Last Earth Day, activist and spoken word artist Prince Ea brought us the powerful and thought-provoking video Dear Future Generations: Sorry. With over 96 million views on Facebook to date, Prince Ea achieved something pretty incredible for the environmental community. He clearly communicated the urgency of protecting our planet and inspired millions to understand the importance of mitigating climate change and taking action to stop deforestation.
He was able to reach the hearts of the generation to whom this issue matters to most: young people. And reminded us all that the power of change is in OUR hands!
I had the honor of sitting down with Prince Ea in London last week to discuss his newest video in support of the Stand For Trees campaign. With the Paris Climate Change Conference (COP21) just a week away, this call to action to be a part of the solution couldn’t have come at a better time. Here is what we discussed:
Natalie: “What was your inspiration for doing a second Stand For Trees video?”
Prince Ea: “I felt like there was more to say. The story was unfinished, I had more to get out there and in a different way. When I was brainstorming the original concept of writing a letter to future generations I came up with other dynamic ideas which I thought could be just as compelling. One of which was the 3 seconds theme, which I use in this one. This particular video is coming from an anthropological perspective (what I studied in school), looking at us as a species and the ramifications of our existence.”
Natalie: “What is the message you’re sending to the world?”
Prince Ea: “The message is: An inner revolution needs to take place. Global warming, climate change, animal agriculture, pollution, pesticides.. all of these things are symptoms. They are byproducts of our inner reflection and how we see the world, how we see each other and how we see the environment. We’re very separated and divided, but that is not the truth about reality.
That is the truth about our socially constructed reality. The main message is to find the truth and see that we are connected to all beings both great and small. I always end with a message of hope, I believe that we can and will turn it all around. However, I don’t think the goal is to save the world, but to reshape it.
Natalie: “What are you hoping to achieve with this video?”
Prince Ea: “To make people think. To spread awareness. To change some hearts. That’s all I can really do. I create content and I let go of any desire for a goal or a particular outcome. Hopefully it changes some hearts, on a mass scale. And we’ll see what happens.”
Natalie: “Why do you think young people are such a critical audience for this message?”
Prince Ea: “I think because it’s really our future that’s at stake. We are the first generation to really see the impact of climate change and the last one who will be able to do something about it. So it’s definitely crucial that young people will become more aware. We have an opportunity to really evolve the human species into a new direction. A totally new direction from our past. One with mindfulness and love and care and understanding. No longer a business as usual approach.”
Natalie: “What’s your message to global citizens out there who are feeling hopeless about climate change?”
Prince Ea: “There’s an old saying.. “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” One person can create ripples just by changing their personal behavior and spreading these messages. Each person can indirectly affect millions and raise the consciousness of the culture.”
Yet again, I am blown away by Prince Ea and his ability to communicate the truth and reach our hearts. The issue of climate change is so incredibly important and like he says in the video, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. I hope you feel inspired to do your part, global citizens. The solution is simple: go to www.standfortrees.org and take action to protect the threatened forests of the world. It is the easiest way to curb the dangerous effects of climate change, reduce emissions, uplift impoverished communities and protect wildlife, all at the same time!
How the Stand For Trees campaign works:
The Stand for Trees campaign uses the power of social media and crowdfunding to enable individual citizens to take real and effective action to reduce deforestation and curb climate change.
You can do something tangible to take a stand for the future of our environment by purchasing Stand for Trees Certificates (aka verified emissions reductions) that protect threatened forests of your choice from 12 different projects in Africa, Asia and South America. When you spend $10 on a Stand for Trees certificate, you prevent 1 metric tonne of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere.
Proceeds from the Stand for Trees Certificates fund the development of sustainable livelihoods and the protection of forests in specific REDD+ projects around the world. REDD+ funding already has been used to, among other things, build schools and medical clinics, dig clean-water wells, and train and equip forest rangers to prevent illegal logging and animal poaching.
The ultimate goal of the the Stand for Trees campaign and the REDD+ mechanism is to provide incentives for local landowners and communities in developing countries to keep their forests standing rather than cutting them down. This campaign empowers individual citizens to play a role in the fight to mitigate climate change.
Protecting our environment is a critically important task and I honestly believe that it is the single most important cause of our generation. It is up to US to take care of this planet. Be a part of the solution, join the movement and #StandForTrees.