ALASKA

“Nature is my spiritual center and I care about it without even knowing why,” says Melanie Smith, Audubon Alaska’s director of conservation science. Raised in Michigan by a family of farmers who loved birding, Smith is a conservationist to the core, living off the grid in Anchorage in a solar-powered cabin that runs on only sixty watts of power with no running water. She leads Audubon’s Arctic, Tongass, and Important Bird Area programs in Alaska, using spatial GIS mapping to identify key habitats and build conservation plans to protect the state’s wildlife. “It’s important to me to be in a place where landscapes are whole, where species have not gone extinct, and where things are healthy and functioning,” she says. “Knowing that I’m involved and trying hard to contribute to making things better is what keeps me going.” Photo: Nathan Walker

ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM 49

climate changers +

TOP ThINKERS AND DOERS reshapinG The worlD To Deal wiTh The climaTe crisis s. Jacob scherr

n December 2015, the eyes of the world will be on Paris when the nations of the world gather for COP21—the twenty-first annual meeting to talk about updating and implementing 1992 treaty promises to curb emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are heating up our planet. Sadly the treaty has failed to stop global warming, and we are already experiencing a changing climate with more intense and erratic weather. What is encouraging is that Paris will be different from previous UN climate megagatherings because of the women and men featured here. They are developing and advocating for a new global architecture to drive the transformative actions we need to deal with the climate crisis. It is an “all hands on deck” approach with national, state, and local governments, businesses, universities, and citizen groups all taking action. And each of us has an opportunity to contribute, as you will see from the responses that Climate Changers give to the question “What can we do now to deal with climate change?” So what does this new global architecture look like? Coincidentally it is like the Eiffel Tower—the symbol of the City of Paris, on the logo for COP21, and a monument to revolution. Like the tower, the “Paris Alliance” expected to emerge this December needs a top-down vision (a post-fossil fuel world by 2050 and stronger national plans for 2030 within an improved framework), but equally essential is the bottom-up engagement in the next critical five years of thousands of our leaders and millions, if not billions, of the world’s people. We can put the world on the path to brighter future. This is a moment for all of us to listen to the Climate Changers, and to become Climate Changers ourselves. S. Jacob Scherr is a Senior Advisor to the Natural Resources Defense Council, where he initiated years ago. He is serving as Senior Editor for this issue of ORIGIN magazine.

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climaTe chanGers: 30+ Top Thinkers anD Doers reshapinG your worlD To Deal wiTh The climaTe crisis

roberT f. kenneDy, Jr.

PRESIDENT, WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Sometimes it’s more important to change politicians than light bulbs. Resurrecting American democracy is vital to averting climate catastrophe. We must first repeal the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling, which has flooded elections with billions of oily petrodollars from carbon tycoons. Mercenary politicians on petroleum’s payroll are currently working Congress and every state legislature to preserve obscene subsidies for deadly dinosaur fuels, derail taxes on carbon, and erode support for renewables, efficiency, and transmission. If we don’t cut carbon’s money pipeline, we will pay for their gasoline with floods, droughts, fires, super storms, drowned cities, mass extinctions, wars, and collapsing civilizations. waterkeeper.org

rhea suh

PRESIDENT, NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL

The Climate Revolution has begun, and the time for climate action is now. Time to join, as a nation, with the thousands of mayors, business executives, faith leaders, and student activists rising up to cut carbon pollution from our homes, workplaces, and cars. Time to invest in the clean energy of tomorrow and leave the fossil fuels of yesterday behind. Time to stand with those on the ragged front lines of a changing climate, those paying the highest price. Time to rally the world, in Paris, where revolutions are born. Time to advance the Climate Revolution.

laurence Tubiana

FRENCH AMBASSADOR FOR CLIMATE CHANGE NEGOTIATIONS + SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR COP21 PARIS, FRANCE

The outcome of Paris COP21 will be broader than the new agreement under the UNFCCC. This is why we have launched the Paris Alliance for Climate Action, which will include the new agreement under the UNFCCC, the INDCs (national contributions from countries), the finance package, and the actions and commitments by non-state actors, particularly businesses, investors, and local authorities. I think COP21 is going to be a success if it sends a loud and clear signal to citizens and businesses around the world that the transition to a low-emission, climate-resilient economy became inevitable, desirable, and already underway. cop21.gouv.fr

Photo: MEDDE - A. Bouissou

nrdc.org

Photo: Joshua Paul/NRDC

“T i m e T o j o i n , a s a n aT i o n , w i T h T h e T h o u s a n d s o f m ay o r s , b u s i n e s s e x e c u T i v e s , f a i T h l e a d e r s , and sTudenT acTivisTs rising up To cuT carbon polluTion from our homes, workplaces, and cars.

”

—rhea suh

“s o m e T i m e s iT’s more i m p o r Ta n T To change poliTicians Than lighT bulbs.

”

—roberT f. kenneDy, Jr.

eric GarceTTi MAYOR

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Cities are leading the way on climate action. In Los Angeles, I have set ambitious goals through my Sustainable City plan: reduce GHG emissions by 80 percent by 2050, eliminate reliance on coal by 2025, and increase water conservation by 20 percent by 2017. And we’re not just making promises, we’re taking action: creating the largest pure EV battery fleet in America by 2016, piloting the first EV car-sharing system in the US for low-income communities, and cutting water use by 16 percent already. Join me in making sure that your city is acting on climate and that your mayor is a #ClimateMayor. plan.lamayor.org

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climate

changers

30+ Top Thinkers anD Doers reshapinG your worlD To Deal wiTh The climaTe crisis

allen hershkowiTz, ph.D.

“i m p o rTa n T ly, by a c T i n g TogeTher, ciTies will be more effecTive in bringing concreTe soluTions T o c l i m aT e change.

PRESIDENT, GREEN SPORTS ALLIANCE

No single initiative by itself can solve the climate crisis. The ecological challenges we face are the result of billions of ecologically ignorant decisions made by billions of people over centuries. To address the climate crisis, we now need billions of people to make ecologically intelligent decisions. Small things lead to big changes. Indeed, all we can do are small things. Nothing is too small to matter. What do I suggest individuals do? First, eat less meat. Second, use less energy powered by fossil fuels. Third, buy products and packages made from recycled content.

”

—anne hiDalGo

greensportsalliance.org Photo: J. Henry Fair

anne hiDalGo MAYOR

PARIS, FRANCE

Cities are confronted with major challenges in the fields of energy, transport, waste management, mobility, etc. But innovative solutions that have a lesser impact on the environment exist and are developed every day: developing sustainable energy, implementing circular economy or soft means of transportation. Just think of Vélib’ and Autolib’ now everywhere in Paris! Importantly, by acting together, cities will be more effective in bringing concrete solutions to climate change. This is the reason why I will join forces with mayors from around the world during the Climate Summit for Local Leaders at COP21. apc-paris.com/article-rubrique/the-paris-climate-agency

“n o s i n g l e i n i T i aT i v e by i T s e l f ca n s o lv e T h e c l i m aT e c r i s i s . —allen hershkowiTz

”

billy parish CEO, MOSAIC

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

Our electricity system was developed by big companies, building big power plants, financed by big banks. To sustain a safe climate for the next generation, we need a new paradigm where we all pitch in with our own zero-emission energy production, enough to replace all the fossil fuels we’re burning today. The good news is that today solar power isn’t just good for the climate, but it saves money too, which makes it an easy choice. Socially responsible finance is a key that will unlock the possibility of everyone benefiting from owning their share of this new energy revolution. joinmosaic.com

Vien TruonG

NATIONAL DIRECTOR, GREEN FOR ALL OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

Climate change aggravates the existing problems in struggling communities. Global warming increases the likelihood of extreme weather patterns, which hit low-income communities hardest. Droughts cause higher food costs and loss of jobs in agriculture. Pollution aggravates health problems, including asthma, heart disease, and stroke. Poverty and pollution are interconnected and must be addressed together. Solutions can include financing solar for low-income families, electric vanpools for migrant farmworkers in the Central Valley, placing affordable housing by transit-accessible areas, and planting trees in concrete jungles. By doing this, we will build a green economy strong enough to lift all boats. greenforall.org | dreamcorps.us Photo: Sarah Rice

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climaTe chanGers: 30+ Top Thinkers anD Doers reshapinG your worlD To Deal wiTh The climaTe crisis

chrisTiana fiGueres

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC)

We, the older generations, simply cannot leave a world for you, the younger generations, in which climate change impacts become ever more threatening to your survival. Still more public attention and action are needed. Solutions like renewable energy or energy efficiency need to fully power our collective future! So how can you take action? Think global, act local. Connect with people, visibly and loudly showcase initiatives that reduce greenhouse gases emissions, nurture youth leaders, or spread the message by raising awareness through campaigns. I am convinced that your contributions will ensure that climate change solutions safely power our—and especially your—future. newsroom.unfccc.int

Gary e. knell PRESIDENT + CEO, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY WASHINGTON, DC

Many people see only the enormity of this crisis and feel hopeless (or worse, indifferent), thinking they can’t do much of anything alone. The truth is each of us can do a lot. In November, timed with the global climate conference in Paris, we are focusing on the role of the individual. There are steps—many of them simple—that we can take to reduce our own carbon footprints. Businesses can make an even bigger impact by reducing water usage and investing in renewable energy. If we can inspire individuals to take action, it can turn into communities, countries, and industries taking action. nationalgeographic.org

Photo: Mark Thiessen/National Geographic

“b u s i n e s s e s c a n m a k e a n e v e n b i g g e r i m pa c T by

”

r e d u c i n g waT e r u s a g e a n d i n v e s T i n g i n r e n e wa b l e e n e r g y. —Gary e. knell

kasim reeD

“w h i l e

MAYOR

c l i m aT e

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

change is

While climate change is a global problem, solutions are local. Cities are where hope meets the streets on climate action.

a g l o ba l p ro b l e m , soluTions

Atlanta is the first city in Georgia to pass a climate action plan, and Atlanta recently joined cities from the US and China in committing to 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. We will accomplish this through energy and water efficiency programs, utilizing an electric vehicle fleet, solar power installations, hiring an urban agriculture director and chief bicycle officer, and other strategies. With cities acting as powerful incubators for change, we can make a difference.

”

a r e l o ca l .

—kasim reeD

p2catl.com

Thomas hale, ph.D.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF GLOBAL PUBLIC POLICY, BLAVATNIK SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT, OXFORD UNIVERSITY OXFORD, UNITED KINGDOM

When I was in fourth grade, countries promised to negotiate a global deal to stop climate change. Twenty-five years later, I’m a professor of international relations, and my students ask what’s taken so long. Countries are finally moving in the right direction, but what most excites me is not the glacial negotiation. It’s the groundswell of concrete, immediate steps that tens of thousands of cities, companies, states, provinces, regions, and others all over the world are taking to reduce emissions. These new players are showing how everyone—not just countries—can act right now to stop climate change, global deal or not. And in the process, they are rewriting the rules for how we tackle global problems. climategroundswell.org Photo: Beth Crosland

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climate

changers

30+ Top Thinkers anD Doers reshapinG your worlD To Deal wiTh The climaTe crisis Jeremy leGGeTT AUTHOR, THE WINNING OF THE CARBON WAR CHAIR, CARBON TRACKER INITIATIVE LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

We all need to do what we can within our circles of influence to fan the flames of two revolutions currently underway. An energy revolution is unfolding around us, heading in the right general direction: a 100 percent renewable-powered future. A second revolution is fomenting among many categories of people, from the world’s poorest to the world’s richest, who seek to redesign modern capitalism from root to branch. As Pope Francis and other religious leaders have told the world, counting emissions and regulating accordingly will not be enough to win the carbon war. We need to seek prosperity without greed, short-termism, and hence fossil fuel addiction. jeremyleggett.net | carbontracker.org

ken kimmell

PRESIDENT, UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

The most important thing we can do is to push for the rapid and widespread deployment of technologies we already have at hand—energy efficiency, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy, and electric and hybrid vehicles. “De-carbonizing” our electricity-generating system with renewables and efficiency and “electrifying” our transportation system with EVs and hybrids is the fastest way to lower the emissions of heat-trapping gases. All of us can do our part. Get a home energy audit and a rooftop solar evaluation and take advantage of tax credits for solar that may expire in 2016. And when you buy or lease a new car, look at the great new electric and hybrid cars that are out there. ucsusa.org | coolersmarter.org

“c l i m aT e change can’T b e s o lv e d by e ac h o f us doing a liTTle more recycling and adjusTing our h e aT i n g o r cooling dial.

”

—farhana yamin

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farhana yamin FOUNDER + CEO, TRACK 0

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

Climate change can’t be solved by each of us doing a little more recycling and adjusting our heating or cooling dial. I believe we must end our dependence on fossil fuel energy systems, with every country in the world phasing out dirty fossil fuel emissions and switching to renewable energy, making sure that the poor benefit first from this transition. Every individual, company, and city should divest from fossil fuels and commit to zero greenhouse gas emissions. Politicians must stop using taxpayers’ money to subsidize wealthy fossil fuel companies and must now limit the influence of fossil fuel lobbyists. Our leaders have to send a strong signal at the Paris COP21 climate negotiations that the age of fossil fuels is over. track0 .org

aimée chrisTensen FOUNDER + CEO, CHRISTENSEN GLOBAL STRATEGIES FOUNDER, SUN VALLEY INSTITUTE FOR RESILIENCE SUN VALLEY, IDAHO

Together we can build resilient communities, in part by reducing our energy use and generating local renewable energy. I am most excited by solar because it’s everywhere and can directly power our homes, schools, businesses, and government buildings, and we can build community solar. We’ll also save money and create jobs. Individually the most impactful—and fastest—thing we can do is to reduce (or even better, eliminate) eating meat and dairy. The 2015 (U.S.) Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommended more plant-based diets, which is great news for the climate as well as for our health and the animals. christensenglobal.com | sunvalleyinstitute.org Photo: Kevin Symms

climaTe chanGers: 30+ Top Thinkers anD Doers reshapinG your worlD To Deal wiTh The climaTe crisis

achim sTeiner

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME NAIROBI, KENYA

In our interdependent world, our neighbors are not only on our street, but can be ten thousand miles away on an island in rising seas. We have a responsibility to first understand how climate change impacts all peoples of the world. Then, we must consider the individual and collective choices and actions that can move us toward a sustainable future. These range from rethinking individual consumption patterns that exacerbate climate change to demanding of our political leaders a strong and ambitious agreement at the Paris climate conference. Real results will emerge when we realize the power of combined individual actions and voices to effect change.

“i n o u r i n T e r d e p e n d e n T world, our neighbors a r e n o T o n ly o n o u r s T r e e T, b u T c a n b e T e n T h o u s a n d m i l e s a way o n an island in rising seas.

unep.org

”

Photo: UNEP

anGel hsu, ph.D.

—achim sTeiner

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, YALE-NUS COLLEGE IN SINGAPORE + YALE SCHOOL OF FORESTRY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT

Working at the intersection of science and policy, I see firsthand the need for better data to address our climate crisis’s most difficult and complex challenges. With no internationally set targets for carbon reduction, a major gap exists between what countries have pledged and what is needed to avoid irreversible, catastrophic climate change. We need better information, transparency, and next-generation tools to track and incentivize all actors to take ambitious climate actions now. Young people can encourage their local governments, community organizations, and businesses to examine their practices and identify areas where they can reduce their carbon footprints. epi.yale.edu campuspress.yale.edu/datadriven climategroundswell.org

anDrew sTeer

PRESIDENT + CEO, WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE WASHINGTON, DC

Dan lashof

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, NEXTGEN CLIMATE AMERICA SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

Each day brings more bad news about climate change: carbon pollution at the highest level in history, the hottest month on record, deadly wildfires. It would be easy to despair, but I’m more optimistic than ever. Why? Because we know how to solve climate change and there is a growing movement working to do just that. We have the technology to build a healthy and prosperous clean energy economy. Now we need to demand that our leaders embrace climate solutions and lay out a specific plan to achieve 50 percent clean energy by 2030, on a path to 100 percent by 2050. nextgenamerica.org unsdsn.org/what-we-do/deep-decarbonization-pathways/

We can stop choking our cities with fossil-fueled cars and polluting factories and power plants and start doing things that lead to environmentally sustainable growth, more and better jobs, and healthier people, including more public transport and more renewable energy. To get there, we should depoliticize this issue. This has nothing to do with big government or small government. It has everything to do with a decent economy and smart government. We’ve got to stop this political overlay that says we must maintain a massively inefficient fiscal system that encourages the practices that got us into this corner. wri.org

Photo: WRI

Photo: Matthew Neikrug/NextGen Climate

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changers

30+ Top Thinkers anD Doers reshapinG your worlD To Deal wiTh The climaTe crisis

sTeVe howarD

CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER, IKEA GROUP THE NETHERLANDS

This is the century where we can have society and our economy in step with the planet, where we can end pollution, grow more forests than we fell, and have clean water in our lakes and rivers and clean air in city streets. We can be the generation to end global warming—but this needs every business, every government, and every citizen to play their part. We will end global warming one solar panel, one LED light bulb, and one veggie meal at a time. With our best efforts we can create a world of plenty for everyone. ikeafoundation.org ikea.com/ms/en_us/this-is-ikea/people-and-planet/ index.html

“w e c a n b e T h e g e n e r aT i o n T o e n d g l o b a l wa r m i n g — b u T T h i s n e e d s e v e ry b u s i n e s s , e v e ry g o v e r n m e n T, a n d e v e ry c i T i z e n T o p l ay T h e i r pa r T.

”

—sTeVe howarD

erich pica

PRESIDENT, FRIENDS OF THE EARTH U.S. WASHINGTON, DC

Climate change is a transformational opportunity. We must encourage President Obama to show critical U.S. leadership before December’s climate negotiations by halting all fossil fuels development in public lands and oceans. Families should consider eating less meat. Animal agriculture accounts for 15 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Individually, understand the linkages between social, racial, and economic justice and the environment; then fight—not just for environmental rules and regulations, butfor the basic rights of seven billion people to clean air, clean water, and systems in which they are valued instead of exploited and polluted. foe.org | earthhq.foe.org

kaThleen roGers PRESIDENT, EARTH DAY NETWORK

Bring in more voices. Climate change is an issue that will affect everyone. That is why we all need to be part of the solution. The fight against climate change is tied to social movements you may not expect, like the Black Lives Matter movement, because low-income communities of color will be most affected by the effects of climate change. We need people to recognize the connections, because when we get more people talking about climate change, we can think more inventively about how to solve it. So, let’s open up the conversation and shift our actions together. earthday.org

Photo: Earth Day Network

ken berlin

PRESIDENT + CEO, THE CLIMATE REALITY PROJECT

“T h e m o s T i m p o r Ta n T Thing you can do T o a d d r e s s c l i m aT e change is voTe.

”

—ken berlin

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WASHINGTON, DC

What young people can do is vote. The most important thing you can do to address climate change is vote. Around 70 percent of Americans and an even larger majority of millennials say they want action on climate change. Yet too many politicians are afraid to take a stand on climate change since far too few people vote on this issue and far too few millennials vote at all. So if you want action—if you want to protect your future against climate change—become a climate voter. Contact The Climate Reality Project and become a Climate Reality Leader to push the climate conversation forward. climaterealityproject.org

climaTe chanGers: 30+ Top Thinkers anD Doers reshapinG your worlD To Deal wiTh The climaTe crisis

s. Jacob scherr

SENIOR ADVISOR, INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM, NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL WASHINGTON, DC

First we must deal with the reality and urgency of the climate crisis. We used to talk about stopping global warming, but now we still have hope that we can constrain and cope with a changing climate. We are already seeing a groundswell worldwide of public concern and concrete actions to move beyond the fossil fuel era and help our communities deal with climate change. All of us need to speak up and take action in our own lives to put the world on a path to a safer, healthier, and brighter future. nrdc.org/globalwarming switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jscherr Photo: Drew Xeron

“e v e n i f w e s Ta r T s m a l l , o n e sTep leads To anoTher and g r e aT p r o g r e s s c a n o c c u r .

sarah shanley hope EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SOLUTIONS PROJECT OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

Excess carbon dioxide is the scientific source of climate change. The larger human systems breakdown, though— police killing children, foods poisoning our bodies, and rampant natural disasters—has a deeper source. We can repair our relationship to self, to others, and to the earth, right now. Be 100 percent: Our wholeness is rooted in health and purpose, not consumption. Stand for 100 percent: End the pact between the dirty energy powering your lifestyle and the asthma or cancer taking away another’s life. Go 100 percent: Affordable, clean energy is here. Remove the political barriers that keep it from spreading everywhere for everyone.

”

—mark r. Tercek

mark r. Tercek PRESIDENT + CEO, NATURE CONSERVANCY ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA

I want to try to get beyond fighting, arguing, and fault-finding—these practices get in the way of progress. Instead, let’s seek common ground and help diverse interests work together. Even if we start small, one step leads to another and great progress can occur. We’re all in this together. For example, let’s focus on objectives with bipartisan appeal. Clean energy has many non-climate benefits. In Georgia, for instance, solar legislation expanded consumer choice, and in Pennsylvania, fracking taxes could boost K-12 education. If we continue finding respectful, inclusive, and pragmatic ways to collaborate, we can tackle the climate challenge. blog.nature.org/conservancy/category/talk/marks-desk/ Photo: Erika Nortemann /TNC

thesolutionsproject.org | 100.org

ilmi Granoff

HEAD OF UNIT, GREEN GROWTH + SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW, THE OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

I’ve rethought my relationship to everyday things: powering my home with renewables (most utilities make it easy), avoiding meat (even one day off helps), and cycling to work (initially weird, now indispensable). I’ve also rethought my professional and political life. As a lawyer, I try to help get cleaner energy and infrastructure built and to influence public policy. Nearly all professions can help tackle the climate crisis. Politically, I’ve actually become less cynical. Cynicism means I’m not expecting enough; solving the climate crises means demanding more from our representatives and expecting them to deliver if we hold them accountable. 2015.newclimateeconomy.report odi.org/publications/9690-zero-poverty-zero-emissions-eradicating-extreme-poverty-climate-crisis Photo: Ilmi Granoff

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changers

30+ Top Thinkers anD Doers reshapinG your worlD To Deal wiTh The climaTe crisis ray offenheiser PRESIDENT, OXFAM AMERICA BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

Climate change is one of the biggest threats to poor people whose lives and livelihoods are most at risk. Natural disasters disproportionally disrupt the most fragile populations around the world—sparking civil unrest, disrupting food supplies, and destroying lives. Winning the fight against climate change starts with protecting them above all else. Together, we can build stronger communities, save lives, create jobs, and build global security by investing in climate adaptation. World leaders heading to the climate negotiations in Paris must address the injustice of poor people being hit first and worst by a global crisis. oxfamamerica.org

Photo: Vanessa Parra/Oxfam America

celesTe connors

keya chaTTerJee EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, US CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK (USCAN)

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HAWAII GREEN GROWTH

WASHINGTON, DC

HONOLULU, HAWAII

I have a Star Wars-obsessed child at home, so allow me to speak in those terms. In short, we must turn our backs on the dark side and embrace the light side. We must both resist and embrace. What should we resist? We must resist dark fossil fuel industry-funded lies and politicians’ claims that we can go slowly. We must resist dirty technologies and embrace LED lights, bicycles, solar panels, electric cars, and wind turbines. It may be daunting alone, but it’s easy together. Come turn to the light side with us! Join one of the 150+ organizations of USCAN.

Climate change is a multidimensional challenge that requires interdisciplinary solutions. The greatest opportunities lie at the intersection between public and private sector, between communities, industries, and technologies. I served at the macro and micro level, shaping energy and climate policy at the White House and then launching a company to catalyze investment in sustainable development. Now, as the executive director of Hawaii Green Growth, I’m working with partners at the subnational level to achieve statewide sustainability targets, including in energy, water, food, waste, and smart cities. Get a seat at the table. Take responsibility for shaping policies that can drive concrete outcomes.

usclimatenetwork.org | peoplesclimate.org Photo: Keya Chatterjee

hawaiigreengrowth.org Photo: Paul Parish

kaThy calVin

PRESIDENT + CEO, UNITED NATIONS FOUNDATION WASHINGTON, DC

You probably don’t think twice about going into your kitchen and turning a few knobs to prepare a meal for yourself and your family on an electric or gas range. But for nearly 3 billion people in developing countries who depend on solid fuels to cook their food, the simple act of cooking results in 4 million premature deaths every year from exposure to toxic smoke. In addition to creating indoor air pollution, these fuels also have a significant impact on the global climate, causing nearly 25 percent of black carbon pollution. Learn more about the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves and join us as we help create a world where cooking no longer kills. cleancookstoves.org | unfoundation.org

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climaTe chanGers: 30+ Top Thinkers anD Doers reshapinG your worlD To Deal wiTh The climaTe crisis

Dan reicher

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, STEYER-TAYLOR CENTER FOR ENERGY POLICY AND FINANCE, STANFORD UNIVERSITY

Technology, policy, and finance—each is essential but none, by itself, sufficient to address the climate crisis. Technology must be broad—from energy efficiency, renewables, and storage to natural gas, carbon capture, and advanced nuclear, plus greener approaches to transportation. Finance must be vast—measured in the tens of trillions of dollars over the next three decades, across earlier- and later-stage investments. And policy must be smart—implemented at the local, national, and global levels, with a serious ear to the market. Technology, policy, and finance—we must push each and integrate all three, fast and hard. “T o h e a d o f f c l i m aT e - c h a n g e d i s a s T e r , T h e w o r l d m u s T a c T d e c i s i v e ly T o s h i f T from fossil fuels To a zero-carbon —Jeffrey D. sachs energy sysTem.

steyertaylor.stanford.edu

”

Jeffrey D. sachs DIRECTOR, THE EARTH INSTITUTE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

DIRECTOR, UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS NETWORK NEW YORK, NEW YORK

To head off climate-change disaster, the world must act decisively to shift from fossil fuels to a zero-carbon energy system. Instead of coal, we need wind and solar power. Instead of cars powered by the internal combustion engine, we need cars that run on batteries, hydrogen, or advanced zero-carbon fuels. Instead of furnaces and boilers, we need heat pumps to warm our homes and buildings. Each country should now prepare a plan, called a Deep Decarbonization Pathway, to show its citizens, businesses, and the world how it intends to accomplish this transformation to get carbon out of the energy system within the coming decades. unsdsn.org/what-we-do/ deep-decarbonization-pathways/

yann Toma ARTIST

carTer roberTs PRESIDENT + CEO, WORLD WILDLIFE FUND WASHINGTON, DC

I have the great fortune to help save our planet’s most magnificent places. They’re all under pressure—in no small part because of climate change. Leading to Paris, scientists point out that even strong pledges by national governments will get us only halfway there. Filling that gap depends on unexpected collaborations, like the world’s biggest companies pledging to remove deforestation from supply chains and governments helping each other to do more beyond current commitments. Every community has a part to play in making better choices about the energy, food, and transport they use. Paris offers us an opportunity to come together, to catalyze big solutions, and finally, to get it right. worldwildlife.org | worldwildlife.org/experts/carter-roberts

PARIS, FRANCE

I hope that we can unite our energies in dealing with climate change. I want us to develop a collective vision and turn it into immediate action. That is what I want to do during the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris this December. With a wonderful team and a terrific curator, I am creating the “HUMAN ENERGY” art installation under the Eiffel Tower. Thousands of people each day use their own power, in cycling, dancing, running, and playing, to light the Eiffel Tower each night with this message: Together we must and can take climate action now. humanenergy.fr/en/

Photo: Yann Toma/Ouest-Lumière

Photo: WWF/Carter Roberts

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changers

30+ Top Thinkers anD Doers reshapinG your worlD To Deal wiTh The climaTe crisis

James baloG

FOUNDER, EARTH VISION INSTITUTE BOULDER, COLORADO

Each of us can and must shift our behavior according to our ability. For some, that means changing diet, shopping locally, or putting solar panels on their house. For others, it means using their voice to inspire transformative change. The cumulative effect of each person making a change in his or her own life will make a difference. Ultimately, we have to ask ourselves an essential spiritual and ethical question: Are we the kind of people who take everything for ourselves and leave nothing for others, or do the angels of our better nature still live? I believe the angels are still alive. earthvisioninstitute.org | jamesbalog.com

Top Photo: Adam LeWinter / Extreme Ice Survey Bottom Photo: Jeff Orlowski/Extreme Ice Survey

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MARANDA PLEASANT’S

mantra yoga + health

CELEBRATE. HEALING. FRESH. ARTFUL LIVING. MAGIC. VEGAN. ECO. ORGANIC. REAL.

ON STANDS NATiONAlly NOw

THE MILLENNIAL CLIMATE MOVEMENT

haDley GreswolD

execuTiVe DirecTor, climaTe siGn campaiGn

Turning the Biggest Challenge of Our Time from Overwhelming to Empowering, All with a Simple hand Sign: #ClimateSign

CLIMATESIGN.ORG

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was a college sophomore when I read “Global Warming’s Terrifying New Math” by Bill McKibben, an exposé on the most in-depth climate science of 2012. The idea of an overheated world overwhelmed me, and I broke down to my boyfriend that night. I sought comfort, hope, and reassurance that a positive future was still within grasp. Instead, he confirmed my worst fears: “Yup, we’re screwed. And there is nothing you can do about it.” His words kept playing over in my mind. “Is he wrong about climate change?” I asked a friend. “Surely people can fix this.” “I don’t know…” she replied helplessly. I felt my confidence draining. Everything changed in 2014 when I attended the People’s Climate March in NYC. As a diverse crowd of four hundred thousand rallied in the streets, my spirits lifted. “What if we could amplify this call to climate action?” I exclaimed to a friend. What we needed was a symbol that would resonate across barriers of language, culture, and geography the way the peace sign had after the Vietnam War. We needed a globally recognized icon for climate action; we needed a climate sign. The first time I held a climate sign brainstorming session, I clasped my shaking hands behind

my back. What if everyone thought this idea was stupid? What if no one cared? “Stop it,” I told myself. “You’re an adult. You can face this challenge and take ownership of your future.” “I need your brilliant ideas,” I explained to the attendees. “The climate hand sign must be positive and unifying.” My peers looked down at their hands hesitantly. But then, slowly, they began moving their fingers, toying with climate sign ideas with growing confidence. I realized this was probably the first time anyone had asked them to take an active part in shaping their future. They felt just as isolated and overwhelmed by the current climate rhetoric as I had, and now they had a taste of empowerment. And it tasted good. Instantly, the millennial movement began. A multinational climate sign team emerged. We collected ideas from across the globe. The top twelve ideas were vetted internationally, and we nixed several of the hand signs due to their alternative connotations in other cultures. When a member of the deaf community commented, “Option 6 means ‘d’ in American Sign Language,” we knew we had struck gold. This sign could not only speak to a broader audience but also represent “decarbonization,” the transition away from fossil fuels that is key to addressing climate change. With the new climate sign and the accompanying hashtag #ClimateSign, the team has launched Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram platforms; established public venue exhibits; and ran university-based campaigns across the US. This month we will release climate sign ads, and in December the climate sign will be projected on the Eiffel Tower for the 2015 United Nations Climate Conference in Paris.

moby

bill mckibben

The positive response to the climate sign has been incredible. Worldwide, people have shared climate sign selfies and raised the sign at speeches, organizational assemblies, social gatherings, and farmers markets. The widespread uptake of the climate sign is cultivating a social norm of climate action while fostering support for climate groups and progressive leaders. Furthermore, it is empowering my generation to talk about climate change in our own language. We are tired of hearing that we are doomed by the “climate crisis.” We are a driven, innovative, and collaborative generation, ready to reframe climate change as “the climate challenge.” Through this challenge, we see an opportunity to influence humanity’s progress and take ownership of our future. The climate sign is a unifying and positive declaration of this determination, and we raise it with enthusiasm. Join the millennial movement today by sharing your selfie with the climate sign and the hashtag #ClimateSign. Together, we are powerful.

mark ruffalo

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