What Happens When People Show Up
The newsletter for professionals cautiously approaching the discussion about climate, but pretty sure they should.
Issue Number : 5
Time for reflection – something we rarely have enough of, it seems. But, this Thursday I felt compelled to reflect after a big push to pull off our recent event, The Indiana Climate Summit. I almost titled this: Oh my Gosh, they showed up! But, I had more confidence going into Tuesday’s first-ever Indiana Climate Summit than that, I really did.
Bringing people together to talk about a topic that many really don’t want to discuss was an interesting experience. As we built out this event over the last several months, I’ll admit, I had as many people tell me why they would not be there, as those who planned to attend. A lot of people also gave me their "if only’s." I heard many, "if only you would ____ I’d be there."
If only you:
Would change the name
Take the word climate out
Tell them/publish who else was registered
Send them a list of who else had registered
And, (no kidding!), register them but not give them a name tag
Wow – I never endeavored to run a secret society! Our goal is an inclusive dialogue, not siloed conversation among people who are already friends. We’ll keep at it.
This event went well, our speakers provided powerhouse content and I’m proud of the many folks that were ready to step into leadership. We had individuals and organizations attend that had previously said they weren’t interested, which I think is telling and shows how this issue requires a bit of courage to address. You see, no one wants to be accused of "greenwashing" or "getting it wrong." Because of that, many people avoid something they should deal with, and honestly, that’s understandable. I’m hopeful that the more conversations we have the more professionals and industry leaders will be comfortable and compelled to speak their minds.
Following the herd on climate is no way to lead or enable solutions that actually make sense. What’s next for the climate conversation? Quite a lot, we’ve just opened the door, just started our work. We’ll just keep at it-helping to create definitions, building forums for people to cuss and discuss, and keep expanding those we include in the dialog. Join us. We’ll start an IN-CLIMATE in your state with your ag and energy leaders, too.