Diaries of an Earthwalker
It’s my 31st birthday. April 24th, 2019. “Mike Posner (the famous musician also walking across America) is also 31 this year” I think to myself — but I don’t have too much time to ruminate on it because the raindrops are starting, twilight has hit, and my rain cover for my pack isn’t on. I’m on the North Bend Rail Trail in West Virginia, over 500 miles into my cross-country hike for climate action, which I have lovingly donned the “Earthwalk.”
My mind wanders once again to where Mike is on his walk. “Probably catching some zzz’s in his RV. Ughh. Stop being bitter Jennifer and set up your damn tent before you get poured on and all your gear is destroyed!” My gear was lent to me by another multi-millionaire. I can’t stop thinking about them (the people with excessive amounts of money that is) and what they are doing with it in particular. You might even call me obsessed. It wouldn’t be the first time. The stare in my eyes would surely confirm that my passion is what is keeping me alive, at least at this moment.
Lightning strikes. I drop my pack on the first grassy knoll I see. The trail is narrow. It’s an abandoned railroad that has been removed and repaved for bikers and hikers, also known as a “rail trail.” I hastily lay out my tent in a rectangle like I was taught. But when I go to hammer in the stakes, I realize that the grass is not truly grass — just overgrowth on the pavement.
Flashback to a comment from Charlie (a trail angel, gun enthusiast, and climate change skeptic who lives on a large parcel of well-kept farmland). “You know Jenny, these windmills here are supposed to generate renewable energy but do you have any idea how much energy was used to put them in? The heavy trucks, the endless pavement tearing out the plants and wildlife.”
The “endless pavement” rings in my ears as it hits me now, how much of our earth is covered in it. I throw my tent over my pack like a tarp, take one stake, and run up the trail in search of a suitable campsite. I see a cemetery. Although I feel a little creeped out when I hear the thunder roar again, I poke my 6” stake in the ground and it goes all the way in. It’s a hill — but I don’t have a choice. I run back and grab my pack, use my tent as a poncho, and run toward the graveyard campsite as fast as possible for a 125 lb girl with a 35 lb pack on her back. Lightning strikes again. Thunder booms. The dark clouds appear even darker. There is barely enough twilight left to illuminate the cemetery sign but I read 1870: Sacred Heart Church and gaze past to see an array of tombstones behind it.
I decided to set up in front of the entrance — just in case. Even though I’m not terribly superstitious and it put me on quite the incline, I am very spiritual. I believe that our ancestors hold lots of energy that I didn’t want to risk disturbing.
Finally, I climbed into my one-person tent — just before the moderate drizzle turned into a full-blown downpour.
Humanity is in a “moderate drizzle” now I might say. A hurricane here, a windstorm there. A flood here, a tornado there. A storm of socio-politics stirring up the climate of our psyches interrupted only by a school shooting or another young black man innocently murdered. Legislative “bodies” strip women of the rights to their own. We want to take cover but also hope that the downpour of hatred and ignorance will magically float past us. The proverbial “Sound of Music” giving us a sliver of hope that catastrophic and irreversible rises in the Earth’s temperature are just a scary bedtime story that we can overcome together with a guitar and melody.
I told myself the same thing about two coyotes howling and closing in on me that night when I realized I had left my food bag inside my tent. So if the story of our future is either that 1.) we need not worry about climate change or that 2.) the climate crisis will inevitably bring us a dystopian apocalypse of sorts, how do we react? I will tell you how I reacted initially to the coyotes.
I was frozen.
It was the same sort of frozen I felt when man after man had touched me without my consent. Overwhelmed, unprepared, in denial, hoping this was not real. Detached from the reality of the danger creeping closer. Fantasizing about the possibility that these coyotes were not really a danger to me, that men are not really a danger to women, and that global warming is not really a danger to the entire ecosystem in which we live including humanity.
If you’re reading this article, you know the coyotes didn’t eat me alive. But it’s only because the men did — so I was prepared this time. I was prepared to not let the fear and denial consume me. I instead chose to use all available resources at my disposal to prevent — or at least mitigate — the imminent risk before me.
To appease your curiosity about the story at hand, I’ll tell you that the tools at my disposal that night were my headlamp and my intuition. One coyote howling from my right, one from the left — they were talking to each other. It became increasingly obvious that they were closing in on me. I abruptly sat up to take note that in the haste, I had left my food bag inside my tent which is not typically best practice.
Here’s what I did NOT do. I did not wait for the imminent threat to strike. I also did not run. I also was not so reactive that critical analysis was completely thrown out the window. I found the space between — the balance of intellectual, physiological, and emotional.
I stepped outside my tent before the dogs could get too close and threw my food bag as far as I could. I then pulled down my pants and peed to mark my territory. Finally, I aimed my headlamp on the brightest setting in a hazard-style pattern by shaking my head down and up to let the beasts know I was there and prepared. The howls ceased. I crawled back into my tent and lived to tell the tale.
What generation will live to read the tale though? Will it be my children? My grandchildren? Great-grandchildren? Great Great? Great great great? How can we ensure now that the next 7 generations have the tools they need to survive and thrive? We have to know what tools we have now and we need to know when and how to instinctively wield them proactively to promote harmony between our species and the deep ecology that is Mother Earth.
MOTHER Earth. We all come from the same Mother. It is this basic fact which unites us and it is this fact that dictates why not only respecting but going above and beyond to tell the stories of women is a key to unlock us from the trap of dominance, exploitation, and other forms of extractive energy that is destroying our only nest.
So when I see a white cis male celebrity like Mike Posner “finding himself” on his cross-country hike, being celebrated for how humble and brave he is, highlighted on CBS and Vanity Fair when I myself do the same thing as him every day with no RV, no road manager, minimal financial support, a 35 lb pack on my back, and running 2 companies from the road, I get disheartened. When I finally met with him (after he tried to skirt my questions about why he was not leveraging his walk for social impact) he said that he understands that in the past he has done things that may have been sexist but he did not believe this walk was sexist. He gave me an apple from his RV but did not want to assist me in sharing more information about his route or safety measures and most definitely did not want me intruding on his walk or joining their crew despite knowing the safety concerns of me being a woman out here alone as well as me reassuring him that I was completely equipped to sleep outside the RV.
I told him that there was another woman out here walking unassisted for Domestic Violence stopping at women’s shelters along the way and a guy walking unassisted for Addiction Recovery stopping at AA meetings on the way. He said, “I have an answer to your question about why I am not walking for a cause.” We spoke about authenticity and being genuine. He was apparently genuinely scared of me trying to meet up with him (a true indicator that men have no idea of the real fear women live in every day of our lives).
I had been persistent with Mike, sure. I was persistent when I did yoga every day to heal myself from multiple rapes. I was persistent when I co-created Julybalaya — my first eco-festival in 2015 and the very first PermaJam in 2016. I was persistent when I continued on after that to raise $2000 for Bernie Sanders campaign through music and art. I was persistent when I helped a hiker make her claim to the fastest known time (FKT) on the Appalachian Trail to raise awareness about the power of fitness and permaculture to heal PTSD from sexual assault. I was persistent when I asked my former employer why I was making less money than my male coworker doing the same job. I was persistent with the Rockefeller family when I was removed from a leadership summit I had been accepted to with a scholarship because knowing too much and asking too many questions is a threat to the status quo.
When it came to Mike, I did not want to apologize for something I wasn’t sorry for. He did not want to walk for a cause he was not walking for.
While undoubtedly airing a gentle and kind demeanor (one that ultimately won over the soft spot in my heart), he simultaneously did not seem to understand my plea to him. “I would ask that you consider,” I said, “as a figure of such immense social influence (over 50K people watch his videos and over 430K people follow his Instagram page) and a self-proclaimed multi-millionaire, that you have a deep responsibility to maximize that influence for social good.”
But does he really? Based on the responses I’ve gotten from some of his followers, they disagree that he has a responsibility to anything.
This leads me to reflect on the major connection between my interaction with Mike and the collective interaction of humanity with our planet. It leads me to remember that the question of responsibility is complex. While “personal responsibility” is the pinnacle underlying the “freedoms” we are granted in the United States, one might ask, “Does the United States have a ‘personal’ responsibility to offset catastrophic effects of global warming on smaller countries because our emissions are higher and we are in a better position to do so? The larger cultural question is “Do people with power, influence, and resources have a responsibility to balance the scales of social oppression and planetary devastation whether or not they are responsible for the inequities?”
The post-cursor to that would be “How do we creatively approach // ask // convince the people and institutions that hold the structural, resource, and wealth management power to recognize, accept, and act on such responsibility?
Here are some thoughts… Greenpeace agrees that we need “people with guts to move us toward a healthier and more prosperous future” and that we need to directly confront the billionaires who’ve literally destroyed the planet.”
As I mentioned, I have been directly confronting Christopher Rockefeller Lindstrom using the law. The case is ongoing and I am seeking reconciliation and radical collaboration for our common mission by also appealing to Susan Rockefeller for support — who has the same top platforms (climate; women; plastics) as me! They have not been receptive thus far to my attempts, but I hold hope that we can work together in a unified way.
Are the millionaires and billionaires of the entertainment industry really any different? Not by any indication at the inequities in funding and representation for women and people of color. These are the oppressed folks whose stories of exploitation mirror the exploitative economics of the patriarchy which stabs the womb of Mother Earth. It was put perfectly in front of my face a few days back by this anonymous user on social media.
WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. x
So, are we as a species going to continue to be concerned with exercising our own freedoms and liberties with little regard for how our individualism, indifference, and complacency are causing immense suffering to our most vulnerable populations and ecosystems? Or are we going to start HELPING EACH OTHER SURVIVE?
How can we wake up to the collective realization that when the cities start flooding, the millions won’t matter? A collective realization that is just a little bit ahead of its time — a realization that a focus on protecting, preserving and regenerating the Earth is the most important thing we can do as a species.
As more and more people awaken to this, a new culture will be born. And we can do this now by standing up to the world’s largest capitalist corporations with the world’s largest decentralized cooperative corporation….and #thisiswhyiwalk.
We Are Mother Earth (WAME) is this cooperative corporation and the Earthwalk is a call to raise awareness to the possibility of shared responsibility for the future of our only habitat. The name is one that unites all people of all races, all classes, and all bio-regions.
The concept starts first with a real-estate cooperative that is aiming to protect and connect thousands of acres of land with the goal of putting it into a trust.
We then intend to use this land to create asset-backed industries and alternative currencies in the areas of reforestation, eco-tourism, renewable energy technology, and financial incentives for regenerative farmers that take ecological health into account in their best practice (a theory developed by Regen Network). One of my favorite quotes from reforestation and permaculture organization We Are Blacksheep is — “Money Does Grow on Trees.” Most of this land is located along the hiking and biking trail systems and thus ties in major elements of outdoor education and holistic health. Some farms are used for intentional community experiments while others are used to pilot infrastructure and technology outside major cities. Yet others are used as events centers for family-friendly and eco-conscious events. THIS IS ALREADY HAPPENING!! For example, NuMundo is curating these impact centers globally, focusing on local support, storytelling, and quality assurance as the movement grows. You can catch my full interview with them here.
In the vision, it will also morph into a social network and quality assurance firm for earth-friendly goods and services. Think Facebook, Amazon, and YouTube combined into one — where you have a wall for posting anything you like, a store for selling anything that promotes a healthy planet, and a channel for broadcasting. In this social currency platform, we envision that content and products can be voted on with a positive or negative vote. The most liked content would then rise to the top of visibility similar to Reddit. A percentage of profit from sales and from advertising on the channels would go into the Greener Earth Fund (a community foundation) which would be directed by a Wisdom council (traditionally known as the Board of Directors) that has a diverse representation of Indigenous leaders, women, and youth. The purpose of the council is to be in service to its members and to allocate spending to farms and impact centers that have the most beneficial impact on the Earth and all life upon her as well as future generations.
WAME is structured so that it can eventually also be a publicly traded corporation with unlimited shares so that “members” can have different levels of perks at our various farm properties. The primary difference between this and a traditional corporate structure, however, is that we envision a one-member-one-vote structure that can be supported by advances in peer to peer encrypted digital engagement. Members would also be able to vote on where certain funds were allocated. Because of new guidelines around equity crowdfunding, we believe that WAME could become the largest citizen-led ecological movement of our time and would inspire a wave of conscious culture shifts (music, art, products, etc.) that are both prosperous and proven to improve our quality of life.
Here are some of the exciting things WAME is already working on:
Under 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor Freedom2Fit, Inc., as well as with opportunities for traditional corporate investment, We Are Mother Earth is creating a growing community that practices evolutionary collaborative business for social responsibility.
The Honey Bee Bus (5K-75K)
The first Observation Bee Bus!!!! Join us in building the worlds first observation, traveling beehive! Our goal is to buy the bus, convert the bus (with help from our amazing engineer friends) Then go on a tour of the USA (particular along the Appalachian Trail and other trail systems) following the nectar flow and stopping along the way to educate, inform, and collaborate with our amazing nation on ways to sustain our ecosystem that is in dire need of our love and attention.
Think Magic School bus meets real life interactive opportunity to see a real living beehive. Come on board the bee bus and see how the bees move and live. See how their important role is demonstrated and how they “collectively” work with other solitary bees and pollinators to get the job done.
WE would love to stop in your town and have you be part of making history!
Gatherings — PermaJam, Unifier, Touch Mother Earth (75k)
All of our affiliates are uniting toward solutions for sustainability and building a strong community foundation and a part of that are transformative — drug and alcohol-free — music, art, and yoga festivals. The PermaJam experience is full of educational workshops that demonstrate valuable “earth skills” as well as musical performances, yoga, educational activities for kids, hiking, local vending, and much more.
Honoring and bringing together different subcultures, Unifier Festival is an event for yoga, sacred world music, healing, and expressive arts. It is a live art show, a dance party, a place for ceremony, permaculture, for sculptural works and circus arts. It is a place to care for the land and eat organic food as well as to inspire and be inspired by our kids and our elders.
A path is being paved to use these models and host transformative events across the world, and then give back even more to youth who are considered to be at-risk because of extenuating life circumstances. Already dozens of locations are asking us to bring PermaJam and Unifer to their communities as well as more yoga for local after-school programs and other partners! In the coming years, we will help raise funds for these communities and the people who attend will actually participate in transforming these landscapes into thriving integrated systems based on permaculture, music, art, fitness, and freedom of expression. By choosing to co-sponsor with Freedom2Fit, Inc. you are supporting our initiative to leave lands cleaner and healthier than we found them, to educate our community in fostering more peaceful relationships with ourselves and each other, and to contribute to a brighter future for the next generations. We hear the calling for a cultural revival; as conscious and aware humans unite, we have the power to provide valuable wisdom, tools, and skillsets that our children need to grow. As we evolve together, let us create a culture of earth stewardship, reciprocity, responsibility, and love for the land that sustains us.
Beverage Program for Plastic Reduction and Re-Investment into Reforestation and Ocean Cleanup (5K)
One of the major goals for the WAME Earthwalk 2019 is to move all US restaurants, bars, and hotels off of plastic straws. In order to accomplish this goal, we are providing a FREE cocktail recipe to participating locations that enable them to start building relationships with sustainable, earth-friendly suppliers for the liquors, syrups, garnishes, and of course, straws! Don’t serve cocktails? No problem! You can still participate in our straw initiative as well as stay tuned for our other upcoming beverages later this year like our non-alcoholic refreshments and smoothies.
In order to meet retailers where they are at in their transition to “going green”, we will be offering a variety of cost-friendly options including glass, bamboo, and wheat stem straws as well as facilitating relationships with our preferred “earth marked” suppliers that are using organic, fair trade goods and donating back to causes that count!
Right now — we are endorsed by Hay! Straws and Spruce on Tap. We are still seeking support from Green Chartreuse (who donated a bottle of sustainably sourced liquor for experimentation but declined sponsorship), Greenbar Distillery (who already has a reforestation initiative but declined participation at this time), House of Yes and The Hideout (who are currently interested in participating but not yet signed) Patina Restaurant Group (who I have worked for on the East and West Coast and has the marketing and consumer base to bring our program to scale) and many more.
Liberating us from Fossil Fuels through Advocacy and Education
A lawyer from our team, Joshua Douglass, ESQ in association with Mothers Out Front has written a letter demanding a Supplemental Environmental Impact Review.
Mindful Music
Research shows that music — as well as nutrition, fitness, and art — is a critical component of health and well-being! As a culture cooperative, WAME has curated “mindful musicians” who we believe put community first by creating beats, melodies, and lyrics that raise the vibration of the space around them. You will also often find these musicians donating their time to social causes that matter and/or taking lower paying jobs to be of service to projects in our culture cooperative that we believe benefit the cooperative as a whole and the values of peace, people, and the planet we share. The easiest way to support this “mindful music” initiative is to subscribe to the We Are Mother Earth Spotify Playlists. Our first playlist is “Blue Green Dreams.” Explore it on your own at home. Play it at your events. Share it with your friends. Don’t forget to also check out their websites, social media, etc. as well as attend their local shows and purchase their full albums and other merchandise!
Also check out our Documentary Film and affiliate Land Projects, Blue/Green Food Systems, WE-Energime-Global Cooperation; and Advocacy for Biofuels.
What We Need
— Tax-Deductible Donations — Pro Bono Legal Services — Volunteer Administrative Assistance for the Beverage Program — Web Designers — Many Shares on This Article!
Contact
You can find me — Jenny Meatballs aka Baby J aka Jenny Carrington on FB, Twitter, IG, YouTube, Spotify, and iTunes. WAME IG here.
For investment inquiries please email goldentriangleenterprises@gmail.com
For donation information please email freedom2fit@gmail.com
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY (especially Poppy); Aaron Westcott; Deb, Chris, Amanda, Preston, Kelly; Eric L. & ARC 38; Geni; Mr. Blaze; Liz Blake; Brandt Kindness and family; Nemo; Jayde Sunsburst and family; Josh & Rachel; Jon Lee Rucker & the PermaJam Fam; Stefanie & Gordon; Jehiah Bray; Zach Bruno; Chris White; Kingween & Firehaus Records; Jon Connors; Sterling Cleveland; Elizabeth Sequoria; Jamie & Marilyn Rickey; Vicki and Penny at Walden’s Restaurant; Dave & Cheryl; Jason Cohen; Tabitha Booth; Toby Israel; Rita Westvik; Richard Nelson; Mathieu Roberge; Mike Cruz; David and Mr. Thompson; Runhild; Camp Kesem; Children of Promise; Baltic Street AEH; Diane Frankel & Coupe Theatre Studio; Nicholas; All of our donors, trail angels, and tribe along the way!
This post was created by an amazing GREEN ZINE volunteer contributor, and opinions expressed may not represent the views of Greenpeace. If you are interested in volunteering as a GREEN ZINE contributor, visit this link.
