Mother's Day celebrates the contribution that women make to their families, but what about the contribution that moms are making to Mother Earth? I recently moderated the "Moms Making a Difference" panel at Earth Day Texas, the world's largest Earth Day event. My conversation with four national climate leaders illuminated ways that mothers are actively healing our planet 365 days a year.
"We felt it was important to dedicate time to this important conversation," said Trammell S. Crow, founder of Earth Day Texas, the national event he launched in 2011.
The scion of a real estate family, Crow had the notion to convene hundreds of exhibitors for three days of conversation and education in Dallas, a city known for conspicuous consumption. And the evidence is in: Crow's idea was just crazy enough to work. This year's event drew a record crowd of 130,669, an increase of more than 100 percent over the previous highest record of 58,000 attendees.
"Earth Day Texas is all about providing a platform for groups and individuals of all shapes and sizes to share what they are doing for the environment," said Crow. "Mothers, specifically, are a group of paramount importance in the sustainability and activism communities, one that we rarely talk about enough."
From the heads of sustainability from major corporations to representatives from the Evangelical Environmental Network and the Log Cabin Republicans, the diversity of private, public and non-profit exhibitors is unmatched. Our panel, which included three grassroots advocates and a public health expert -- all mothers -- reflected the perspectives of those closest to our planet's youngest stakeholders.
As Gretchen Dahlkemper, national field director for the 750,000-strong Moms Clean Air Force, observed:
Becoming a mother changes you -- and discussing the power of motherhood at Earth Day Texas inspired me to ban together with other parents to tackle climate change, the biggest challenge facing our families. No family is exempt from the health impacts of climate change. Together we can ensure that all families, whether in Texas or Pennsylvania, Republican or Democrat, have a healthy and safe world to live in.
Tina Beattie, chair of ConservAmerica and co-owner of Top Line Restaurants, also applauded the event for its diversity. "Really, this is the only event of its kind that is trying to bridge all people from all perspectives on this topic," said Beattie.
"What an honor to get to share from our collective vantage as moms, which is cleaning up the air for the sake of our kids. When we work from a position of agreement, so much can be accomplished," she added.
Much needs to be accomplished and much of it isn't easy. Because environmental issues are political, they tend to be divisive. But mothers are seeking out ways to bridge the political divide because too much is at stake.
"The message that gets lost is that this is really about our health," said Dr. Susan Pacheco, associate professor of pediatric medicine at University of Texas Health Systems, Houston. Other pediatric researchers echo Dr. Pacheco on the Harvard School of Public Health website, which posts continual updates covering new research into the dangerous effects of climate change on our children's health.
The health impacts don't stop at our kids -- they touch all of us. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the health effects of climate of disruptions caused by climate change include increased respiratory and cardiovascular disease; injuries and premature deaths related to extreme weather events; changes in the prevalence and geographical distribution of food; water-borne illnesses and other infectious diseases; and threats to mental health.
How Mothers and Others Can Make a Difference
Laura Turner Seydel, co-founder and board chair of Mothers and Others for Clean Air, believes that small actions lead to significant change. Since co-founding her organization ten years ago, Seydel and her partner have since joined forces with the American Lung Association of the SE to advance their mission.
Seydel's advice covered a range of actions that moms can take to make a difference for climate change:
- Lead by example and reinforce good stewardship behaviors of water and energy conservation. Always turn off the lights and television when you leave a room. Take shorter showers (turning off the flow of water while lathering). This conserves a significant amount of water as well as the energy used to pump and clean the water that more than likely comes from burning dirty fossil fuels. The added bonus is cleaner outdoor air, fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and lower energy bills!
Seydel's last point captures the real task at hand: political activation. Our panel's attendees agreed. As green-minded mom and sustainability consultant Tiana Lightftoot Svendsen observed after the event:
It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the severity of the problem. But as I tuck my toddler into bed and he wheezes his way to sleep, I hope that every mom (and every person who has ever had a mom) will commit to reaching out to their congressperson and asking that s/he supports legislation that will support a habitable planet and ensure that everyone, especially our children, can breathe a little easier.
It's a reminder that while Earth Day and Mother's Day certainly have value, the biggest difference that moms can make happens on Election Day.