Ethan and Sirita are 20somethings already leading the way. They're founders of GrowFood.org. Check them out and see how local farming can help get where we need to go. We featured them in "Live It!" a film sponsored by Washington Environmental Council.
Hugged a 20something lately? They need us behind them. They’re the Warmest Generation – first to face climate change for a lifetime, and coming of age in a world covered with political hot spots.
They’re the ones who can most change the direction of the future. And the sooner they lead, the better.
This might be tough medicine for boomers. We’ve spent a lifetime believing we’re awfully special. But reality is, the new generation has been incubated in the age of the internet and it’s wired differently. Capacity to access and process information and create collaborative, inventive solutions is their gig.
We can help them cut corners by showing where we made progress, where we tanked and why. Maybe buttress their sense of hope by walking the talk and deeply investing our time and energy in their leadership, our respect for their ability. And the necessity of their strong vision for our mutual survival.
A lot of smart folks say the planet’s in a tailspin. You think so? Human innovation keeps giving me reasons to reject the worst of the gloom and doom. But with a caveat. After 25 years of research and behavioral change campaigns, I believe it’s likely that most people my age are hardwired with too much fear, bias and stubborn pride to lead us where we need to go.
We can’t be young again. But we could be Yoda.
Kurt Guenther is the Founder and CEO of Guenther Media
