Q & A with Eileen about Common Ground

Photo by Rachael Warriner

What inspired you to write Common Ground?

I heard stories about people coming together to protect the air, water, and climate and was inspired by those who were collaborating across historic differences, such as Indigenous people and ranchers who successfully resisted pipelines in the US and Canada. I saw in my own organizing work that we need to build broader coalitions in order to thwart the power of corporations profiting from environmental and climate destruction, so I set out to learn from those doing this work.

How did you find the people whom you interviewed?

Mostly, I relied on intuition and serendipity, or what Quakers call “way opening.” For example, I was preparing to offer a plenary in the southwest and asked two members of the host group if they knew anything about environmental issues on the Navajo Nation. They told me they lived there, invited me to come stay with them, and introduced me to someone who introduced me to more people. Connections happened that way in Louisiana, India, and other places I visited.

Were there any downsides to relying on “way opening” to find people to interview?

My Quaker understanding is that when circumstances fall into place in a way that feels miraculous, that may be a form of divine guidance or encouragement. I started to notice that Spirit was not guiding me to many places where people won their campaigns. Instead, I kept finding stories of people who had done amazing work and in many cases won some small gains, while failing to stop new fossil fuel projects. Eventually I realized that grappling with this reality is part of what we need in order to truly address the climate crisis. Given that the book is coming out at a time when many people are discouraged, I am especially grateful for the wisdom of people who have persevered against great power imbalances.

What will readers find in Common Ground that they won’t find in other books about climate change and saving our planet?

Some books focus on dire predictions, while others focus on the potential of technology to save us. Common Ground emphasizes the importance of average people coming together to make change. It’s also unique in the way it weaves together lessons that are both spiritual and strategic, so that we can confront unequal power with love–love for all the species that inhabit the Earth.

What is your central call to action in Common Ground? What do you want people to understand, and what do you want them to do about it?

First, I want people to understand that we are all connected, and so are our problems. We can’t solve them as isolated individuals. So find a group working on something you care about and find a way to plug in, using whatever gifts you have. Maybe that means blocking a driveway to protect a local place that is threatened by logging or a new petrochemical plant. Or maybe it means resisting the dismantling of the US government or the demonization of different groups of people. Whatever work feels like yours to do, name the connections and collaborate when possible. For example, rising authoritarianism in the United States is enabling fossil fuel companies to increase local pollution and global emissions, which affects all of us even though the impacts are unequal. To build a real movement for change, we are going to need to show up for each other.

What does Common Ground offer for those who do not consider themselves activists? Or for more experienced activists?

Many people are confused about how we got to this point, where a growing majority of Americans are concerned about climate change and want more protection from the health impacts of warming, yet our government protections are being systematically dismantled. Common Ground directly explores the question of corrupt government and corporate power, which is important for people to understand even if they don’t identify as activists. For those who do, the stories I share include strategy lessons as well as inspiration. For all of us, knowing that we are not alone is helpful in scary times.