Individual actions adding up to transform the world for the better

Apr 1

Sharing his wisdom here is Aaron Perry, an author and the founder of environmental nonprofit Y on Earth.

Hear about the role of a Chief Sustainability Officer in any company, what biodynamic agriculture is, how our individual actions are adding up to drive societal shifts, and more.

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This is a conversation on Green Dreamer Podcast with Kaméa Chayne, a show exploring environmental and intersectional sustainability from ideas to life. Subscribe to Green Dreamer on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or any podcast app and let’s learn what it takes to thrive in every sense of the word!

Highlights

[1:59] What first inspired Aaron's love for nature.

[3:11] Aaron discusses 'Nature Deficit Disorder' and how urbanization may contribute to mental illness.

[4:28] Aaron: "Some of the most important solutions to sustainability and stewardship lie in restoring, repairing, and healing that individual relationship we can have with the natural, living world."

[4:43] What led Aaron to start Y On Earth.

[6:01] Aaron discusses how our daily individual actions add up to help drive larger positive change.

[8:32] A background of biodynamic agriculture.

[12:44] Aaron talks about what he does as 'Chief Sustainability Officer' for organizations and companies.

[16:00] Aaron: "I think one of the most powerful tools we each wield is our consumer demand."

[16:47] Aaron: "The beauty of these food and beverage business models, in particular, is that...they are operating on very thin margins. So literally, when one or two or three percent of us in the marketplace change what we're buying, that might equate to the entire profit margin in percentage points of that massive corporation."

[22:00] How global and national events in the 20th century led us to our current unsustainable policies and systems.

[23:38] Kaméa: "What can we do as individuals to help accelerate the rate at which these companies are making positive changes?"

[28:12] Aaron: "It seems in our culture today, one of the big choices we each have is: To what degree might we let go of what we think of as our personal interests, and work more towards our greater global interests as a society and as a single species living on a single planet?"

References

About our Guest

Aaron Perry is a writer, public speaker, impact entrepreneur, and consultant. He is the Founder of environmental nonprofit Y on Earth, which helps to spread to spread empowering information and sustainability messages to diverse communities around the world. He's launched companies in the recycling, renewable energy and local and organic food sectors and now consults for dozens of innovative organizations, companies, and entrepreneurs.

Keep in touch

Y on Earth

Tips

Inspiration: @KehkashanBasu

Note to self: "We are all in this together."

Health practice: "Yoga is essential. I take walks in the woods, and I drink lots of clean, spring water."

Sustainability practice: "I'm cultivating a sense of contentment right here in my home."

Element of hope: Aaron is inspired by the possibility of rapid transformation—specifically in human awareness and consciousness.

Closing words: "Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius power and magic in it." –Goethe

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