Why I’m Joining the Fight for Planetary Health
“Let us build a house where love can dwell and all can safely live.”
Earlier this year, I was having a deep conversation about the role of tech companies with our 13 year old son. I described how those of us in the tech industry need to do more to ensure we have a positive impact on humanity. And after patiently listening to my soliloquy on the need to address the dangers of social media and online content, my son quietly turned to me, looked me in the eye and said, “I understand, Dad. But, I really hope you’ll also do more the help the environment.” It was one of those moments that grab your attention. The kind you are unlikely to forget.
My son is increasingly aware of the state of the environment and the dangers we face in the years ahead due to climate change. And, it turns out he’s not alone. A recent poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Washington Post found that most American teenagers are frightened by climate change and about one in four are taking action.
After we talked, I began to think more deeply about my own concerns about the environment and climate change. My quick conclusion was that I was doing way too little. When our son grows older and the world begins to experience the worst effects of climate change, I considered how he might look back at the present moment.
Will he wonder why his parents and other adults did so little to help? Will he remember all the ways we spent our leisure time — discussing the latest Game of Thrones episodes, planning our next travel destination, updating our Instagram photos — anything other than addressing a clear and present threat? Will he think we didn’t care, assuming we’d no longer be around when the worst of the impacts occur? Will he ever doubt our love and assume it wasn’t strong enough to motivate us to act?
At the same time, I found some cause for optimism. It seems like more and more Americans are waking up to the reality of climate change and looking for ways to help. Many of our friends and neighbors are taking a closer look into the facts and science and are no longer debating whether climate change is really happening. They’ve moved on to seeking to understand why this is the case and what needs to happen in order to address it. Perhaps that famous Bristish saying — often attributed to Winston Churchill — is true: that “Americans will always do the right thing, only after they have tried everything else.”
Several weeks later, one of my close friends, Jonathan Jennings, reached out to see if I’d be interested in volunteering and joining the board of an organization called Health In Harmony (HIH), dedicated to improving both human and environmental health. Talk about serendipity!
A few years ago, Jonthan left Doctors Without Borders, where he had spent over a decade working in conflict zones around the world, to help lead and grow HIH. As Jonathan told me the story of the founder, Dr. Kinari Webb, the HIH team and local partners and their work together in Borneo, his enthusiasm was infectious and my interest continued to grow. I learned that HIH is a pioneer in the field of Planetary Health and that they provide a climate solution. They focus on protecting rainforests so the earth can breathe. As a small non-governmental organization (NGO), they are now scaling beyond their initial success in Borneo and taking their innovate approach — which involves focusing on ecosystems rather than more traditional intervention tactics — into the rainforests of Madagascar and beyond.
Saying “yes” to joining the Health In Harmony board was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever made.
Each of us has different circumstances, and we have unique gifts and talents which we can bring to bear to help solve the climate crisis. But, I believe the key is to start with “why?” — what is held within our hearts and our heads that motivates us to act? On September 20, children across the world will walk out from schools in order to bring awareness to the climate crisis in the days preceding the UN’s climate change summit. Here in Virginia, they’ll be gathering late in the day for a march of students as well as the adults who support them.
My wife and I will be there, walking together with our son, to show him — and our political leaders and others in positions of reponsibiltiy— that we are paying attention, we are ready to act, and that our love: for our son; for current and future generations; for life on this planet; and for our environment is more than enough to motivate us.
PS — Interested in learning about the story of Heath In Harmony? I’d be happy to buy you a coffee and tell you more! Please let me know. You can also learn more from the HIH website.
