Eco-anxiety & Resilient Leadership in Chaotic Times

What an honor to facilitate a conversation with OneGreenThing board member Victoria Gilchrist, asbestos disease warrior Linda Reinstein, and consumer advocate and author Lindsay Dahl. The topic was "Protecting What You Love: Resilient Leadership in Chaotic Times."

We discussed the dizzying headlines, dismantling of institutions that protect our, water, and communities, the wrecking ball to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and freezing federal funds for climate solutions and environmental justice. The main focus of the discussion, however, was based on solutions and we work toward resilience.

You can view the full conversation here or listen in.

OGT Conversation with Lindsay Dahl, Victoria Gilchrist, Linda Reinstein and Founder Heather White

• Vitamin F - Community Protection and Advocacy are Rooted in Fellowship - Linda Reinstein talked about how crucial it is to protect our communities from environmental dangers, especially when it comes to asbestos. She encouraged us to stand together and take charge in tackling these environmental issues, stressing the need to continue to fight to ban toxic chemicals. Vitamin F isn't walking outside and screaming at the top of your lungs, which is what some participants thought. LOL! It's about Friendship and Fellowship. Create space of Vitamin F to fill your cup and lean into resilience.

"We can't walk away and close our eyes and cover our faces. It's not going to work. We learn we're stronger together. It's our best asset: solidarity." - Linda Reinstein

• The Business Case for Environmental Protection is Stronger than Ever: Lindsay Dahl shared why it’s important to connect environmental protection with business. She pointed out how things like climate events, such as the LA fires, can disrupt with business operations. Lindsay also reminded everyone to keep pushing for environmental advocacy, even when the political landscape becomes uncertain.

  
  

• Human Rights and Environmental Governance Go Hand in Hand: Victoria Gilchrist shed light on how human rights and environmental governance go hand in hand. She stressed the need for fair pay and good working conditions and highlighted how important it is to recognize everyone's unique talents and contributions in the climate movement. Victoria also pointed out how everything—environmental, social, and governance issues—are all connected.

"Recognize and validate the different talents that people have. I call it finding your place in the revolution. Not everyone needs to be on the front lines." - Victoria Gilchrist

• Grassroots Activism and Personal Storytelling Will Get Us Through: We talked about how vital grassroots activism and sharing personal stories are for raising awareness and inspiring action. The panelist encouraged everyone to have real conversations and build connections to make these issues feel more relatable and urgent.

• Self-Care and Resilience Must Become a Priority: We shared tips on self-care and bouncing back during tough times and highlighted how important community support and personal well-being are for keeping up advocacy efforts. Lindsay Dahl shared how she works to have a "low demand" household for the whole family and intentionally works to create a healing space at home. Part of creating space is monitoring time on social media:

"We all need to spend way less time on social media. Social media and the algorithms have by design split us in deeply dividing ways. It has made us very fragile for having any sort of real conversation." -Lindsay Dahl

• Collective Action and Building Coalitions Will Continue to Drive Change: The importance of coming together and forming coalitions was emphasized as a key way to drive change at both local and global levels. The panelists highlighted the need to listen to everyone's stories, collaborate, and be authentic in community engagement.

Be sure to catch our next interactive discussion Tuesday, April 8th on Think Globally, Act Locally: Community Organizing on Conservation and Climate. You can RSVP here.