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May 21, 2022Liked by Brad Zarnett

From the time I was trained in The Climate Project by Al Gore in January 2007 through April 2015 I delivered a program entitled "Climate Change is Elementary," which included a well-attended Family Night, in dozens of elementary schools in MA, CT, NY, NJ, MD and CO. Families responded very positively and went home with our checklist of Actions they could take. I felt like Paul Revere shouting "The warming is coming, the warming is coming!"

However, when I tried to deliver that program in my home state of Florida, I was immediately warned that I would NEVER find an audience for this program in any "red" state. So to make it ecumenical and acceptable everywhere by everyone I've removed any reference to climate change and renamed it Green Actioneers. In place of a checklist we have the 266 page "Green Actioneers Family Action Guide" that everyone will take home from Family Night, spelling out over 100 Actions they can take to "go green" in English and Spanish.

I know it is too late. I am reminded of the old saw that "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, but the second best time is today." I also know that I alone am not going to instigate the political and economic changes needed to "solve" the problem, but the way I look at this issue is like a trireme, where we each are pulling an oar. My oar is one I am good at, love to do, that might be helpful and will be remunerative enough to allow me to keep doing it professionally. I'm 80 and I'll spend the rest of my days getting elementary and middle school kids and their parents (40 million families in 100,000 schools) to understand what they can do and to begin to pull oars themselves.

Brad and fellow activists - I've written a document entitled "Do you have an Oar in the Water?" and would appreciate your thoughts and critique. https://1drv.ms/w/s!AtUp-PDXhNFQjDiF6HliQC-H-vxZ

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Brad, have you read 'More is Less: How DeGrowth Will Save the World' by Jason Hickel? I think it shows us what we need to change and where we need to go, but I don't know how we can do this quickly enough.

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