Women caring Earth
A greener life is possible. Today we present a group of women working in certain environmental issues for a better world. Do you want to know who they are and how to echo her mission?
Words music Grandmother Margarita -sarabia grandmothers Council member- representing the ancient wisdom of the earth and resonate strongly in these days when the planet suffers and cries carelessness. Since ancient times, indigenous people live earth as protagonist and motor of their lives. With the advent of the modern world, for some reason, humanity lost that natural contact with the call Pacha Mama. Today, the loss of that contact has caused consequences and a negative impact on the life of the planet. Who knew how to keep that biological connection to life, especially by the fact that mothers have been particularly women. But they were also the ones who, for centuries, had no voice. Today, the situation is changing and are becoming more female voices, in addition to ruling and call the awareness of all, enter the decision-making bodies.
«Since I’m a grandmother, I see things from a different perspective and I fear that tomorrow my grandchildren will ask me, ‘What did you do when you could have done something for the planet? Why your generation failed?’. We can not afford that future generations get to ask that question», Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario, the Climate Summit of the Americas in Toronto, Canada, says excited and worried at the same time weeks ago. Wynne’s approach is not accidental. Her approach on the need to do something against the damage we are causing to nature goes beyond its role as a government representative, and finds its basis in reality as grandmother and her daily concerns as a woman.
«The feminine nature is closely connected with the Earth», says in that other corner of the world another mom, Angie Ferrazzini, alma mater of Sabe la Tierra in relation to the differential relationship that women have with the creation of life from menstrual cycle and the ability to give birth. In that innate feeling for childcare and think about their future, she shows a greater awareness of respect and care for nature. «We must learn to run us knowledge and listen to Earth because she gives us signs. We have to learn how each can promote change; how we look today for generations to come», adds Ferrazzini, whose daily work on sustainable entrepreneurial world has allowed her to understand that women are the ones who deal with caring for and preserving life.
In this sense, the book «Hot, rich and green: the secret formula that women are used to being rich and saving the planet», by film producer, artist and environmental activist Rebecca Harrell Tickell also provides a different view of the role of women in relation to sustainable development, based on the cases of success and failure of entrepreneurs who knew how to combine daily life with a look in harmony with the Earth.
But of course not only women speak out these days. There are also men, some of them very powerful, in a good way, for its effectiveness in transmitting messages. «What is happening in the world presents us with the urgency of advancing a bold cultural revolution without fear, and hoping to promote a global awareness», said Pope Francis himself in his encyclical Laudato SI’, last May. It is no coincidence that for the first time a pope write an encyclical to ecology as a central concern. Not incidentally, it points to politicians for the lack of joint action in pursuit of personal interests, and businesses in their own enrichment at the expense of nature. It is no coincidence that today speak louder in the world, of sustainability.
Sustainable living under threat
Through a capitalist system of production based on the exploitation of natural resources and governed by a hyper planned obsolescence, mankind has generated damage on the planet increases and whose impacts are evident worldwide. Even today, if we had everyone in the standard of living of an average American citizen we would need almost four planets to live. More intense and frequent rainfall, natural phenomena in places where they were previously unavailable, species extinction, pollution; are all signs of the most challenging problems of this century: climate change. In December, the Conference of the Parties (cop21) in Paris, the world’s political leaders will sign an agreement to deal with the problem. The gender issue will not go unnoticed at all that day.
The women belong to groups most vulnerable to climate change. In the city, women are affected in situations of flooding and other weather phenomena. In rural areas, the situation is more serious. Denise Fontanilla, activist of Asian Movement on Debt and Development, exemplifies the situation in her hometown, Philippines: «Women who work in food production and agriculture are most dependent on natural resources and, therefore, they are most affected to climate disasters.»
However, vulnerability and adverse situations do not take away a woman’s chance of being protagonist from the action. In some cases, rather the drive to seek solutions and improvements to their community. Abby Rubinson, environmental specialist of the organization Earth Justice, says: «Let us be considered a vulnerable group does not mean we can not do anything. It is necessary that our voices are heard when decisions on climate summits are taken. Decisions are usually taken by men. Women have a different perspective on health, education, reproduction, the planet; we have no personal experience to think about these issues». Meanwhile, Renee Karunungan, director of Dakila, an organization that defends human rights, is emphatic about it: «Men can not decide for us to climate change. As women, we have a different intuition and even more when it comes to issues of nature».
It is in our hands the ability (and responsibility) to begin to reverse this situation, to bring about change, to adopt a more sustainable way of life.
Women with ecological spirit
«No matter what the platform, if you read a newspaper, a blog or a magazine; try to find information on sustainability. If you are informed, you can always do something», recommends Rubinson.
One of the places to look for information is the labioguia.com platform, trying to raise awareness of sustainability in all its forms. «It is not only the environment but a change of 180 degrees in all aspects of life. The important thing is to emphasize empowerment,», told Sophia Olivia Estragó, director of the initiative, and emphasized the importance of buying products from companies that care for the environment, treat their employees well and can be linked positively with their neighboring communities. Notably, more than 70% of the readers of La Bioguía are women between 25 and 54 years. Estragó analyzes these figures: «There is no doubt that women are more empathetic to the issues of sustainability in the search for concrete action to positively impact the world».
Mercedes Esperon, representative of the Biosphere Foundation, sums up this look at some practical advice: «You can do a lot in day to day to not opt for plastic bags, buy locally produced food, mobilize public transportation or bicycle to reduce emissions carbon, separate and recycle waste, to teach children to make a garden or choose biodegradable cosmetic articles». Meanwhile, Ferrazzini advises: «Stop being a woman emerge in doing, and go back the way of being and not of having. In a context of exacerbated consumerism, put limits on our children and ourselves when it comes to eating».
History has shown that women were the ones who promoted changes towards Earth and who now lead from the social, private and political spheres the way to a more sustainable life style. When thinking together in a «common future» and as summarized Pope Francis more recently in the theme of his encyclical, make an effort in every family, neighborhood, school or institution to keep track of a single day caring for our common home, the planet Earth, or what is the same, care for life.
