We all need to do more

By Beth Rodden, Professional Climber and POW Riders Alliance Athlete

I’ve always considered myself to be very aware and conscious of the environment and preserving it. When I was ten I gave my family a quarter acre of rainforest in the Amazon for their Christmas present. I changed my eating habits after driving past factory beef farms on Interstate 5 on my way to Yosemite. I ride my bike as much as possible. I recycle. I compost. I have convictions that I’m very passionate about. However, after this election, I realize that living in my own bubble, making sure that I am living as cleanly as possible, isn’t enough. We all need to do more.

As a professional climber for my entire adult life, I’ve poured my energy and time into advancing my own athletic goals and accomplishments. Two years ago I added a piece to my life that forced to me to look beyond just the next climb or summit. We welcomed our son Theo into this world. Now not only do I look through the lens of what I think the world might need for change, but I envision what type of world I want for him. I know this includes making sure that the natural places that have taught me so much are there and preserved for his generation and the generations to follow. This election made me think, “what if I devoted just a little bit of time each day, a fraction of what I’m used to dedicating to climbing, to raising awareness about climate change.” There’s no better organization out there than POW to help use the power of athletes’ voices to fight climate change.

My biggest passion outside of climbing is good quality food. Food is something that we all spend money on each and every day. And how we spend that money has a big impact on the environment. Little changes in how we eat and shop can have a major trickle-down effect on the environment. How far did that banana travel to get to your kitchen? That nicely packaged trail mix, where did it come from? Buying local organic ensures that we give the money to farmers who raise and grow the food in a sustainable way, while maintaining good stewardship of the land. I’d much rather have my money going to them than the deep pockets of Monsanto. We all can’t buy local and organic all the time, but if we stopped to think about it, and perhaps just changed a little bit here and there, it would make a big difference. That’s why, this month I’ve teamed up with Good Eggs to fight climate change! If you live in the Bay Area, order some incredible, locally sourced groceries from Good Eggs and enter the code CLIMBON at checkout to get $15 off and automatically enroll to give 10% back to POW to directly fund climate education, activism and advocacy. Good Eggs is a shining example of a business that exemplifies my values and brings positive change to the world.

I’ll leave you with my favorite quote during the past few months: “They tried to bury us, they didn’t know we were seeds.” I’m so honored and proud to be part of POW. A little change from a lot of people, goes a very long way.