Paul Hawken: Regeneration – Making Life the Center of Every Action and Decision

Welcome back to the We Rise podcast! We are delighted to share this conversation with Paul Hawken with you. Paul has been influential in Christine's own work, both personally and professionally, for over two decades. In this inspiring and encouraging episode–the first in a two part series–Christine and Paul talk about the importance of work at the collective level, listening, and connecting with ourselves, as well as nature.  Paul Hawken is an environmentalist, entrepreneur, author and activist who has dedicated his life to environmental sustainability and changing the relationship between business and the environment. He is one of the environmental movement's leading voices, and a pioneering architect of corporate reform with respect to ecological practices. Paul has started several ecological businesses, writes about nature and commerce, and consults with heads of state and CEOs on climatic, economic, and ecological regeneration. He has appeared on numerous media including the Today Show, Talk of the Nation, CBS This Morning and others, and his work has been profiled or featured in hundreds of articles including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, and Forbes. He has written nine books including six national and New York Times bestsellers: Growing a Business, The Next Economy, The Ecology of Commerce, Blessed Unrest, Drawdown, and Regeneration.  He is published in 30 languages and his books are available in over 90 countries. His latest book, Regeneration, Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation, was published in 2021, which is his sequel to Drawdown. He is the founder of both Project Drawdown and Project Regeneration (regeneration.org). Project Regeneration is the world's largest, most complete listing and network of solutions to the climate crisis. Join us as they dive into regeneration, collectively reimagining the future we want to see, and working to make it happen, together.  Paul says, "The heart of regeneration is to make life the center of every action and decision."  He sees this as a key to bringing us back to the beauty of life, and helping transform and regenerate the world we live in. As our world struggles with the climate crisis, Paul offers insight, wisdom, and leadership paired with resources for deep, meaningful change. In part one of our conversation, Paul shares the challenges that we face in making real change happen, including not othering or blaming people. He is not here to "change people's minds", but to offer information and create space for them to draw their own conclusions. His words are fueled with compassion and understanding for humankind and the earth. LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED Learn more about the incredible work of Project Drawdown and Regeneration, both founded by Paul Hawken, aiming to restore the climate in powerful ways. Discover how YOU can take action now with Nexus, a comprehensive plan outlining the challenges and solutions to end climate change in one generation. You can also reach out directly at [email protected].  Get your copy of Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming and Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation for more powerful wisdom and insight from Paul! The Yes! We Rise podcast is produced by Dialogue + Design Associates, Podcasting For Creatives, with music by Drishti Beats. Follow the We Rise podcast on Facebook and Instagram. Please rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast so we can continue spreading our message far and wide. Find our email list at the website: www.yeswerise.org. Thanks for listening. The Yes! We Rise podcast features solutions-seekers, change-makers, and those creating a resilient future. We share stories and strategies to inspire action to build collective resilience and community transformation. To create change, people need to feel like they belong and that they are part of a growing movement. They need to know their voice matters and that they have the inspiration, agency and ability to transform their lives and their communities. They are the key to a resilient future.     From the Navajo Nation to the mountains of Appalachia, incredible work is being done by community members and leaders. Change is often sparked by inspiration: seeing what others have done, especially in similar situations and places. People see that when someone looks like them or lives in a place like theirs, and has created real, true and lasting change, change that will allow their granddaughters and grandsons to thrive — they begin to imagine what might be possible for them.  No longer waiting for someone else to come and save them, they realize they are the ones they have been waiting for.  But what creates that spark? What creates that inspiration?  Learning through stories and examples, feeling a sense of agency and belonging, and getting fired up to kick ass creates that spark.  We Rise helps community leaders and members learn to forge a new path toward creating resilience and true transformation. One person at a time, one community at a time, one region at a time, the quilt of transformation can grow piece by piece until resilience becomes the norm instead of the exception. Together, we rise.