Six months ago we were praying for the water from Hurricane Helene to recede from the homes and business and river valleys that it had submerged. Four weeks ago we were praying that rain would fall on the wildfires that consumed parts of Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina. First a historic flood then regional wildfires unlike anything I have experienced or heard of in my lifetime. So many of the places we love are covered in washouts, landslides, or ash. It’s hard not to wonder who sent the bad juju our way?! Decades ago Asheville was labeled “the cesspool of sin” and proudly embraced that title. Is this our comeuppance?! What is God trying to tell us??

I don’t think God caused the floods or destruction. I once knew someone who was diagnosed with cancer and his take was that God didn’t cause the disease but He was too good to waste it. My theology falls along the same line. I don’t think a higher power sent the floods and fires… but there might be a divine message in the storm. And while a lot of the time, I pray and search and try with all my might to discern the truth of the moment, in this case I feel like the truth is staring back at me in the mirror: if anyone should shoulder some of the blame … it’s us. 

Not just me, not just Asheville, and not just the people living in 2025, but most of ‘civilized’ culture for the past century plus dating back to the industrial revolution can take some credit. Yes, the speed and intensity of the hurricane and the tender box of a forest it left behind can be connected to climate change. And also there are now 8 billion people on earth – a number that has quadrupled in the past 100 years. That means more of all the human stuff… roads, cars, planes, houses, offices, warehouses, production and manufacturing facilities, farms, dams, powerlines (which were to blame for our biggest WNC fires), substations, data centers. It also means less… less plants, less trees, less forests, less grasslands and meadows, less wildlife, less clean water, and less natural resources in general. 

So when a natural disaster like Helene comes, the cocktail of climate change, population density, modern development, and consumer culture amps up the storm like a red bull with vodka on painkillers. And boom. We have a stronger, faster storm than usual. Running off the asphalt and pavement of development, taking down houses and buildings that were built into the side of mountains, overpowering damns, and overflowing river valleys that were manipulated by man to handle set flows. Now we have dry trees (ie, kindling) down all over our forests that are catching fire from electrical wires, cigarettes, fill in the manmade blank. God and Mother Nature get some of the credit, but the extenuating circumstances that morph a storm into a disaster is primarily a problem we humans have created. 

And while I believe that we all play a part in the cause and effect of environmental events that surround us, this isn’t a blog – let alone a moment - for casting blame or pointing fingers, this is a moment for hope and action. And also maybe a rebrand?

"Climate Change” started as an important awareness campaign and corrective initiative and then we turned up the heat to parallel our atmospheric increase by connecting shame and finger wagging to the term. Advocating for change is so important, but I wish there could be a Climate Change recentering to focus on community building and “buy-in” rather than political weaponization.

Sidenote: the environmental movement tends to be a Democratic or progressive talking point, but some of my conservation heroes reside in rural, conservative communities that embrace simple and sustainable lifestyles.

Climate Change also primarily refers to the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and the thinning of the ozone layer. And that sounds both like a science class and something that happens far, far, away. The terminology makes it feel distant even when impacts our everyday life. And the everyday impacts are often ignored because when you are the proverbial lobster in the pot you absorb change a few degrees at a time.

That said, we can all easily list modern everyday impacts on our neighborhoods. We can look around to see buildings, concrete, clear cuts, and invasive plants. Most of us notice an increase in haze or smoke and a decrease in water quality and quantity. And we notice the challenges and changes to our outdoor sports and hobbies such as running, biking, and snow activities and sources of sustenance like gardening, fishing, and hunting. We can see, feel, and experience the changes to nature in our communities and everyday practices.  

I’m no marketing exec or expert in cultural movements, but it just seems like if we work up something that focuses on working with nature - and with each other - in a present everyday relational way, it might feel more welcoming and hopeful and yield better results than seeing ourselves as separate or distant from our environment -  and people on the other side of the aisle.

(Wait… wasn’t this a blog about hope?! Right, yes, hope. We're getting there. Apologies for the long build-up and this last bit of self-efficacy to get us there.)

I have spent over two years of my collective life camping and backpacking outdoors. I love nature. And… I am very much a part of the problem. I live in a house on a hillside with a propane tank and invasive honeysuckle filling my yard. I drive and fly for work. We own a straight gas SUV. 

BUT my decisions are shifting. They are changing. The next family car we buy will be much more fuel efficient, if we move houses we will look for an environmentally efficient one in a location at minimal risk of floods, landslides or wildfires. When I travel for work I buy carbon offsets for my air miles and have managed to mostly puzzle together my professional wardrobe with thrifted clothes. It’s not an overnight thing; our culture has driven us hard in this direction for a couple hundred years. 

But our family is trying to make small changes in our consumption… how much we buy, where we buy from, what we eat. And while I’m not going to keep my kids from attending an Easter event littered with plastic eggs, I am going to save the eggs and use them again next year.

I have heard it said (and also read) that large scale policy changes are the only way we will curb environmental harm. And I’m all for it, but also… it doesn’t feel like the best time to put a lot of confidence in policy. Not just in this moment but in the larger landscape of our corrective and ever changing political swings and shifts. I’m not currently able to put my faith in the government for this one and yet I still feel optimistic for the future because I feel the momentum changing. 

Research shows that Millennials and Gen Z are choosing to work with nature through aligning their values with a career and purchasing more sustainable products even when they cost more. And I’m not even sure what generational label my kids fall under, but I do know that every night before bed one of my kids prays for pollution to end and the other one prays that animal species won’t go extinct. The biggest hope I have for the environment is my children, our children. 

Caring for our home planet and safeguarding our place in it is a long game and I know that our generation can't fully redirect the weight and force of momentum that has been building for several hundred years. But we can keep pressing on the brakes, teach our kids how to drive and trust that when given the option of an imminent crash or detour we’ll have throttled down enough to safely make the turn.

So, this Earth Day… don’t lose hope. When we lose hope, we lose the will to create change.. And don’t rely on someone else to fight the battles for us – at least not in this moment. Instead, focus on what you can do. Think of one habit you can create, one change you can make, one thing you can invest in and save for that will help the environment. It could be as straightforward as planting a tree, ripping invasives out of your yard, or buying into a CSA (community supported agriculture). It could be reducing travel, purchasing carbon offsets, or taking public transportation. It could be taking steps to make your home more energy efficient by turning off the lights, better insulating for heat and air, or saving up for a more energy efficient appliance. Small changes matter because of the impact they make now - and in the future. Our children are watching... and waiting.

About the Author: Jennifer is an Adventurer, Author, Speaker, Entrepreneur and mom of two who has a Masters in Public Affairs and a husband that plays bluegrass. Her blog focuses on life as she experiences it with a focus on Outdoor Adventure, Business, Public Affairs, Family, and Faith. For information on booking Jennifer as a speaker for your next event, email brew@jenniferpharrdavis.com or call (615) 708-4301.