By: Laurie Dameron
BPW Colorado Chair of Environmental and Sustainable Development Dear Business and Professional Women colleagues

I will be stepping down from being BPW Colorado Chair of Environmental and Sustainable Development. It’s been a privilege and honor to serve BPW, humankind, all creatures, and our beautiful planet for so many years! I feel it’s time for some new energy and direction. I’ve tried very hard to find a replacement. If you have anyone in mind, please do let me know. I have a “Job Description” document I can send to anyone interested.

Just to mention one of many perks of the job was getting to represent BPW Colorado and NFBPWC at the 2017 BPW International Congress in Cairo, Egypt. We met women from all around the world! My colleagues and I stayed an extra week and sailed the Nile River with Luxor Sail the Nile owned by our BPW Germany colleague. It was truly the trip of a lifetime!

My “Green News” and “Simple Actions” may be coming to an end as well. I am making a final attempt with the

below document and have sent it out to all the Aides for Representatives and Senators at the Colorado capital. I will also be sending this to any other people or organizations that have a newsletter or regular e communications and also to news and media.

Please feel free to use the following as a template or edit it to use in sending any other persons or organizations that you are connected to.

Hello to my Colorado Representatives and Senators,

First of all, thank you for all you do to make our world a better place!

Psychologists have come up with a term "Eco Anxiety." With all the climate disasters in the news every day folks are feeling the impacts of climate change. I believe by focusing on solutions, folks will feel empowered like there's something they can do instead of feeling despair and helplessness of our situation on this beautiful planet.

I've been thinking of ways to address climate change as we need to take drastic action. I'm sure you are aware of the seriousness of our situation and that humanity (and all species) are at stake.

I started sending eco-suggestions out when I was motivated in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire that occurred in Boulder County, Colorado, where I reside. Over one thousand homes burned, and thousands of people lost everything. I am still affected with PTSD even though it’s been nearly two years ago.

As an organization or person sending out regular e-communications, you have the opportunity to reach many people. I'm urging you to include the "simple action" of the day, or week, or month in your communications.

For example, the majority of regular citizens don't know many simple things, including that idling their cars puts out a lot more CO2 than when driving, and lack the knowledge about phantom or vampire energy. YOU can help educate people.

Almost every day in the news, I read or hear of yet another climate disaster. But what about solutions?

Wouldn’t it be great if your newsletters and news outlets and media helped us to do that by sharing a

simple environmental action of the day? For example:

• Don’t allow your car to idle

• Avoid using drive-throughs

• Have no-drive days every week

• Shop and bank locally and divest from big banks that support oil and gas

• Turn down the heat

• Turn off lights when you leave a room

• Use power strips and leave off when not in use to fight “vampire energy”

• Minimize using single-use plastics

• Bring your own cup to your coffee shop

• Use a reusable water bottle wherever you go

• Strive for zero waste

• Hang-line dry clothes

• Join Climate Citizens Lobby

• Get the Climate Action Now CAN app (spend only 5 minutes a day to send emails to companies that are harming the planet or supporting oil and gas such as big banks. CAN provides the text and email addresses all one needs to do is click send)

There are SO many actions we can take. They may be small changes but can add up to make a big difference. I can send you a list of simple actions with links that are ready to send. (All you need to do is add a text box to your newsletter).

Switching to renewable energies, transitioning to regenerative agriculture practices, and passing legislation such as the Green New Deal, and a carbon pricing bill, are really important. However, these things take time

-- time we don’t have. I feel that every citizen needs to be environmentally educated and be part of the

solution.

I think Colorado Governor Polis and President Biden missed a huge opportunity to reach millions of households when they gave speeches for the Marshall Fire press conference which aired on television in January of 2022. They spoke at great length on the many climate disasters that are increasing but barely a word about solutions.

I urge our elected officials and others to use media opportunities to an advantage.

I believe what the EPA says: “Over 40% of our greenhouse gases come from the way products are extracted, produced, transported, used, and even disposed of. Striving for Zero Waste is one of the quickest and easiest ways to address climate change and build healthy communities.”

I also agree with Bill McKibben when he said: “We're under attack from climate change — and our only hope is to mobilize like we did in WWII.”

Again, thank you again for all you do and your time here. We can make this happen! I look forward to hearing from you!

YOU ARE A PART OF THE SOLUTION!!!

Laurie Dameron Climate Reality Leader

Chair of Environmental and Sustainable Development BPW Colorado

YOU ARE A PART OF THE SOLUTION!

To sign up for Laurie’s monthly music and “Green News,” write to WindchimeL@aoL.com Or visit www.LaurieDameron.com

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