Facts: How much can carbon farming help? 🧑🌾 🌾| Feelings: Finding purpose between "What should we do?" + "What can I do?" 🎯 🌱 | Action: 1,000 hours outside! ☀️❄️
Jul 24·edited Jul 24Liked by Prof. Kimberly Nicholas
Aha, I do nothing since, where I live getting greener might be more resource intensive than how I live now. so no problem to solve about climate change from myside. Sitting down at the backyard with a cup of tea, prepared by fire wood in the kitchen that doesn't have any light produced at the cost of polluting atmosphere, but sorry I couldn't help burning firewood. Charging my laptop form a solar panel since we don't have access to electricity grid. But yeah I need to adopt myself to a changing climate since I am afraid of being flushed by floods, just like my cousins on the other side of the valley. Love form Pakistan. Izhar Kazmi.
First of all: Thank you for being you -- for showing up with your you-ness -- as a climate scientist, yes, and as a humanitarian and, dare I say, planetarian (not a misspelling). So many things have been making me think of you lately -- reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (a scientist-indigenous wisdom-activist song to our planet -- no idea why I'm just reading it now and not right when it came out but SO grateful for the messages it shares), the 1000 hours outside challenge, and really just your steadfast commitment to doing what it takes and showing up. I'm going to write a whole post about this soon. Also - love that your 1000 hours outside goal follows the retooled SMART goal acronym once described by my colleague Sam - Specific, Measurable, AMBITIOUS, Realistic, and Timebound. Way to make the A stand for ambitious.
Aww Becca thank you for this lovely note! Even though we are continents apart, it’s so nice to know we have many connections still braiding us together. And my goodness if reading Braiding Sweetgrass made you think of me … 🥹💗
I am inspired by your article! As a psychiatrist/farmer I am also skeptical of banking on tech solutions. Changing behavior takes changing attitudes which takes tuning into emotions & somatic awareness: supporting/encouraging folks to explore this stimulates creative interconnection.
Ooooh the 1,000 outside sounds delightful. My goal was to get outside more but after an illness filled January I haven’t done the best. Onwards and upwards I guess!
Oh no, sorry the year started with illness for you Isabelle. Please take care! When you’re feeling well you could start the 1,000 goal at any time. It might take more than 365 days to reach and that’s ok. :) My friend Paige adapted to aim for an intentional moment outside every day, I like that goal too! Be well ✨
Haha yes!! It’s satisfying to have a focus for something positive and not just be negative about the cold (very easy for me to slip into!). I got a brimmed winter hat on sale last summer and it makes me much happier to walk to work in cold/rain bc I hate when my glasses get fogged and wet and obscure my vision. It’s worth being as comfortable as possible to be able to get out and all kinds of weather (and ok to decide to stay cozy on the couch some days too of course). Happy walking Brandon!
It's easy to have 1,000 hours outside when you live in a small town in the mountains with huskies that need walking. Your ideas about achieving that in the city are really creative, carbon free, and enjoyable.
Mountains and dogs are very good motivation for outside time! 🗻❤️I’d love to have more mountains in my life - but also glad to be finding ways to be outside wherever I am, there are interesting plants and wildlife to see even in the busiest city. Thanks for the nice comment Jeannie!
Wonderful newsletter. I’m cultivating a wildlife garden with lots of native plants, including trees, and continuing to show how delicious and fun it can be to live a vegan and flight-free life. My new project is a graphic novel about a sustainable community, with many individual sustainability comics along the way. I hope this helps people envision and move towards low-carbon and kind lifestyles.
You're so right about getting outside for energy levels & even just feeling human! One thing I've really noticed since I've been returning to the office after Covid is that I really, really notice how I spent the whole entire day indoors there. Whereas when I work at home I can just walk out to the garden any time I want, and it's really wonderful. Plus I have to walk my dog over lunch or else he starts harrassing me (with stares and vibes). As a result I feel more like a 'real person' in my 'real body' breathing real air.
Yes!! It’s astonishing how easy it can be to have entirely indoor life be the default. 🧟 I’ve tried to fit in a lunch walk at work, even 10 minute makes a big difference!
1000 hours outside sounded crazy when I consider them to be exclusively in nature. But 1000 just outside of your house or work building, away from screen seems much easier to achieve. In addition, I am trying to de-train or de-condition myself from picking up the phone when I get a notification. I am trying to go back to my mid-90s lazy philosophy of not running to answer the phone (landline). If it is important, they will call again. Just that will decrease my screen time (I hope) a lot.
Oh I love the idea of resisting the phone pickup. I have few notifications on since I find them so disruptive. Maybe I need even fewer, or a practice of only checking my phone at certain times.
I agree, a broad definition of outside is welcome! I’ve been surprised how much I see from a porch or yard literally right next to the door— like a white tailed kite nesting in a friend’s yard yesterday.
I saw your #1000hoursoutside post over the holidays and was so glad to be reminded about this great initiative. Thank you! It’s been a fun way to bring attention to time outside, and the analogue tracking is a nice little ritual too. I’d figured 1000 hrs might be too ambitious so I’ve been colouring each tile as 30 min… but I hadn’t considered seasonal variation 🤔
Yay! Glad you’re finding fun ways to get outside and great that the analog coloring is working for you! I love the idea of adapting to what feels like the right level for you. Personally I feel more committed to the process than a specific number- maybe I’ll end up with 1000 half-hours and you’ll make it to 1000!! 😄
"What should we do? What would a society and a world who cared about climate stability, justice, people, and nature do?"
Consumers (individuals, organizations, businesses, governments) must promptly minimize their greenhouse gas emissions to bridge the gap while we work on long-term green technology and infrastructure. Less heating and less cooling (none between 13C-30C/55F-85F, https://greenbetween.home.blog). Less driving. Less flying. Less meat-eating. Less population growth (2 children max). Do it yourself. Tenaciously encourage others to do it.
Embrace the message and tenaciously introduce the message "business card" to all you encounter. (Print the business card 12 per 8.5x11 using a file from the Promote page of the website.)
Be a climate superhero - take it to the next level. Promote the message at local events. Files for posters available on the Promote page of the website.
I have a cow-calf beef farm. I do not use chemicals and the fertilizer is the manure. I grow only hay fields. What would be your solution to reduce the carbon?
Aha, I do nothing since, where I live getting greener might be more resource intensive than how I live now. so no problem to solve about climate change from myside. Sitting down at the backyard with a cup of tea, prepared by fire wood in the kitchen that doesn't have any light produced at the cost of polluting atmosphere, but sorry I couldn't help burning firewood. Charging my laptop form a solar panel since we don't have access to electricity grid. But yeah I need to adopt myself to a changing climate since I am afraid of being flushed by floods, just like my cousins on the other side of the valley. Love form Pakistan. Izhar Kazmi.
Yet another great article. Thanks for all the insights and love the 1000 hours outside challenge!
Do you also know some studies about regenerative seaweed farming?
Thanks Agnes! Hm, I haven’t looked at seaweed studies, sorry!
First of all: Thank you for being you -- for showing up with your you-ness -- as a climate scientist, yes, and as a humanitarian and, dare I say, planetarian (not a misspelling). So many things have been making me think of you lately -- reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (a scientist-indigenous wisdom-activist song to our planet -- no idea why I'm just reading it now and not right when it came out but SO grateful for the messages it shares), the 1000 hours outside challenge, and really just your steadfast commitment to doing what it takes and showing up. I'm going to write a whole post about this soon. Also - love that your 1000 hours outside goal follows the retooled SMART goal acronym once described by my colleague Sam - Specific, Measurable, AMBITIOUS, Realistic, and Timebound. Way to make the A stand for ambitious.
Aww Becca thank you for this lovely note! Even though we are continents apart, it’s so nice to know we have many connections still braiding us together. And my goodness if reading Braiding Sweetgrass made you think of me … 🥹💗
I am inspired by your article! As a psychiatrist/farmer I am also skeptical of banking on tech solutions. Changing behavior takes changing attitudes which takes tuning into emotions & somatic awareness: supporting/encouraging folks to explore this stimulates creative interconnection.
"Dungbeetle" Dick Kirk
So beautifully said, Dick! Thank you for connecting behaviour, attitudes, emotions and the body. 💚
Ooooh the 1,000 outside sounds delightful. My goal was to get outside more but after an illness filled January I haven’t done the best. Onwards and upwards I guess!
Oh no, sorry the year started with illness for you Isabelle. Please take care! When you’re feeling well you could start the 1,000 goal at any time. It might take more than 365 days to reach and that’s ok. :) My friend Paige adapted to aim for an intentional moment outside every day, I like that goal too! Be well ✨
I love this 1,000 hours outside idea! It will give more purpose to my cold walks to work, lol.
Haha yes!! It’s satisfying to have a focus for something positive and not just be negative about the cold (very easy for me to slip into!). I got a brimmed winter hat on sale last summer and it makes me much happier to walk to work in cold/rain bc I hate when my glasses get fogged and wet and obscure my vision. It’s worth being as comfortable as possible to be able to get out and all kinds of weather (and ok to decide to stay cozy on the couch some days too of course). Happy walking Brandon!
It's easy to have 1,000 hours outside when you live in a small town in the mountains with huskies that need walking. Your ideas about achieving that in the city are really creative, carbon free, and enjoyable.
Mountains and dogs are very good motivation for outside time! 🗻❤️I’d love to have more mountains in my life - but also glad to be finding ways to be outside wherever I am, there are interesting plants and wildlife to see even in the busiest city. Thanks for the nice comment Jeannie!
Wonderful newsletter. I’m cultivating a wildlife garden with lots of native plants, including trees, and continuing to show how delicious and fun it can be to live a vegan and flight-free life. My new project is a graphic novel about a sustainable community, with many individual sustainability comics along the way. I hope this helps people envision and move towards low-carbon and kind lifestyles.
Oh that garden sounds like heaven Linda! And exciting to hear about your graphic novel underway! Where can I find your comics??
You're so right about getting outside for energy levels & even just feeling human! One thing I've really noticed since I've been returning to the office after Covid is that I really, really notice how I spent the whole entire day indoors there. Whereas when I work at home I can just walk out to the garden any time I want, and it's really wonderful. Plus I have to walk my dog over lunch or else he starts harrassing me (with stares and vibes). As a result I feel more like a 'real person' in my 'real body' breathing real air.
Yes!! It’s astonishing how easy it can be to have entirely indoor life be the default. 🧟 I’ve tried to fit in a lunch walk at work, even 10 minute makes a big difference!
You really feel the difference
1000 hours outside sounded crazy when I consider them to be exclusively in nature. But 1000 just outside of your house or work building, away from screen seems much easier to achieve. In addition, I am trying to de-train or de-condition myself from picking up the phone when I get a notification. I am trying to go back to my mid-90s lazy philosophy of not running to answer the phone (landline). If it is important, they will call again. Just that will decrease my screen time (I hope) a lot.
Oh I love the idea of resisting the phone pickup. I have few notifications on since I find them so disruptive. Maybe I need even fewer, or a practice of only checking my phone at certain times.
I agree, a broad definition of outside is welcome! I’ve been surprised how much I see from a porch or yard literally right next to the door— like a white tailed kite nesting in a friend’s yard yesterday.
I saw your #1000hoursoutside post over the holidays and was so glad to be reminded about this great initiative. Thank you! It’s been a fun way to bring attention to time outside, and the analogue tracking is a nice little ritual too. I’d figured 1000 hrs might be too ambitious so I’ve been colouring each tile as 30 min… but I hadn’t considered seasonal variation 🤔
Yay! Glad you’re finding fun ways to get outside and great that the analog coloring is working for you! I love the idea of adapting to what feels like the right level for you. Personally I feel more committed to the process than a specific number- maybe I’ll end up with 1000 half-hours and you’ll make it to 1000!! 😄
"What should we do? What would a society and a world who cared about climate stability, justice, people, and nature do?"
Consumers (individuals, organizations, businesses, governments) must promptly minimize their greenhouse gas emissions to bridge the gap while we work on long-term green technology and infrastructure. Less heating and less cooling (none between 13C-30C/55F-85F, https://greenbetween.home.blog). Less driving. Less flying. Less meat-eating. Less population growth (2 children max). Do it yourself. Tenaciously encourage others to do it.
Embrace the message and tenaciously introduce the message "business card" to all you encounter. (Print the business card 12 per 8.5x11 using a file from the Promote page of the website.)
Be a climate superhero - take it to the next level. Promote the message at local events. Files for posters available on the Promote page of the website.
I have a cow-calf beef farm. I do not use chemicals and the fertilizer is the manure. I grow only hay fields. What would be your solution to reduce the carbon?