Making a Difference in the World
... for generations!
I’ve never used the word “grist” in a sentence. Before embarking on this column, however, I sought a definition of the term. Grist (one definition): useful material, especially to support an argument. As in “the research provided the most sensational grist for opponents of tobacco”. Presumably, this is the definition the nonprofit online magazine entitled “Grist” had in mind when it was launched in 1999.
Grist publishes environmental news and commentary. Its tagline is “Climate. Justice. Solutions.” (three periods) and its mission is to “show that a just and sustainable future is within reach.” I hope it’s right. I became a subscriber within the past year and support Grist (modestly) with a contribution.
What brings Grist to mind is their yearly selection of what it calls the Grist 50, “an annual list of leaders from across the U.S. who are working on fresh, real-world solutions to our planet’s biggest challenges. We call them Fixers… all kinds of people pointing the way toward a just, sustainable future. Collectively, their work shows what a vibrant, diverse climate movement looks like, and how everyone has a place in it.”
In late February, I received an email from Grist suggesting that I “think of the people… who are driving meaningful change for our climate future – across sectors, disciplines, and all corners of the U.S. – and nominate them to our 2025 Grist 50 list.” I read and re-read application materials. I don’t know a great many worthy nominees. Ah, but I know one!
On March 14, (the deadline) without her knowledge or assistance, I formally nominated my friend and neighbor Jackie. I have no idea of whether she’ll be selected. At some point, it’s a numbers game, which I accept since they say they receive thousands of nominations. But somehow I doubt many fixer nominees hail from rural Iowa. Perhaps Grist’s desire for “diversity,” – a term now carrying considerable baggage – which includes geographic diversity, will favor Jackie.
Here's some of what I told Grist about my nominee. Jackie’s a classic engaged citizen, an impassioned environmental advocate, based “out in the country,” on an acreage she shares with her equally committed, equally notable husband, in Otranto Township (population 300), in the northwest corner of Mitchell County, where the Cedar River enters Iowa. After concluding her legal career a decade ago, Jackie obtained a biology degree with an ecology emphasis.
Among her current activities:
A) Caring for a 20-acre restored prairie, including trail development and maintenance, on their property along the Cedar, frequently sharing hikes in their magnificent prairie with friends.
B) Installing and now tending to TWO clean-energy sources, a wind turbine and a solar panel array. Their wind turbine was recently a front-page feature story in the Wall Street Journal (“The Future of Home Wind Turbines in the U.S.,” November 7, 2024), a superb example of Jackie’s advocacy through action.
C) Serving the community by engaging in regional organizations. For instance, founding and leading “Citizens’ Climate Education - Mitchell County,” serving on the board of “Climate Land Leaders,” and serving as Board Secretary of “Healthy Harvest of North Iowa” (a community-based regional food system).
[My nomination also included bullet points D, E, and F…but you get the idea.]
When asked recently by an organization where she’s involved to share her guideposts, I was particularly struck by three points Jackie mentioned. 1) There is no inherent value in always doing things the same way. 2) What your neighbors think is not as important as your own thinking, after educating yourself. 3) Our lives are short; our impact on the land is an opportunity to make a difference in the world for generations.
When your goal is “to make a difference in the world for generations” you naturally assume a long-term perspective, “planting seed” in the hope – no, rather in the belief – that eventually it will yield bountifully. Just as Grist has its three-word tagline, I’ve created one for Jackie: “Commitment. Integrity. Wisdom.”
Jackie is an exceptional Grist 50 nominee, making a positive difference in my world and in the world we’re passing along to future generations. I’ll let you know if she’s selected.
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I’m proud to be part of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. These are my colleagues: