January 5, 2014: Asking for the Help We Need

Essentially, this is why we work as hard as we do, and do what we do: we hold the radical belief that your children's future is worth more than cheap plastic crap sold at Wal-Mart.

I live in a country the size of the state of Tennessee. Two days ago, the government statistics were in: at least 95,000 family farms here lost their entire harvest this year, due to prolonged drought. To put that in some perspective: the state of Tennessee has 11,400 farms TOTAL. We in the US have a hard time grasping direct climate change impact because most of us have forgotten what it is like to live in an agriculture-based economy. We forget because we do not see it around us. We forget because we no longer go outside as a means of conducting our daily lives and entertaining ourselves.

95,000 families means that probably at least 500,000 people lost their yearly food supply to climate change. Let's break down the numbers of what that means. The average household here, on a normal year, spends 80% of their income on food. By comparison, the average household in the US spends just 12%. A small farm-based economy sends its surplus to market, where grains and vegetables are sold to buy precious chicken; or vice-versa. When there is no surplus, stuff gets imported, driving up its cost. A family that loses its crops must buy its food at an inflated rate. The result? Families can spend 300% of their income trying to buy basic foods and grains.

The end result is that families go hungry (we have the world's 2nd highest rate of malnutrition), or families move to urban centers trying to find work (urban centers have sprawled 200-300% in 2 decades), or families send a member out to find work. The country's main employer is coffee- huge coffee plantations employ up to 440,000 in the region. The problem is that climate change affects them, too. 70% of the coffee got infected with a fungus this year, killing the plants. The entire industry is in crisis, worldwide- you probably just are not hearing about it.

Guatemala's biggest industry is international tourism. The worldwide economic crisis has crippled those channels, as well. Numbers are 1/3 of what they were before the economy crash forced an artficial austerity on the world. People do not travel when they cannot afford car payments. There could be a lot of investment in work: at the very least, the agricultural sector could employ the same number as extensionists and suppliers as the coffee plantations were employing as pickers. The problem is that requires investment.

Forgetting the story of corruption (which is also a huge complex problem), let's look at the numbers. GDP is the amount of money a country makes every year- the total value of its goods and services and taxes. A country looks to have its GDP increase every year. Guatemala's is growing, by an estimated 3% yearly- a nice figure that should be used to invest in its own people. Here's the catch: climate related disasters are setting the country back by 13% every year of its GDP just in disaster response. There is literally nothing left over... because climate change is happening so fast, so furiously here that the economy is going backwards. There are jobs programs- and most of them go unfunded. The national government just yesterday announced another massive cut to every department in the country.

This effect is subtle, but important- it means there is very little investment in human potential. This is the crux of what is called "climate migration." That means that climate-related devastation, economic pressures, and losses force human beings to leave and find work elsewhere in order to feed themselves and school their children and maintain their homes. Either they move to new area and try to cultivate the land, leading to extremely bad land-use practices contributing to high rates of environmental degradation making climate change worse- or they go to centers of urban sprawl, or to another country.

Estimates worldwide are that the world will see at least 100 million climate refugees in about 25 years' time, most likely about 300 million, and possibly as many as 500 million. That last figure is more than the current US population. The world is not ready for this. Already, conservative pundits in Australia have offered their humane solution to an influx of Pacific Island nationals fleeing conditions of sea level rise (which contaminates fresh water supplies, making it impossible to secure water for consumption or irrigation): a new wave of concentration camps. The Dominican Republic recently stripped Haitian nationals of earned citizenship rights. Europe is dealing with unprecedented levels of racism targeting immigrants. People do not WANT to leave their homes. Other countries do not want them to.

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Our group is, quite simply, working to try to find solutions to climate problems that are preventing rural landowners from making a living. We are trying to keep people on their lands, leading productive, healthy, fulfilling lives that are consistent with their values.

We use science to investigate how the climate is changing, and what impacts it is having at the local level (for example, I developed a method to examine local climate change as a pattern of rainfall deviation from normal- which could be of vital importance to growers). We identify areas of vulnerability, and search for solutions to address each vulnerability. Then, we teach people how to adapt their agriculture, lives, and practices to the changing conditions.

we are focused on the following areas of work right now:

-climate change economic impact research

-quinoa and mushroom production for food and profit

-using improved livestock management to restore ecosystems

-drought and flood resilience

-investing in human potential via micro-funding and practical education

-techniques to restore, conserve, replenish, and improve soils and crop yields

-techniques to make carbon sequestration economically viable and reduce emissions

-economic and social empowerment of women

-youth leadership in climate change action

-teaching people to use resource stewardship as a means to making a living

-using art and writing and poetry to tell the story of the disadvantaged

NONE of this work is offering a handout. We are not a charity. We do not come on and give a training and leave the people to fend for themselves. We are talking about long-term commitment to creating jobs and empowering people to keep their land and make a living. We are talking about empowering communities to fight exploitation and land degradation, brigning value back to their resources. We are helping people preserve the winter habitat of 2/3 of the migrating bird species of the US. We are pioneering ways to think about climate change adaptation that could help millions of people worldwide also stay on their own lands and reduce poverty levels. We are helping people learn what they need to, and apply their learning, to use available resources ina  way that beenfits them and future generations. We are trying to make it so that a  hand-carved piece of artwork from from a sustainably harvested tree is worth more, and prized more, than a mass-produced trinket from Taiwan. 

In the end, a shifting of values would be better for everyone.

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I am putting this out there so that people can start to understand what I do, and why I do it. because the truth is, I need help to keep going. I have exhausted my own extremely meager resources trying to get this work started, and need to find support. I am not looking for a CEO salary. I am looking for a salary that will pay me enough each month that I can focus on grant-writing in order to fund the project work that will make us sustainable. I am looking for a base salary of $10,000 a year; for myself and one other worker. Even half of that to support us while we get going.

I have a Gofundme account. I made just over half of what I needed to keep going last year. I am in the process of legalization for 501c3 status to create an international non-profit NGO. I have been in danger of losing the home and office every month, and eating a full meal every 2 days to conserve resources. There is no money left over for many other necessities. What tiny bit I get, I invest in my team as stipends, travel expenses to do our work, and support for their families.

I am looking for people to tell my story. Share this post with others. Open a discussion about climate change and first-world responsibility.

I am looking for people to promote our work to people in your circle and their circles. Somebody knows somebody willing to talk to me about angel investment and micro-grants and loans. Somebody has a contact that would benefit from our work.

Most of all, I am looking for people willing to invite me to come talk to their communities, schools, youth groups, teachers, business associations, etc. about our work. About why climate change mitigation and adaptation matters so much- to all of us, not just to some remote corner of Guatemala that they may not care about.

We believe that everyone matters- and we believe that living by values where everyone matters- can change the world and make the future better for everyone.

Please, if my words resonate with you, share them.

Thank You.

Author's Note

My organization's name is Alticultura. We have a Facebook page that promotes thoughtful climate change discussion and highlights our activity; and we have a page on LinkedIn. Website is coming soon.

My GoFundMe information can be found here: http://www.gofundme.com/3urles

My etsy site, where I use my jewlery and artwork business to fund my work, can be found here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/hauntedfoxdesigns?ref=si_shop

The shop section where we sell photographs of the landscapes to support our work can be found here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/hauntedfoxdesigns?section_id=10181928