Hi! First, a quick note from me, and then I want to share some wins worth highlighting lately. That, and an important upcoming (free) virtual event on radical imagination. Happy Friday!
Clarity Emerging!
After 10 years in this field, it’s finally become very clear exactly what it is I do: 👉🏼 I help people with the practices of optimism in uncertain times.
If that means showing up in resilience because you refuse to give up…
… or developing the routines and practices to sustain the YOU in your work
… or navigating uncertainty with trust and grounded hope
… or defining the narrative shifts that will provide a radically different approach
… or (most likely) a bit of all of the above… my passion lies in helping people SHOW UP — for themselves, others, the planet, and our future.
Yes, these are wild and uncertain times, and it’s easy to get lost and overwhelmed in all that’s going on. But we cannot forget that RIGHT NOW (these very days) define what will come next, which means that we who get to live through these times have the OPPORTUNITY to be part of something truly remarkable.
We are, more than anything, the children of CHANGE.
No matter what you care about (climate, social justice, education, animals, humans), you have the power to help shape what comes next. It’s not a matter of “if”, but of “How hard will we try to make an impact?”
How willing are we to recognize our true gifts and passions and apply them where they matter?
How hungry are we for a life in fulfillment, purpose, and meaning?
And how brave are we when it comes to accepting, speaking for, and unlocking change?
That’s what I’m here for, and I’m stepping into a newfound passion with my podcast, Hey Change, this newsletter, and my personal platform -- to share the many practices of optimism and nurture empowering conversations on change. Thank you for being here!!
Learn more about what I do:
Personal website: annetheresegennari.com
Podcast website: heychangepodcast.com
Yay — Climate Wins!
‘Historic breakthrough’: Colombia climate talks end with hopes raised for fossil fuel phaseout
Governments have been asked to develop national “roadmaps” setting out how they will end the production and use of fossil fuels, after a landmark climate meeting involving nearly 60 countries.
The voluntary plans will form the bedrock of a new initiative to wean the world off coal, oil and gas, the focus of two days of intensive talks in Colombia this week.
I’ve been a longtime supporter of the Fossil Fuel Treaty!
Seabed life triples after bottom trawling ban in Scotland protected area
Nearly a decade since Scotland established the South Arran Marine Protected Area and banned bottom trawling across much of it, life on the seafloor has thrived, a new study has found.
Scientists surveying the area found three times more seabed organisms and twice as many species compared to nearby unprotected water.
These kinds of climate wins warm my heart like nothing else!
Corporations can’t spend massive amounts to sway elections in Hawaii anymore
Hawaii is poised to become the first state to use its long-dormant legal authority to drain corporate money from its elections—and the legal questions raised about the move have clean answers.
S.B. 2471—a bill under which Hawaii would no longer grant artificial entities, including corporations, the power to spend in Hawaii’s politics—has passed both chambers with overwhelming bipartisan support.
The bill, which is based upon the Center for American Progress’ “Corporate Power Reset,” is not a regulation of speech. It is a redefinition of corporate power.
I first learned about this piece of legislative good news from Jacob Simon, an incredible NYC-based guy spreading lots of positive news in the world. I’m excited to share his coming on as a guest on Hey Change soon!
One minute for the AI scare!
To some not-so-good news: AI data centers. There has been a lot of buzz recently about new proposed data center build-outs around the United States, the impact on its community and waters, and how many of them are to be powered by methane gas to meet extreme energy demands. This article in Wired says, “New Gas-Powered Data Centers Could Emit More Greenhouse Gases Than Entire Nations”.
A time to be concerned? Yes! Does that mean we should step in and become active participants in what happens next? Absolutely yes!
As you might know, I recently had AI expert and futurist Sinead Bovell on to talk about what’s happening around AI, the hidden promises we should pay attention to, and how we must remain fierce critics of these developments to make sure we are (in fact) creators of our own future.
I highly recommend tuning into our conversation!
Radical Possibility: How Climate Fiction Can Create Better Futures
As you already know, I’m a big believer in envisioning a better future so that we can start acting towards the goals we actually want to achieve, rather than getting stuck in the draining loop of constantly avoiding the future we dread.
Therefore, I have to share this upcoming virtual event put on by Grist:
Join Grist’s Tory Stephens, founder of Imagine 2200: Climate Future for Future Ancestors, for a deep conversation with renowned world-builder and author Sheree Renée Thomas, author and professor of physics Vandana Singh, and author and engineer Wole Talabi. This conversation will explore how climate fiction and speculative storytelling can:
Disrupt narratives of “there is no alternative”
Protect and transmit cultural memory under threat
Model collective action, care, and solidarity at scale
Offer moral clarity when institutions fail
Create emotional and imaginative refuge without retreating from reality
I'm optimistic because I know the monks are giving us a knowledge Renaissance. I would love it if we could work together somehow to make it happen? I just don't seem to have the social skills necessary!
God bless you and your family, that your pathway will eventually come to him.