One woman's response to the threat of global environmental issues.
"On a global level,” writes Pipher (Seeking Peace: Chronicles of the Worst Buddhist in the World, 2010, etc.), “almost all major systems are breaking down." These issues include "global climate change, drought and famine, overpopulation, diminishing resources, peak oil, the sixth great extinction of species, financial panic, and the specter of war." But instead of feeling as if "we are in over our heads," writes the author, we can become proactive and take small steps that do make a difference. With compassion, Pipher demonstrates this with her personal and rousing fight against TransCanada and the Keystone XL oil pipeline. Sickened by the idea that this environmentally unsound conduit would pass through her childhood stomping grounds and potentially damage the Ogallala Aquifer, the source of water for 40 percent of the United States, the author turned her anger and despair into activism. She gathered friends for informal meetings held in her home, which grew into rallies on the steps of the Nebraska state capitol building, with hundreds in attendance. Festivals brought together different ethnic groups and put rednecks side by side with landowners and "big beef packers," all with the common goal of doing something to stop a situation governed more by money than common sense. Although the pipeline is still under consideration, Pipher's involvement gained her a sense of accomplishment and community. By following her tactics, readers can turn their own angst regarding global issues into simple, direct actions, which, combined with those of their neighbors, will make a difference, both in themselves and in the world.
A therapeutic analysis of global crises and enthusiastic ideas on how to implement changes.