Why Indigenous Cultures Matter So Much To Environmental Solutions – Chris Rainier @ COP21

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Chris Rainier and Olivia McKendrick (founders and directors of Cultural Sanctuaries) offer an inspiring presentation about the crucial roles indigenous communities play in crafting environmental solutions.
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Chris and Olivia pick highlights from COP in the links below.
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How Trees Talk To Each Other | Suzanne Simard


“A forest is much more than what you see… Underground there is this other world — a world of infinite biological pathways that connect trees and allow them to communicate and allow the forest to behave as though it’s a single organism. It might remind you of a sort of intelligence.” says ecologist Suzanne Simard. Her 30 years of research in Canadian forests have led to an astounding discovery — trees talk, often and over vast distances. Learn more about the harmonious yet complicated social lives of trees and prepare to see the natural world with new eyes.
Find more great resources on trees at Brain Pickings.
Read about the must-read book The Hidden Life Of Trees.

NRDC's New All In Helps You Take Effective Environmental Action

Incubation X
Do you want to efficiently take effective action to protect our environment?
NRDC can help you with their new initiative – All In.
How does it work?
You choose how you’d like to be contacted (email, text, phone), the frequency of the alerts you’d like to receive, and the amount of time you’d like to commit – 1 minute, 10 minute, 1 hour, and deep dive.
They provide clear resources for taking action; some are as simple as signing a petition (I signed 3 today in less than 3 minutes) or calling your representatives at the right times and others are as ambitious as hosting an activist meet up. You choose your level of commitment. They help you be more efficient and effective.
NRDC’s All In is simply the best environmental grass roots initiative I’ve ever seen; it’s what I’ve hoped for decades … and it’s coming from the organization at the top of my list to support (and Robert Redford’s). (The Natural Resources Defense Council is historically the most effective independent American environmental organization that helps safe guard old and support new good legislation while shutting down bad legislation.)
Join me!
Please take 1 minute now and sign up today!
Better yet, take 2 minutes and take action right now!
Find NRDC’s 1 Minute Actions here.
Find NRDC’s 10 Minute Actions here.
Find NRDC’s 1 Hour Actions here.
Find NRDC’s 1 Deep Dive Actions here.
sindsendsharepeat impact community leadership

Cristina Mittermeier – Woman Of Influence On B&H


B&H celebrates International Women’s Day with its Women of Influence series.
Cristina Mittermeier is an accomplished conservationist, wildlife photographer, and author, who has dedicated her life to education and outreach through the stories reflected in her photos. In this episode, Cristina shares her message of conservationism, an appreciation for natural splendor, and the relationship humans have with the wild.
Find out more about Cristina Mittermeier here.
View more Photographer’s Videos here.

The Case For Optimism On Climate Change – Al Gore – TED


“Al Gore has three questions about climate change and our future. First: Do we have to change? Each day, global-warming pollution traps as much heat energy as would be released by 400,000 Hiroshima-class atomic bombs. This trapped heat is leading to stronger storms and more extreme floods, he says: ‘Every night on the TV news now is like a nature hike through the Book of Revelation.’ Second question: Can we change? We’ve already started. So then, the big question: Will we change? In this challenging, inspiring talk, Gore says yes. ‘When any great moral challenge is ultimately resolved into a binary choice between what is right and what is wrong, the outcome is foreordained because of who we are as human beings,’ he says. ‘That is why we’re going to win this.’”
Support the Climate Reality Project here.
Support Earth Day here.