Ep 69: Regeneration with Paul Hawken
Click here for full transcript.
Ep 69: Regeneration with Paul Hawken
Episode 69: Show Notes
On this show, you hear from people who have gone above and beyond to be the change they want to see in the world, and today’s guest is no different. Author, speaker, activist, and environmental journalist Paul Hawken has dedicated his life to environmental sustainability and changing the relationship between business and the environment.
Due to a health condition and some family drama early on in his story, Paul came to understand that it wasn’t safe for him to be inside, which led him to develop a love for the outdoors. He spent countless hours exploring and learning about the interconnectedness of nature, which ultimately played a pivotal role decades later in what would become his life’s work: amplifying the importance of regenerative agriculture.
After leaving home at the age of 14, Paul ultimately found himself at the forefront of the civil rights movement in the Deep South, where he volunteered with Dr. Martin Luther King, John Lewis, and other icons of the movement. Stay tuned, because he shares some incredible stories from that period in his life, including the time he was kidnapped after he was seen taking photos of the Klu Klux Klan!
Later, Paul found himself in Boston, where he took over the now famous health food store, Erewhon. Here, he developed an even deeper understanding of the importance of protecting the environment, which led him to become the celebrated journalist, author, and activist that he is today.
In today’s episode, we discuss the interconnected nature of Paul’s backstory, his involvement in the civil rights movement and the profound effect it had on him, and the importance of regenerative agriculture, as well as his views on hope, success, unreasonable goals, and how every single one of us can be part of the solution, plus a whole lot more!
Make sure not to miss this personal and enlightening discussion with one of the world’s foremost environmental advocates.
Key Points From This Episode:
The curiosity Paul developed from being forced to spend time outdoors as a child.
Learn more about his upbringing and why he says he didn’t feel safe in his home.
How his love for books led Paul to want to become a writer when he grew up.
Paul shares an incident with an African Violet that changed his relationship with nature.
Hear how he came to develop an awareness of race, racism, and the civil rights movement.
Some stories from his time in Selma, where he worked as a volunteer press coordinator.
Find out what Paul remembers most from the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965.
Paul shares the story of his encounter with the Klu Klux Klan after photographing them.
What he has come to understand about polarizing conflict from the civil rights movement.
The important role that photographers like Paul played during the movement.
The powerful legacy of non-violent resistance that Dr. King left behind him.
Some of the epiphanies that Paul had about his personal health while in San Fransisco.
How he came to take over the health food store that would eventually become Erewhon.
The distrust for the natural food business that inspired Paul to make Erewhon “the real deal.”
Why Pauls says he wasn’t business-minded at all until he discovered the freedom that business could afford him.
Paul reflects on his relationship with the late David Brower and what he taught him about environmental activism.
The importance of George Washington Carver’s legacy and the science of ‘farming forward’.
Find out what Paul means when he says, “Regeneration is nature’s default mode.”
What is important about regeneration as a concept; putting life at the center of our decisions.
Why we should learn to see global warming as ‘home schooling’ from the earth.
Paul emphasizes the key role of language in helping everyone understand the climate crisis.
Learn about the concept of ‘stolen health’ and how Coca Cola and Pepsi reinforce it.
Why half measures won’t make a difference to the degenerative system we are in.
How we can make the biggest impact by focusing on the power of human agency.
Paul’s advice for breaking through the apathy and taking accountability; to step back and reassess how we create meaning.
Why action is far more important than hope; the only thing that changes beliefs is action.
How Paul views success and his advice for making goals: go to where you are lit up.
How everyone can be part of the solution, starting with changing the school system.
To find out what is causing poverty, Paul believes you have to find out who is benefitting.
Tweetables:
“The joys I associated with having in life were outside.” — @PaulHawken [0:13:19]
“That’s one of the acts of courage that you don’t hear [about] Rosa Parks; just getting on that frigging bus that night.” — @PaulHawken [0:38:53]
“I didn’t trust the natural food business. I didn’t trust the natural food establishment at all. I didn’t trust people who [used] the word organic. I was going to make Erewhon the real deal.” — @PaulHawken [0:48:27]
“In the end, I realized that being in business actually gave you the most freedom of all and, of course, that freedom can go both ways, as it has. If your purpose was clear and kind and honest, that business was fine. It was a really great vehicle.” — @PaulHawken [0:49:47]
“Over the decades and centuries, the white plantation owners realized that those who were enslaved actually knew a hell of a lot about agriculture.” — @PaulHawken [0:59:46]
“What’s important about regeneration is that we are the same. It’s not like that’s what nature does. All 30 trillion cells in your body and my body are regenerating every nanosecond or we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” — @PaulHawken [1:03:01]
“What is going to make a difference is understanding how we are harming each other, how we are harming the living world, and how we have broken all these connections between what is commonsense and kindness, and how we have lost our sense of generosity and compassion.” — @PaulHawken [1:10:44]
“Hope is the pretty mask of fear and what we need to be now is fearless and courageous, not hopeful.” — @PaulHawken [1:18:52]
“If we are not making the world better for the 4.3 billion people who are poor, then we’re not serious about climate [change]. We’re not serious – we’re kidding ourselves. It’s the privileged talking to themselves in a bubble.” — @PaulHawken [1:26:39]
“If you want to know what is causing poverty, find out who is benefitting. There, you will find the cause.” — @PaulHawken [1:26:57]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: