Awesome Stories 386

/ December 8, 2018

This week Awesome Stories brings you environmental champions.

Steel Creek, poetry

Steel Creek, Buffalo River, Ponca, AR

Protecting the Planet

Recently, Wyoming billionaire, Hansjörg Wyss, vowed to protect 30% of the planet by 2030. To achieve this massive target, he has kicked off the Wyss Campaign for Nature with a 1 Billion US dollar contribution! Protecting 30% of the planet’s land and ocean would double the current areas that are protected. To achieve this epic goal, Wyss has enlisted the help of environmental groups like the National Geographic Society (for public awareness), The Nature Conservancy, and a host of local project partners. Wyss has a history of conservation and protection efforts, primarily in Wyoming and the western US.

This campaign is particularly encouraging during the current US political climate that seems determined to deny climate change and undermine as many conservation efforts as possible. I’m grateful for environmental champions like Hansjörg Wyss, Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia, Douglas Thompkins of NorthFace, Ted Turner, and Rachel Carson. In turn, the UN spotlights environmental champions with it’s Champions of the Earth program, their highest environmental honor, celebrating outstanding people whose actions have a transformative effect on the environment.

Despite these amazing people and their efforts, I think we’re still facing a huge challenge that will need the engagement of many more individuals, leaders, governments, and corporations. And I believe it will require massive changes in our economic, social, and political models. We can’t keep chasing consumption and growth as our primary goals. We could learn something from Bhutan which has become the first country to focus on Gross National Happiness instead of the GNP most countries use. Bhutan’s GNH is built on equitable social development, cultural and environmental preservation, and good governance.

To inspired leadership that puts environmental stewardship at the center of policy.

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18 thoughts on “Awesome Stories 386”

  2. How any one can deny the climate is NOT changing is beyond me.. its happening ALL over the world, Whether or not it is due ALL to Mankind, or that it is cyclic as is recorded geologically matters not.. Its undeniable that our weather systems are undergoing a tremendous change.
    And any thing any one can do to help sustain our planet gets the thumbs up from me Brad..

    Wonderful shares.. Wishing you a peaceful weekend and a great week ahead my friend
    Sue 🙂

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  3. This is such an important thing to do. We all have to help in some way. I think we have to see the earth as our literal home, not just some nebulous thing outside of us. It is ours to protect, by whatever means we have at our disposal.

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  6. This makes my heart smile. It’s so wonderful to see someone using their wealth for the greater good like this. For me personally, I intend to always live in a small house – no matter if my financial means grow. Essentially, we humans need to think about taking only what we need not what we are capable of buying. Too often, folks get caught up in the consumerism that is US culture. *sigh* Lovely post and it gives me lots of hope that we can mitigate the damage we’ve done to this beautiful planet….

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  8. Thanks for sharing this great work towards honouring our environment Brad… when more hearts open our governments and systems will change, you can trust this. So the focus can be for each, on self… on being the change and honouring self😘 much love Barbara x

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