IMAGINE MAGAZINE FALL 2016 Peace and the Environment | Page 8

Personal journey

The Spiritual Work of Climate Advocacy

By Claire Elliott Herrick

I t was after 9:00 p . m ., almost bedtime on a Thursday night in September 2014 . Heading home from an exhausting three-hour workshop in a dank downtown library meeting room , I beamed with an energy and hope I thought I ’ d never know . Climate change was an overwhelming , foregone conclusion — and there was a solution , a best first step . The problem was global and one person ’ s actions futile , and there was something I could do tonight , tomorrow , next week that would bring effective change .

Our political system was corrupt and owned by the fossil fuel lobby , and humble volunteers were making inroads . I was heartsick from years of reviling those who profit off the planet , and here was a way to
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