I've been letting my vision of my purpose grow naturally over the last few months. Since the pandemic began, I have had quite the journey, as we all have. I have stepped out of high school science teaching at a West Oakland Alt-ed school and into crafting my own impact, on my terms.
Since I was 16 I wanted to be a teacher. Science was always going to be my avenue; having grown up with an electrical engineer and chemistry enthusiast father. My love of nature led to a passionate desire to have an impact on the way the future generations related to the planet. In my experience, no matter how you spin any topic, it can have an implication in the story of global warming. Of course, when I got into teaching it became so much more than the sharing of my reverence for the Earth. It evolved into what teaching is truly about: building relationships. In my quest for making an impact on sustainability in future generations, I had discovered one of the most important aspects so often overlooked in scientific communities: that of the sustainability in human and economic systems. Working in deep East Oakland and then West Oakland, I began to see the way sustainability can weave its way though so many more things than just the environment. When we begin to work it into the intention with which we live our lives, being aware of factors like social justice, equity, and reciprocity become hugely important.
So that brings me to the current state of things in California, where I have lived since I was 13. The historic high temperature records have been shattered each year, the forest fires rage for a longer and longer season, and the cloud of smoke that ensues is now a seasonal thing that we all dread yearly. All this in the midst of a global pandemic and being grounded at home, either blessed with remote work, or out of work completely and, for some, without a single space and time in the home to find quiet, uninterrupted productivity. For us here in California, it has been added insult to injury to have our one reprieve, outdoor excursions, taken from us, or in the case of those impacted by the fires, our safety and shelter all together.
It's easy to feel out of control of the sustainability situation. Its clear from the current political state that if you have wealth in this country you are basically free from accountability or moral obligations all together. The rise of capitalism has created huge economic disparities and taken us from a united, community minded way, into a society about the individual, disregarding all else. I know that many individuals desperately want to do their part. Alter their lifestyles, contribute to their communities, and transform their relationship with Mother Earth. It's these people that I want to support and guide through some of the tangible ways you can make an impact in your home, just by shifting the way you spend your dollar, and your in-home systems.
I have made it my mission to be informed on how climate change works as well as the technology driving productive changes. It can be maddening to sort through all of the sources of information about sustainable practices at our fingertips. Especially with the rise of "fake news" and so many pro-porting expertise. It is my mission to share what I know and create space for you to transform your lifestyle, in your own time and style. With the combination of in home assessments, telephone support calls, and virtual meetings. I want to help individuals, businesses, and community hubs evolve their approaches to being truly sustainable.