It's been a tough time in my neck of the woods here in Chapel Hill, NC. We lost a dear neighbor, Ralph, unexpectedly. Ralph was the kind of guy who left the keys in his truck so neighbors could use it when they needed to haul stuff off. He was dependable, thoughtful, and kind.
Another neighbor, a local minister, had to put his dog down due to old age. Most of us dog owners consider our dogs family members and putting them down is HARD. đ
In response to both losses, I baked brownies. Words are hard when people we care about are in pain. "I'm sorry for you loss" can feel trite when we want to convey so much more. Fortunately chocolate and sugar, on the other hand, speak their own universal love language.â¤ď¸
To support Ralph's widow, I'll be asking her to go on walks once she makes it through this intense grieving time. And, I will invite other neighbors to join us because life is better with friends.
In the "good news" column: a couple in the neighborhood, known for hosting incredible dinners, has started hanging a flag outside their house to signal which region of the world the next menu will feature. This time it is a United Nations flag đşđł, (last time it was Greece.đŹđˇ) There are some people you are just lucky to know, and my neighbors are those people.
Neighborhoods are micro-communities, and we all bring unique gifts to the collective. Ralph brought his truck; our minister takes care of his flock; I bake brownies, show up to parties (my favorite), and organize walks. Investing in neighbors is investing in the world at large.
Not all contributions are in the immediate neighborhoodâbelow you will learn about Andrew Otazo, who collected 17 tons of trash from the Florida mangroves. Whether itâs a plate of brownies or 34,000 pounds of litter, it all counts.
We Have the Power to Change It ALL
Imagine, for a second, that weâve put a frog in a luxury terrarium. Nature, in its own mystical, magical way has created a perfect environment for the frogâwho we will call Hopperâto thrive. đ¸
Then, let's say weâve decided to pipe in SUV exhaust and swap the pond water for a chemical cocktail rich in runoff and toxins. Naturally, Hopper gets the sniffles, the flies he eats get a glow-in-the-dark upgrade, and the local hawk is wondering why its dinner tastes like a refinery. đŚ To top it off, the whole terrarium is heating up like a forgotten tuna melt sitting on your front seat on a hot summer day, leaving Hopper sweltering and unable to escape this plight.
This is the choice lawmakers made when they recently voted for the Big Beautiful Bill. The bill is most impressive, in a supervillainy kind of way. Corporations donât just get to poison the collective well with the rollback in regulations; citizens also bear the cost of the poisoning. (Yes, you read that correctly)
According to the Bipartisan Policy Center "The One Big Beautiful Bill Act will cost $3.4 trillion over the next 10 years, and more than $4 trillion when accounting for additional interest owed on the national debt." These aren't left wing radicals making these outlandish claims; these are bipartisan policy wonks scratching their heads in confusion as to why anyone would support this kind of action. But money aside, letâs talk about the real-world impact.
We are watching the environment continue to be degraded while people choose to ignore what is happening. My guess is it feels too big. Yet, from the unprecendented rising of sea levels, to our actions heating up the planet twice as fast as we thought, the planet is screaming "HELP".
The most frustrating part to me in all of this is that we have the power to change it. And, it's actually not that difficult.
There is a much better way. Really.
3 Things You Can Do
Here is the awesome thing about humans: we are significantly more resourceful than Hopper. Weâve done the "clean" thing beforeâlest we forget, the Clean Air Act was a Nixon-era win. If Nixon could do it then, Lord knows, we can absolutely do it now.
Here are some small things you can do:
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Be like Andrew Otazo: (see podcast below) This absolute legend has hauled 17 tons of trash out of Floridaâs mangroves. One guy, 34,000 pounds of garbage just because. Imagine what happens if we all just pick up a bucket or commit to saving the local pond, or finding homes for unwanted elephants.
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Make an Impact with Lifestyle: The market is a giant mirror. If we buy organic, the pesticides lose their job. If we ride bikes and buy less "stuff," the carbon footprint gets a much-needed diet. Even cutting out meat for a meal or two has a great positive environmental impact and lowers the greenhouse gases.
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Go Micro-Political: National politics is like watching a screaming match in a hurricane, with both sides checking over their shoulders to make sure corporations are still writing checks. But the local level? Thatâs where you can actually look a lawmaker in the eye and ask, 'Why is the creek purple, Bob?' or proactively get bike lanes added to roads around your city.
By taking these steps, weâre investing in a massive planetary turnaround. Hopperâs terrarium is a bit foggy right now, but itâs resilient and that's the beauty of the earth - it's self healing if not interupted. â¤ď¸
If you're tired to the same old political bickering, join me March 30th from 6-8 in Cameron Village in Raleigh to envision a new world.
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Let's talk about Andrew Otazo. He's been cleaning up the Florida Mangroves for nearly 10 years. On his own. Not getting paid. Just because he wants to.
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I had the privledge of interviewing Andrew for my WTPR podcast. Click above to watch the video or here if you want to listen to the audio version.
The world needs more leaders. In other words, it needs you. Having confidence in your ability to lead others is huge. Confidence, in part, comes from knowledge. This is a course I put together that unpacks how culture is created and how to impact change. Creating culture is useful not just on a large scale but also for creating the culture of your home. The cost is $9.99.
Thank you! If you have any thoughts or questions please email me at info@wethepeoplerise.
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