Regenerating Solutions: A Salon for Ecological City Living

The Bay Area environmental scene is rich with opportunities to volunteer, take action, and get politically engaged. What's missing? A time and space for talking with others in the community about questions, issues, and challenges that come up when engaging in environmental advocacy and personal action.

How do you decide which actions to take? How do you handle time constraints? How can you get others excited about sustainability? The Ecology Center's Regenerating Solutions Salon addresses these questions and others through lightly-facilitated discussions touching on a variety of topics. Salons are open to anyone interested!

This week's salon focuses on engaging others in action, with California Institute of Integral Studies instructor and specialist in non-violent communication Renee Soule facilitating. We will explore questions such as:

How do you encourage people in your life to take environmental action? How do you talk with your sister about bringing her own cup to the coffee shop or get your neighbors excited about creating a community garden together? How do you handle the disappointment and frustration that comes when family, friends, coworkers, or others seem indifferent or resistant to change?

Renée Soule, MA and PhD candidate at Meridian University, has been devoted to developing the field of ecopsychology for over 25 years. A primary focus of her work is exploring and integrating phases of personal engagement in pressing environmental issues. She currently teaches Nonviolent Communication (NVC) in San Quentin Prison and is an adjunct faculty member at California Institute of Integral Studies.