MP: Absolutely.
Rob: ...connecting to each other, connecting to nature. You describe how you love to lie back and look at the stars and just connect with the universe. I mean, it's a really beautiful way that you put the book together in a gentle way, describing very calculated, strategical approaches to...did I just say strategical?
MP: I think you might have (laughs).
Rob: (Laughs). But you do it in such a gentle way that it doesn't feel like you're, in a sense, very much analytic of what you do and how you do it and that's a beautiful part of the book I think. But I...just to come back to my original comment. You're talking about creating mass movements and you were involved in doing that and this book actually tells a story about how a handful of people got together, drinking a little wine, having some fun, turned into something that was very powerful in Nebraska in terms of dealing with this multi-billion dollar operation, buying every politician and all kinds of people.
MP: Yeah, and when I started the book, I didn't think we would succeed. I just...I wrote about our group, The Coalition to Stop the KXL Pipeline and The Apple Pie Brigade, I wrote about them just as an example of how people get together and start working for change. And, by the way, we've moved into all kinds of other areas. We're working real hard on alternative energy. We're starting to work on water in this state and our very compromised water supply. We're also starting to really look into working with divestment and talking to churches, the university and other places about divesting from fossil fuels as investments.
One of the great things that happened is we never made this a political issue. Clean water, healthy food, healthy futures for children and all living beings, good food supply -- these are not liberal or conservative issues, they're human issues. And that's always how I've tried to talk. I mean I have my political views and ,as you can imagine, they're pretty strong, but when I'm writing I try to write as a cultural therapist and talk to people in a way that inspires the least resistance and the most eagerness to act. And I really had to think that through with this particular cause. But my favorite thing, Rob, to come out of this interview would be if people could learn a little bit from The Green Boat and maybe form their own group and start doing some of this work in their local area.
Rob: Now I said it before we started the recording in the interview, but I read this book from cover to cover. And I did because I felt that it was not just picking up a fact here or there, but it was the feel and the thinking and the feelings that went into how you shared this that was so important. I mean frankly, I try to read as much as I can of a book before I do an interview and I'll usually read at least half, but I went through this one from front to back, and I'm really glad I did.
MP: I'm so honored and thank you so much for having me on your show, Rob.
Rob:It's been a real pleasure. You know, what are some final bits of advice that you can give to people who are feeling like they don't know how to fit into making change happen. I'll ask one more question that I had written down. You talk about how you can't tell people to wake up...
MP: No.
Rob: They don't do it. What do you do?
MP: After I read Earth (by Bill McKibben,) I just wanted to run around and shout, "Wake up everybody, wake up. Come out of your trance and help me deal with this." But I'm a mother, I'm a therapist, I've learned after my six decades of life that shouting 'Wake up' never works. So I think the best way to inspire people to act is to be in relationship with them. And if you're loving, if you're in relationship with people, if you're willing to work with them toward common goals, use language that's not political, you can get so much done, you can get so much done. And that's one of the things, I think, Nebraska and the way we have dealt in a very conservative state with our conservative citizens has really been something that other people could learn from because we didn't ever talk about democrats or republicans or ideology, we talked about food and water and pie. And those topics are popular in this state.
Rob: Great, great, great. Thank you so much. The book is The Green Boat. I've been talking to Mary Pipher. This is Rob Kall, Bottom Up Radio WNJC 1360 AM. If you came in the middle of this interview and you want to get the beginning, it'll be at opednews.com/podcasts or go to iTunes and look for my name Rob Kall. Thanks again Mary. Have to have you back sooner than it took this...since the last time.
MP: Thank you so much. It was...a pleasure to talk to you.
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