The Ultimate Race for Climate Action

Trail running was one of the most rewarding things I did throughout my life.  I say “was” because bad knees and a spaghetti-knotted calf muscle that could make a cowboy cry caused me to stop a few years back.

So, I was excited to read this beautiful multi-media story by Nate Bender about the Snow Man Race, a 5-day, high-altitude event created by His Majesty The King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.  The idea was to develop a competition and recruit accomplished mountain runners who were already climate advocates to race and witness first-hand the effects of climate change and share this experience with the world.

So, about Bhutan. If you've heard of it, you're either familiar with the architecture of the University of Texas at El Paso or because of its landmark philosophy Gross National Happiness (GNH), rather than economic output, as a gauge of its population's well-being. Environmental preservation is one of GNH's four pillars.

Now, I was never a mountain runner on this level, though that’s beside the point – you don’t need to have run around a city block to appreciate this story.  You just need to be open to the wonders of our natural world, have a desire to take action on climate change, and contemplate the value of a Buddhist-centered approach for finding hope in the doing, rather than the outcome.  I especially enjoyed Nate's section on “Closing Thoughts.”

Nate’s story fulfills the mission of the event – for the athletes to share the experience of witnessing some of the earliest and worst effects that climate change has caused in the world.  The narrative is crisp, and the photography and altitudes are jaw-dropping. 

BTW, I know Nate, as he’s part of the large and extended tribe of whitewater river guides who once worked on Idaho's Middle Fork of the Salmon River. He lives in Missoula, Montana, where he obtained two Master’s Degrees at the University of Montana, the most recent in business analytics.

Nate’s currently looking for data analyst roles in the climate/conservation spaces.  As you can see, he’s also a capable storyteller, and there's more to see and reac in his personal portfolio.  So if you know of a mighty organization that would like to become even mightier by adding Nate’s talents, please let him know.

Godspeed, friends.

Russ

💬 Quote of the Week

"The hope resides in the certainty of relief not in specific outcomes, like getting exactly what we want; the hope comes from the way things actually are in this universe: This too shall pass.” This does not mean that Buddhists don’t have hope, rather that they endeavor to hold hope lightly. That is, it is not that they live in the absence of hope, but rather they live with an acceptance that our individual desires cannot infer large-scale outcome." Sharon Salzberg, author, Buddhist, and teacher of meditation and other Eastern practices.

💥 Quick Hits

• State of Maine flag update – It looks like climate change is tough not on trees, but for flags with trees. As we reported last week, Maine's citizens were voting on whether to replace its traditional coat-of-arms flag with a historical tree design. The pine tree flag took it on the chin as it lost to the boring incumbent, 55% to 45%.

• Raise your voice (and multiply it, too) – Here's an example of using your business spending for good – if you need voice-over work, try Voice Over For The Planet, a collective of professional voice-over artists dedicated to social and environmental change. Every time you hire them for a job, they donate voice-over work to a nonprofit of eco-organization.

• Jonesing for a four-day work week? 👋 – Is it really a four-day work week or more importantly, a three-day weekend? Regardless of your perspective, here's how four B Corps are making it work.

Find the Most Meaningful Work of Your Career

Our partner One Work has you covered with meaningful work that goes beyond a paycheck, a cubicle, or a weekly team Zoom call. You'll find purposeful jobs like those below, along with many more at the One Work job board.

• Ocean Conservancy - Ahoy! Here's your chance to catch a wave and protect the world's oceans. Brand Manager, Washington, DC, and various states (hybrid).

• Avocado Green Mattress - This is a good opportunity for an entry-level position at a B Corp with very reasonable qualifications. Digital Sales Associate, Global Sustainability and Compliance, Fullerton, CA.

• U.S. Digital Service - If you work in tech and want to contribute to public service, give this program a look. Various positions, Washington, DC, and remote.

 Need help in some way? Or have a story idea, question, or request? We're here to help! Just reply to this email with whatever you've got and we'll see you again on Thursday!