One of my good friends, Bill Barron, has dedicated his life to climate activism. I’ve done a few projects with Bill over the years. Well, a lot of projects, if you take into account drinking IPAs. My time with Bill is tinged with a kind of discomfort. I dabble. He is committed. And his commitment is daunting.
Bill is a Vermonter. He was a full-time patroller at Alta for four years and patrolled there part-time for two additional decades. He had a stint as the Alta town Marshall too. He is a quiet guy, uncomfortable with public speaking or, frankly, conversational speaking. Which makes his activism all the more heroic. He speaks to groups, individuals, and politicians, many of whom are very much opposed to his perspective, and doing so draws him way outside his comfort zone. He ran for Congress three times. As a “Network Director,” Bill is pretty high up at the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, where he has volunteered and worked since 2010. The Citizens’ Climate Lobby is exactly what it sounds like—citizens lobbying our political systems on climate change solutions. His job is all about communication and relationship building. A few years back, he and I took a trip around rural Utah to talk and mostly to listen to folks in rural communities about how they see and experience the changing climate. It did get uncomfortable. Sometimes I could hardly stand it. Bill rode his bike from town to town. I supported him in my van (may it rest in peace) and filmed the whole thing. You can see that 15min film here if you like:
Bill keeps it calm and cool and seeks opportunities to find common ground. Which, inevitably, he is able to do. In fact, the deeper into farming and ranching communities you go, the harder these climate impacts are hitting. The messaging around what is happening may not connect, but the impacts of what is happening are not and cannot be denied.
This winter is one winter. And certainly, some more snow will fall. But this record-setting low-snow winter fits into a pattern of a change for the worse that we are largely responsible for and entirely responsible for reversing. Not individually, but on a global-systems level. It isn’t really about turning out the lights at home. Rather, it is about turning on the people in power to bigger solutions. It is not a lost cause. In fact, it is a cause we can’t lose.
Of course, we all just want to get on with living our lives. It is an incredible privilege for that to even be an option at this point. Sadly, I signal no personal virtue here. While we all have a limit on what we can do, most of us can do more. We can do more that aligns with our personal morals and ethics. We can all be more virtuous in ways that make sense to us and fit our lives, and can help swing the boat on climate. I am certainly not exempt from that. But I am a big enough hypocritical, a-hole to point it out.
These days where media and especially social media bombards us with real and perceived threats non-stop. Our initial reaction is often to be on defense. The enormity of issues leads us either to disengage or be drawn into the us-vs-them political fray. In this space, there is no room for curiosity or taking on challenging, scary ground. I more than get it. When I see protesters getting tear-gassed or shot, I shrink in shame at the cowardice that keeps me home and the excuses I make for it. When I compare myself to the courage and efforts of Bill Barron, let alone someone like MLK, the comparison is not flattering. Bill rode his bike. I drove the van. Bill walked the talk. I held the camera.
That we can do more and do better is not something to hide from.
Don’t look away, there is nothing but good news here. There are role models, social groups to join, lone actions to take, and something positive to do at any and every level. From letters to conversations to joining and supporting organizations to personal actions, we can be more engaged in the making of our world. And though it will take effort and likely pain, the process offers a deep level of meaning.
This is something Bill knows. Something you can hear in MLK’s speeches. There is a joyful, even playful genius in his words and delivery. That is at least one way they are so inspiring. Doing and speaking what your heart is telling you is right, even when it is really challenging, especially in the service of others, especially doing it as a part of a team, is perhaps the most rewarding activity available to us as human beings. This is where deep and lasting happiness can be found.
We don’t have to quit skiing. Yet. We don’t have to eat nothing but dandelions and grasshoppers. Yet. But we get to do the work to curtail that potential outcome now. It is a fine line between paranoia and preparation. But it is not a fine line between total inaction and participating in solutions.
A lot is at stake. For everyone. The contributions we can make as individuals are part of a collective effort. The weight is shared. Which does mean we need to carry some of it. But also means we shouldn’t feel the entirety of it. Interestingly, picking up a piece that we can carry helps us put down what we cannot. We all have a role in this. One way or the other. The effort itself is what is important. The doing is where the relief and bliss reside. As uphill skiers and riders, we understand this. Collective effort is our game. There is effort in the ascent, struggle, and even pain. That is how you get to the fresh snow, the steep lines, sure. But truly, it is engaging in the whole process, the planning, the work, the trust, the ascent, and the descent with your partners that is most meaningful. Sometimes you get powder. Sometimes you don’t. But every time you get the camaraderie and satisfaction of shared adventure.
The difference with something like climate activism is that you are more obviously working for our collective good. Yes, skiing adds joy to our lives, but I’m not too sure how far that joy really trickles outward. With climate work or any kind of volunteering, the effects are more widespread. And though there is always some level of discomfort and sacrifice, the return is more deeply satisfying than the effort is uncomfortable.
Let me signal some virtue in your direction. Not my own. But Bill’s. Bill believes in something so strongly that he has dedicated his life to it. He is an inspiration to many people. Bill is a hero of mine for the sacrifices he makes. And also, his life is all the richer for those sacrifices. I aim to follow his lead. And yeah. Call me what you want. I aim to inspire you to do the same.
To get involved:
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