I am a latecomer to environmental justice and sustainability. Growing up in the 70s, my issues were the rights of the French-speaking population of Quebec, women’s rights, and nuclear war prevention. I spent most of my career working in areas related to women’s rights and until recently thought that the threat of nuclear war was no longer real. I did go to an Earth Day concert in 1991, but mostly because the Indigo Girls were performing.
Then I had a daughter and read Silent Spring.
Since then, I have been trying to catch up and make up for my decades of inaction.
This is why one of BCBS’s intentions for 2026 is to reduce our impact on the planet. Our plans include a range of initiatives:
Buying only cleaning products that will not harm the Earth
Investigating how to recycle plastic packaging from our bookstore
Using eco-friendly rodent control
Upgrading our electric vehicle chargers
Preparing for climate-related natural disasters
Reviewing our financial investments to ensure they meet the highest ESG standards
Raising funds to install additional solar panels to meet our goal of energy self-sufficiency
I also need to continue learning from activists, entrepreneurs, academics, scientists, Indigenous traditions, dharma teachers, and the BCBS community. I will be in the BCBS library on many opening and closing afternoons over the next few months, and I invite you to come share your thoughts and expertise with me. I will also be in New York City the week of April 6 and in Portland on May 9 and 10. Please reach out if you would like to meet for a conversation about environmental sustainability. I am also always available by email at melissag@buddhistinquiry.org.
My daughter is now in college studying environmental science. I feel hopeful knowing that she and many of her friends have committed to this cause much earlier than I did.
Two of my favorite quotes from Silent Spring that resonate with dharma teachings are:
“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.”
Rachel Carson, Silent Spring
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the Earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”
Rachel Carson, Silent Spring
Melissa
P.S. Check out the “Dharma Resource” section of this newsletter for suggested further reading.
