While studying classical singing in New York City in 1992, I semi-accidentally joined an environmental group called Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and started learning about my drinking water and the history of the Hudson River, just down the street from my apartment. I was inspired to use my voice and songs for environmental education. In 1999, I thought I should find out what this “global warming” stuff was about. So I attended a symposium at the American Museum of Natural History’s Center for Biodiversity. My mind was blown wide open. What I learned was scary, but my mind quickly went to, “Okay, what can we do about this?” I started learning more and giving presentations about global warming, which was also starting to be called “climate change”.
My partner and I started a nonprofit in 2001 called Irthlingz Arts-Based Environmental Education. We worked with elementary and middle school students in our community, preparing them to perform our first climate change musical show called The Great Climate Caper. After that, we simplified that show to be a 30-minute musical revue called Penguins on Thin Ice. A few years later, after meeting people whose stories I wanted to tell to a wider audience, I started performing a one-woman musical show called The Climate Monologues, and I took that show around to various venues including a couple of theatre festivals. After doing that for a few years, I got more involved in politics, understanding that decisions made by elected officials profoundly impact our future, the future of our children and of our planet. Now, after being an environmental educator for over 30 years, I’m excited about the concept of Regenerative Economics, in which our economy would function like a living system, rather than like a machine that eats up everything and everyone in its path for short-term profits and endless growth. So I’m working up a one-hour keynote presentation, with stories and songs, about Regenerative Economics!
– Shannon Abreu
