As the world grapples with the climate crisis, the knowledge and sustainable practices that Indigenous communities possess are crucial for protecting biodiversity and the fragile ecosystems necessary for sustaining life on earth.
Read More“There is no time for despair...’
As Americans try to prepare for what’s ahead with the re-election of Donald Trump, I am sharing some facts this week on one of the many areas of concern for pushback — the nature and climate crisis.
Read MoreReflections on Biodiversity COP
Along with Project Dandelion Executive Director Ronda Carnegie, I attended what is known as the BioCOP, and wanted to share, in brief, what I would describe generally as a learning journey that gave both of us a clearer understanding of the fact that there can be no solution to the climate crisis without solutions to the nature crisis.
Read MoreDo you remember the first time you voted?
I do…and that was some decades ago! The memory of standing in line in my small hometown in Georgia — a much shorter line than the ones I stand in today in Atlanta — and being handed a paper ballot with boxes next to a long list of names is one that I will never forget.
Read MoreJoin Me for a Mobilization for Women's Rights and the Planet Happening in NYC on Saturday
Come together to show solidarity for women’s rights and the right to a habitable planet — both of which are under threat.
Read MoreSome good news in a tough week
There is more public support than ever to demand swift actions on climate change. The biggest ever standalone public opinion survey on climate change, the Peoples’ Climate Vote 2024, shows that 80 percent of people globally want their governments to take stronger action to tackle the climate crisis.
Read MoreHeat: The ‘Silent Assassin of Climate Change’
By 2050, heat waves will affect more than 3.5 billion people worldwide with great risks to cities, according to a 2023 study commissioned by the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center. Women leaders like Emma Howard Boyd (Vice Chair, Climate Resilience for All), Kathy Baughman McLeod (CEO, Climate Resilience for All) and Reema Nanavaty (SEWA), are the allies the world needs to enact solutions in these dangerously hot times.
Read MoreJoin Project Dandelion March 20: Every Issue Is A Climate Issue
Mark March 20 on your calendar and join Project Dandelion for a day of action on social media. Why March 20? It’s the halfway point between International Women’s Day and Earth Day, and a good day to amplify the call for women’s leadership on the intersectional issue of our time — the climate and nature crisis, which is everyone’s issue.
Read MoreNot one woman on the list.
Earlier this month, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev announced the organizing committee for COP29, which will be held there in November. The list included 28 appointees, including Azeri government ministers of energy, health, finance and economy, among others. What the list did not include: women.
Read MoreThe Transition Is Unstoppable
I hope you are following the events in Dubai where COP28 (the UN climate conference) is happening. So far, the reviews are mixed and the eventual impact is uncertain, but one thing is clear: never has it been more urgent or necessary for the world’s leaders to unite for the solutions, policies, and commitments that will ensure a climate safe world for everyone.
Read MoreWhat is COP and why should we pay attention?
COP28 begins soon – the 28th Climate Change Conference of its kind. Women should be at the table for every decision and commitment made during COP, but we know that will likely not be the case. That’s why I’d like to share a powerful event coming up that brings women’s voices to the forefront of these conversations.
Read MoreHere I am at 80.... Still movement building!
In developing Project Dandelion, we've spent a lot of time thinking about what ingredients are necessary for a successful social movement in 2023. Even though the ways we organize have changed (social media, email and Zoom make it a whole lot easier to connect), the truth is that what is needed for a successful social movement to be launched, sustained and successful in outcomes is essentially the same as when I started organizing in college.
Read MoreWomen Deliver Delivers!
I confess to being somewhat addicted to women’s conferences. I'm always energized by the female and feminist energy. That’s partly why I initiated, in partnership with TED, the annual TEDWomen conference… and it’s partly why I am inspired to share with you this week a report from Women Deliver – one of, if not the largest women’s conference in the world — convened for the first time on the African continent.
Read MoreThe A. Donald McEachin Environmental Justice for All Act is the most comprehensive environmental justice legislation in America's history
None of us can afford to sit on the sidelines, stay silent and do nothing when the lives and livelihoods of all our communities are at stake. This bill is a big step forward for climate justice and we must take it together.
Read MoreNew UN report says the planet is likely to pass 1.5°C for the first time. What does that mean?
Scientists last week predicted that our already warming world will likely pass a key temperature threshold for the first time over the next five years. I’m not a climate scientist but I know enough to know this is not good…for any of us! It's time for all of us to make this climate emergency more personal in our lives and work.
Read More50 Women in 50 States Fighting for Climate Justice
“Love Your Mother lifts up the stories of women who are poets, physicians, climate scientists, students, farmers, writers, documentary filmmakers, and more,” writes Mallory. “Their work lights the way for conversation and collective action in our homes and in the world. It's time we follow their lead.”
Read MoreA Very Small Nation Has Just Achieved a Very Big Victory for Climate Justice
Vanuatu's call for international action on climate change is not just about protecting its own nation, but about ensuring a livable future for all of us.
Read MoreWomen Leading on Climate
This week, I’m writing about a favorite convening that is not called a conference but a festival — the WOW Festival! WOW for “Women of the World.” I was invited to participate in a panel on the climate crisis and to share the still in-progress plans for a global campaign for climate justice led by women — named Project Dandelion.
Read MoreIndigenous women must be present at decision making tables
Indigenous women are the custodians of the land and holders of traditional knowledge. By listening to Indigenous voices, and Indigenous women in particular, we can move from fear to action. But we must listen and we must act.
Read MoreUN Climate Week NYC: Women Leading a New Narrative of Hope For Solutions to the Climate Crisis
I was part of a contingent of women leaders who went to NYC last week with a proposal to shift the narrative of fear to one of hope and radical optimism. Our proposal is inspired by the audacious possibility, put forward by indigenous leader Jade Begay, who challenged us during our Connected Women Leaders forum in Bellagio last April to imagine "that our best times may be ahead of us!"
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