It has been a week since I pedaled into Tallahassee after 8 days of bikepacking along the Gulf Coast and through the Florida panhandle. I am still reflecting deeply on the experience.
I flew to New Orleans excited to talk to folks along the route about how climate change was impacting their lives. Instead, I experienced days full of stark contrasts. I cycled through beautiful vistas offset by shoulders and ditches full of dumped debris. I marveled at houses on stilts, built two stories in the air to adapt to storm surges and flooding, and saw more styrofoam and single-use plastics than I have seen in years. I stood on a dune preservation project on a barrier island and looked out at the natural gas drilling platforms peppering the gulf waters. I felt my legs grow stronger as I tackled the rolling hills of the panhandle, only to spend 45 minutes on a gas station bench recuperating from heat exhaustion after the thermometer hit 103 degrees F. I rode past hurricane evacuation route signs every day and witnessed enormous disparities of wealth – huge mansions looking out over the coast and dilapidated trailers on back roads – that left me wondering who actually has the resources to evacuate.
And I found lots of folks – gas station attendants, servers in restaurants, motel clerks, full-time campground residents, Warm Showers Network hosts – who could tell stories about their experiences with severe storms, hurricanes, and flooding, but not a single one was connecting that experience to climate change. Literally, the tone of the conversation shifted when I mentioned climate change.
I learned again that a bicycle laden with panniers, packs, and gear is a welcome sign, an invitation to come on over and have a conversation. So many people approached us, curious to know where we were from, where we had ridden from, and where we were headed. So many people expressed wishing they could do something like this too. So many people wished us well, ‘You’all be safe out there!’. Southern hospitality and kindness is real.
I have been thinking about change, about social change, and how much more effective activation is in the context of a trusted relationship. If I had had the time and space to continue to engage with each of those individuals, would we have gotten to a place where we could talk honestly about climate change? I’d like to think so.
As usual, I feel called to find balance. Balance between the urgency of the climate crisis and the time it takes to build relationships and bring new people into our movement to save the planet. I turn to the wisdom of the Zapatistas:
“We walk to make the road better, we must listen as we walk, and we must walk at the pace of the slowest”
We have work to do, my friends. I am even more committed to the importance of our mission and our work here at Climate Generation, and convinced it will take all of us. We need your support to build awareness, dispel disinformation, and help individuals and communities find a path to climate action. Make a gift today to support climate change education and action!
Susan Phillips
Executive Director
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