Curiosity and Connection amidst the Climate Crisis, with One Earth’s Justin Winters

It’s no secret that we’re in the midst of a pivotal moment in the climate crisis. A significant rise in climate nihilism threatens the empowerment that is necessary from all of us to halt our trajectory toward irreversible and destructive climate change. An organization putting action at the forefront of its mission, One Earth is a nonprofit aiming to drive collective action through philanthropy, media, and science using an optimistic and empowering approach to combat climate nihilism. We sat down with long-time activist and One Earth co-founder Justin Winters to discuss her journey as an activist and their goals as an organization.

Justin has always felt very connected to nature, and her history in environmental activism goes all the way back to high school. A creative working in the fine arts for many years, Justin struggled to figure out how to turn her love for the Earth into a profession; “if you know in your bones that we’re in crisis, most people feel that the only way in is as a scientist”. After working in television for many years, Justin started working on 11th Hour in 2006 - Leonardo DiCaprio’s environmental documentary. She continued to work as the Executive Director of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation for the next 13 years, building an audience of 70 million people and leveraging his brand to have a global public impact. 

Web Summit 2022

During her time at LDF working with leading experts from around the world, Justin and the additional soon-to-be co-founders of One Earth realized that a crucial piece was missing in the environmental movement. They asked themselves, “What would be useful to empower the movement to achieve a more significant level of ambition?” The answer is science. One Earth saw that what the movement was missing was “clear, credible science to prove that it is possible to solve the climate crisis and biodiversity loss”. One Earth is giving society a roadmap, a clear answer to the daunting question of “How can we get there, and where do we start?”. 

A powerful statement amidst the climate “‘doomism’” that we all may feel and face, One Earth asserts it is possible to solve the climate crisis and meet the Paris Climate Agreement goal of slowing Earth’s temperature rise to 1.5°C. They’ve created a model with three pillars of collective action to help us get there: 

1. A transition to 100% renewable energy. 
2. Transitioning food and fibre systems to regenerative agriculture. 
3. Protection and restoration of half of the world’s lands and oceans. 

Farmer planting in haze of smoke in Kalimantan Indonesia. Credit: Aulia Erlangga

All three of these goals are extremely important, however, Justin particularly emphasizes the restoration of our lands and oceans, stating that it is “often minimized how important the restoration of our land and seas is”. Not only is biodiversity crucial in absorbing carbon from the atmosphere, but it is also “the heart of everything - reconnecting people to the Earth and developing deep true meaningful stewardship in order for nature and biodiversity to continue to thrive”.

This is what Justin feels is key to solving the climate crisis: curiosity and connection. Reconnecting with nature and having an eagerness to learn about the history of the earth and humanity, to understand how things work and why they work the way they do is of the utmost importance; “Unlocking curiosity, and being willing to understand all of these things; it’s about learning so you feel more empowered”. One Earth is making science accessible and pushing for this connection between humans and nature and between humans themselves. The “next evolution is about building a community”, and Justin urges you to join them.  

AfricanDesert-Antelopes. Credit: PXHere

What can we really do to help? Justin says exactly that - reconnect with nature. “Appreciating nature is just as important as going and voting - and don’t take your phone, actually sit there and spend time with nature.”  Actively foster plant life, whether inside or outside of the home. “It’s not just about changing lightbulbs and voting” — not to undermine the importance of voting, nevertheless there is danger in placing trust with the officials we’ve cast our votes to who have consistently not acted. Don’t stop at voting — hold politicians accountable, make informed choices, and partake in grassroots activism. We are not unempowered people for not being in positions of political and societal power, we all are the power. “No one person, organization, or leader is gonna solve this — it’s a moment of utter collective action. Everyone has to do something”. 

Northern Finland

There is an emerging desire, particularly in younger generations, for 'super authenticity' and a willingness to acknowledge that our system is screwed up. This generation is adamant and aware that our systems and “the way we walk in the world needs to change.” Stay curious and make informed decisions on where you purchase things, the fabrics you choose, and even how you spend your time. Justin believes that this moment of crisis we’re currently in, in watching everything fail, is actually a moment of opportunity. This is the message she hopes to evoke in people.

To learn more about how you can take action and support One Earth, visit their page here