The second day of Bioneers 2022 introduced exciting wisdom rooted in nature’s brilliance. We are once again reminded that to understand our world — and, in fact, to understand ourselves — we must shift our focus to the natural world. Following, we share just a small portion of the powerful words and campaigns introduced.

In Their Own Words

Inspiration from Bioneers 2022 Speakers

• “It’s the system that’s the crime. This is the moment of radical transformation.” -Kenny Ausubel, Bioneers
• “Of the term gender inequality that we often use, which is a problem in society, we have focused on the wrong part of the equation. We’ve focused on gender. I think the problem is really on the word inequality.” -Frans De Waal, primatologist & author
• “If nature was a lover, she would have broken down with us humans a long time ago for being the most self-centered, narcissistic lover ever. She would walk out the door. She would kick us out. But she hasn’t.” -Zainab Salbi, Daughters for Earth
• “We must finally embrace floods as an ecologically beneficial force. The sponge city concept takes a nature-based, light-touch approach. It offers a far gentler way to deal with floods.” -Kongjian Yu, Turenscape
• “Colonization is not over, no matter what they’re telling you. It’s the same story, it’s just different players.” –Clayton Thomas-Müller
• “Rights of nature work is not a spectator sport. It can happen anywhere. It can happen in any community. In the U.S., about half the states have ballot initiative processes, so you can write and propose laws.” -Thomas Linzey, Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights
• “Beaver dams help buffer climate extremes. Multiple dams end up being like speed bumps, slowing water down, shunting it off into the flood plain, and deescalating the energy.” -Kate Lundquist, OAEC’s WATER Institute

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The power of the ideas shared at Bioneers can be even greater with your help getting the word out. Download the graphic below and share it on social media, via email … everywhere and anywhere! On social, don’t forget to include the #Bioneers2022 hashtag.

Campaigns to Support

• Attend a Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights rights of nature training, available to communities, NGOs, lawyers, academics, activists, and government officials around the world. (Mentioned by Thomas Linzey)
• Join Daughters for Earth, and get updates about how you can get involved with the movement of women around the world who are rising up to solve climate change and protect our one and only home. (Mentioned by Zainab Salbi)
• Support Native Movement, which is dedicated to building people power, rooted in an Indigenized worldview, toward healthy, sustainable, & just communities for all. (Mentioned by Enei Begaye)
• Support the Bring Back the Beaver campaign along with the OAEC’s WATER Institute to educate citizens about the importance of beaver. (Mentioned by Brock Dolman & Kate Lundquist)
• Learn more about how gender informs behavior in primates by reading Frans De Waal’s Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist.
• Get involved with the People Power Solar Cooperative, which is fostering a culture of cooperation to activate the people power that dismantles PG&E and other private utilities by building the future beyond them.