I attended the Bioneers conference in San Rafael a week ago, and what a breath of fresh air it was. Speaker after speaker shared information about the great challenges of our time, but they also talked about the solutions they and others were implementing. Whether it was Van Jones talking about promoting green collar jobs among disenfranchised and impoverished youth (and making us laugh throughout); or Jay Harman demonstrating his technologies, derived from the concept of biomimicry, that dramatically reduce fossil fuel use; or Eve Ensler regaling us with her successes in reducing violence toward women worldwide; or Majora Carter showing us her blighted South Bronx neighborhood transformed into a green space; or Ka Hsaw Wa and Katie Redford reporting their success at winning a lawsuit against Unocal, which sets a precedent that will eventually make human violations by corporations working overseas a thing of the past – there was so much good news.

The energy level of the thousands of attendees, especially of the engaged youth, was incredible, and a most welcome and hopeful sign of things to come. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and full of despair, visit Bioneers.org and get to know these efforts and people who are making a difference. Then join them!

We can create a peaceful, sustainable, humane world.

~ Zoe, IHE President

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