I’ve recently learned about an exciting new project  — a radio documentary called Learning Their Place. The goal is to document the voices of the next generation as they grow up under the weight of massive environmental change, and to showcase the impassioned, multicultural, engaged and inspiring environmental leaders of the future.

I donated to this project because it will help to reach the people in the middle. What do I mean? Well, I spend my personal and professional life devoted to thinking about sustainability issues. I try to make lifestyle choices that more positively impact the planet and its people. I direct a graduate program dedicated to teaching and inspiring people to make change in their workplace and lives. I have even made the decision not to have children to lighten my personal burden on the planet. But, it still doesn’t feel like enough.

How do we reach the reach the people in the middle — that large group of people who have some sense that there’s trouble ahead, but aren’t taking it very seriously, or doing much about it?

I think the Learning Their Place project has a chance of getting through to them.

Why this project?

The intention of the project is to record kids and teens around the country from all walks of life, documenting them falling in love with nature for the first time, learning about global warming and extinction, organizing for change, and more. It is through their voices that we may reach the ones in the middle and help wake us up to the urgency of our problems, and motivate more people to act.

We need data. We need facts and figures, mathematical models, charts and graphs. But we also need to reach people on the emotional level. Kids’ voices could do that. This project has a shot at breaking through the avoidance and the distractions, and really making an impact.