Over the course of my professional career, I have observed several protest events. The Global Climate Strike on September 20th marked my first experience as an active, marching, sign-holding protest participant. When I confessed this to one of my colleagues in the NYC office, she rightly asked the question: What took you so long? Good question. Let’s just say that it was an amazing way to cap my fourth week of employment with EDF!The day before the Climate Strike, I had a brief meet and greet with EDF President Fred Krupp in the New York office. His message to me was a distillation of everything I had absorbed during my first few weeks, namely, that what we do is “in service to changing the world.” These words resonated with me as I joined tens of thousands of environmental allies marching toward Foley Square and onward to Battery Park. Bearing witness to the anger, the fear, and the hope expressed by those marching alongside me was stirring. Knowing that EDF works tirelessly to address urgent environmental issues, and that I am now a part of these efforts, is affirming.Protesting in unity with the world’s youth as they lead the climate crusade for environmental justice, policies that protect our planet, and effective leadership was an honor and was the least that I could do. I can’t wait for the next one!
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Aside from striking for the climate, 1st World green citizens should engage in world-scale climate action thru the corporate profit motive. Here’s the vision: 1st World green citizens in their millions persuade their contact companies to form high-profit green joint ventures with companies and co-ops in the tropics. Projects for the Philippines as modeling country: Ethanol distilleries fed by sweet sorghum farms (yields 50% profit). Thousand-hectare agroforests with export oriented processing factories. Mini hydropower nets. Geothermal plants. Agroforest methane digesters and E85 engines for power generation. E85 and electric transports. All-electric metal works. Agroforest toll roads and water supply, etc. The world’s hundred-billion dollar Green Funds should eagerly finance 75% of project costs due to sure repayment plus interest income incident to the projects’ high profitability. Expanded all over the tropics, such projects should sequester atmospheric CO2 at billion-ton levels yearly while employing millions of 3rd World poor and creating massive new markets for all involved companies. People power can save the world!