A Story of My Own
For most of his adult life, Cam Fenton has fought against climate change–and particularly to protect the Arctic.
“The funny thing was, for most of that time, I couldn’t tell you why,” says Cam. “Sure, I could recite, and often wrote, the talking points: to stop sea level rise, stand with small island nations and Indigenous peoples, keep fossil fuels in the ground and save the Arctic. But anytime I heard someone tell a deeply personal story, I felt embarrassed that I didn’t have a story of my own.”
So, this past summer Cam jumped at the chance to join a friend on a trip to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He hoped to return changed–with his own story, with revelations about climate change and with renewed purpose. And Cam did walk away from the Arctic with an adventure and a revelation–just a very different one than he expected.
You can find more of Cam’s writing at overstoker.com
Music: If Walls Could Talk by Jacob Bain & Nis Kotto • I Dare You by Little Glass Men • She-Wolf In My Heart by Sergey Cheremisinov • Rewire Your Cables by Little Glass Men • Simplify by Little Glass Men • Loops to Aviemore by The Freeharmonic Orchestra • rattlesnake by Fog Lake
Tracks provided by Free Music Archive.
Very heartfelt story here Cam. The vast landscapes in the Tundra are breathtaking. I think it’s inspiring when visitors come to explore Alaska, such a rugged choice for someone to choose. But how does one come to terms with the fact that
a climate change and anti-fossil fuel development activist has to use the very resources they are fighting against to fly into the ANWR ? It’s a very compromised position to be in I assume. Do people need to travel thousand of miles to appreciate wilderness?
It is a just an un-backed up assertion, but I think it is truly impossible to care about places that you have never been in the same way that you love a place you have spent time in. I think this connection to the land is critical in the battle against climate change. Not everyone has to travel to the arctic, but everyone should have their wild space that they are personally involved in, and willing to go to battle over. These connections may be the only thing that will ultimately stand against the onslaught of commercial use and abuse of our planet.
If you need an idea for a related story check out Pakistan’s new campaign to plant ten billion trees. Sounds astronomic but they already planted a billion in the KP province in a previous campaign. They have the Karakoram and Baluchistan that looks like Utah, and are affected more than most countries. I’m sure a dirtbag reporter or this guest would be very welcome there.