The Medium & The Message
Greetings!
I’m writing to you on an early spring day where the traces of New York’s most recent episode of winter snow have now been reduced to absurdist, blackened tulip-hugging ice sculptures. Meanwhile at home, our moth roommates are all a-flutter in anticipation of the winter clothing we’re about to feed them—I MEAN—tuck away for a while. Exciting times, at least for tulips and moths. I have a few other things to share that I’m kind of excited about.
Medium As Message
I like feedback, particularly the kind that loops into other feedback to evolve new thinking. For this reason, I’m now using Medium as a place to spread my writer’s wings. Medium is a free and open platform where anyone can share stories. You can highlight text, tweet quotes, “recommend” pieces (like “liking” on Facebook), and—my favorite feature—you can add comments quite easily. There are endless topics and myriad writers to follow. Which leads me to…
…Solar System Redux
A few weeks back I shared ideas in this newsletter under the heading of, “Rearranging Solar Systems—And Other To-Do’s” I got a lot of feedback (thank you!) which kept rattling and rearranging itself in my mind. I have published a new version of my solar system piece, now with updated information and richer photography than this newsletter format permits, all of which I hope will challenge entrenched mindsets further. (Teaser: What does that photo of cows and fields mean to you?). If you have a point of view—even a sharply opposing one, two or three—don’t be shy. My belief is that if a single shared idea shapes one new positive action, it was well worth sharing.
Speaking Of Positive Actions
I am very excited to be invited to speak at the upcoming Sustainable Brands conference in Detroit (May 22-25), an event that features many companies who seek to prosper in the near and long by, per Sustainable Brands’ mission, “leading the way to a sustainably abundant future.” I will be presenting on behalf of Volans, with whom I have had the pleasure of collaborating a great deal in recent months. If you are in the field of sustainable development, consider attending this event. If you are not, but you know someone who is, consider sending notice of this event their way. It offers quite a convergence of provocative thought, and this year as they relaunch in a city that is focused on regeneration, it is likely to be an amazing experience. Let me know if you’ll be there!
Where The Trees… In the Northern Hemisphere the next few weeks will be an important time for tree planting, and this is the time, if ever, when supporting and enabling the urban canopy and biodiversity can significantly contribute to reversing climate change. If you are looking for inspiration and ideas in this vein to bring to your city or to others around the world, have a look at this fascinating interactive set of urban tree maps from the World Economic Forum.
That’s it for now. Happy Spring (to you Northern Hemispherians, anyway)! Thanks for reading and sharing in the conversation.
Yours in connectedness, Lorraine
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This piece first appeared as an emailed newsletter in March 2017. To sign up to receive my newsletters, click here.
Banner photo: Cattle grazing in Wales. (Lorraine Smith / 2015)