It’s official. I have a new writer lady crush. Barbara Kingsolver. I love her without even reading any of her books. But now I will endeavour to devour them all. She said the quote above yesterday at All About Women, Sydney Opera House, in relation to the devastating situation of our environment. The days environmental theme aligned with the changes I’ve made this year to go vegan and not walk past trash in the street, so I found myself nodding along to many comments. As always, it was an inspiring majestic mess of women gathering to share ideas, new books and to talk about every thing, from climate change to #metoo.
Anyhow, Barbara is most famous for her bestsellerThe Poisonwood Bible, and has recently written a book called “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle’. A tale in which she uprooted her family to a farm, eating only what they could grow and kill themselves. She spoke of hope, of individual action, of activism through words and loving the environment. I could have listened to her for hours.
The second talk was called “Disappearing Islands” by Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner and Ursula Rakova, two strong women, from the Marshall Island region advocating against climate change, and facing the loss of their island homes to the sea. Call me ignorant, but I did not in fact know that there were so many islands disappearing under the sea. Right on our doorstep in fact, affecting 6,000 of our neighbours. In their culture, the loss of land and islands to climate change affects women disproportionately , as land is passed down through the women in their family, from mother to daughter.
It’s not only an environmental issue, but an economic one, too.
I was depressed. I was shocked. I felt helpless listening to their stories. But what I saw yesterday more than anything was women rising in hope. I don’t believe that government has the answer to these complex problems. We should not wait to be led to action. I believe that individual actions daily will reverse the damage that we have done to our world.
Gathering. Rising. Sharing.
Someone pulled me up for having a vegan rant, or picking up plastic on Instagram the other day, that I was going to make myself sad.
But what’s the alternative? To do nothing?
By not eating animals and picking up plastic I feel so empowered. Like I am part of something bigger.
It gives me hope.
Ashleigh
PS. Watch the damn video
PPS. Linking with Kylie
