Enjoying and exploring wild spaces to sustain environmental activism (interview with michael brune of sierra club)
Michael Brune (@bruneski) is the Executive Director of Sierra Club (@sierraclub), which is one of the most enduring and influential grassroots environmental organizations in the United States. He is also the author of Coming Clean: Breaking America's Addiction to Oil and Coal.
In this podcast episode, Michael Brune sheds light on why we cannot forget about exploring and enjoying nature as a part of our environmental work; the role of mobilizing grassroots efforts to leverage the power of a collective in driving societal change; and more.
To start, get a glimpse below into the conversation between Michael and Green Dreamer Podcast's host, Kamea Chayne.
“As an activist, you can often lose the joy in your life and the opportunity to express wonder, amazement, and gratitude for the beautiful planet we’re on and the wonderful people in our lives.”
If you feel inspired by this episode, please consider donating a gift of support of any amount today!
This is a conversation on Green Dreamer with Kamea Chayne, a podcast and multimedia journal illuminating our paths towards ecological balance, intersectional sustainability, and true abundance and wellness for all. This preview has been edited for clarity. Subscribe to Green Dreamer Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or any podcast app to stay informed and updated on our latest episodes.
On enjoying nature as an environmental activist:
“When you think about advocacy in general, a lot of advocacy is about identifying a problem in the world that needs to be fixed or a law that has to get passed.
[As an activist], you can often lose the joy in your life and the opportunity to express wonder, amazement, and gratitude for the beautiful planet we're on and the wonderful people in our lives.
For us, the most valuable part of the Sierra Club is our connection to the outdoors and the programs we have to get people outside in nature.
We’re not just focused on protecting, but also on simply enjoying the wonderful things we've been given.”
On the political challenges of climate action in the U.S.:
"On one hand, we want to be open to people of all persuasions, backgrounds, and even all political affiliations in addressing our countries challenges.
On the other hand, we must be able to identify a very big political problem. We have a Senate that's controlled by fossil fuel supporting senators who are stifling action on the biggest threats that face our country and our species.”
Final words of wisdom:
“Don't give up. Don't give up hope.”
