By Deirdre Brannigan:
I often celebrate the Winter Solstice in countless ways. The Winter Solstice is that point of axial tilt, that in our part of the world begins the shift from darkness back toward the light.
Moving toward the light is something that guides me. Currently it feels like there is a lot of darkness in the world – know what I mean? Whether that be in our political leanings, the polarization of our country, or the isolation that can be found in our communities. And don’t even get me started on the climate crisis…
For people from a number of different beliefs and backgrounds, the days around the winter solstice are the time of year we come together – with our families, with the friends who we’ve made our families, and our other loved ones to shine our lights: whether via Hanukkah candles, Christmas lights, or Kwanzaa. In many ways, these celebrations are a reminder that the darkness will not last; that our days will be filled with sunshine once again. My hope for all of us is that in 2020 we can collectively move toward the light.
When we think about the environmental issues we are facing: plastics in our oceans, the US exiting the Paris climate agreement, food waste, the rollback of auto fuel emissions in California, extreme weather, social inequity, and other issues, it can be easy to fall into a bit of darkness-induced dispiritedness.
On a personal note, I’m so very impressed with the youth of today – so many are finding novel solutions. Many of them are still teenagers, and not even able to vote – but that’s not stopping them. If we look for the positive, we will find it. This is where Sustainable Future comes in. We are inspiring people to guard against apathy, and instead, move toward collective action! The various campaigns on our gamification platform contain strategies and ideas for making a change. Collectively, I know we can do this!
Get started today. Visit our platform, investigate ideas on improved sustainability, start a conversation within your sphere of influence…be the light. Let’s start collectively moving towards harnessing results and make a difference.