Young Change Makers Promoting Climate Action: Why and How Betsy Painter Is Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Monica Sanders
Take classes that interest you to add to your skillset. Want to paint as well or illustrate, cook or surf, or learn wood working? Prioritize finding a teacher or class. take your hobbies seriously as well, they are food for creativity and optimism in whatever work you do. A hobby skillset could end up being a part of your career, or not. Either way it enriches your life and it’s worth making time for. For example, I took painting classes from my pastor’s wife while I was living in England, and I still paint today.
We are standing at a critical juncture in our fight against climate change, and it is heartening to see young leaders rising to this enormous challenge. Across the globe, they are initiating change, voicing their concerns, and catalyzing action toward sustainable solutions for our planet. These young change-makers are not just the future; they are the driving force of the present. As part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Betsy Painter.
Betsy Painter is a conservation biologist and creative writer who is passionate about environmental care and its human dimensions. She wrote A Christian’s Guide to Planet Earth out of a fervent belief that her family in the faith has the reason, the hope, and the resources to make a difference and to seize the opportunity to reflect the gospel message of loving things to life. She is a currently a Research Associate at the Yale University School of Medicine. Learn more at BetsyPainter.com.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
I grew up in a suburb south of Nashville, TN, with a home full of animals. At different times, we had English setters, chihuahua-poodle mixes, a cat in almost every coat, fish, love birds, parakeets, guinea pigs, ferrets, and then finally a pot belly pig (yes, a pig in the suburbs). From a young age, I experienced love and appreciation for creatures of all kinds. They were part of our family. We were church-goers (although sadly the pets stayed home). While I was learning the bible in Sunday school, I was getting to know the sky, grass, and trees in my backyard, where I often played down by our creek. I remember collecting butterfly cocoons, catching lightning bugs, releasing a ladybug farm, keeping a pet fly (that’s another story), crafting mud pies, and making leaf and grass salads. In school, my curiosity about the planet helped me excel in science, and my art classes and love of books inspired an expression of the beauty of that science, what I refer to in book as the study of creation. I remember sensing a conflict in the two fields of study I loved growing up: science and religion. I didn’t understand because to me, I was experiencing God’s nearness, joy even, when I engaged with all that I believed had been made through divine power, brilliance, and everlasting love.
Is there a particular book or organization that made a significant impact on you growing up? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
There’s an organization called 4-H that works in youth development, including connecting young people with the land. I wasn’t even technically a part of it, but I went to their camp. They hosted a competition in our class where we presented on a chosen topic. Mine was on gorillas, where I shared about their habitat, ecology, conservation, and of course cool facts. I practiced really hard with my notecards and memorized the whole thing, and in the end, I got a first prize ribbon. Honestly, I put so much work into it and stressed myself out that I started to dislike public speaking after that haha. I remember trying to understand why I was given the ribbon. A tiny rectangular cut of silky, yet stiff fabric was supposed to signify success. It amused me then, and I wish I had kept it longer. I also remember enjoying writing about the gorillas and found that writing is a more natural means of communication for me in sharing my passion and ideas.
Another way in which 4-H indirectly influenced me was through drawing in many kids with more agricultural upbringings. For me, this adjacency to agriculture influenced how later on I more readily understood the connection between environmental conservation, climate change, and sustainable agriculture and how the ability to grow enough good food relies on a healthy earth and relatively stable climate.
How do you define “Making A Difference”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
I think making a difference means that you’ve done your best to be the unique person you are, to use your particular gifts, so that you make a sort of genuine impression on the world, especially on the people who are closest to you. That your presence, your unique expression of a human being, changes the world because it wouldn’t be the same without you. I don’t think this means you have to do anything particularly noteworthy or that grabs the attention of many people. In the moments when we are most ourselves, and in my view, the most honest versions of the particular person God created us to be (the theological term for this is our “haecceity”), when we interact with other people and creatures, then that impresses on the world, on existence, a unique goodness and gift that may cause a small, barely noticeable change in our surroundings, but can have a ripple effect. Say I have a conversation with someone in a coffee shop before work and I share with them about an art project I’m passionate about that covers snow leopard conservation, and that person happens to be an elementary school teacher who then feels inspired to encourage their class to draw pictures of their favorite animal they’d like to protect, and one of the kids in the class grows up to be responsible for bringing a species back from the brink of extinction. I think the smallest moments of sharing our genuine passions and hopes for life and the planet is contagious and can shift the mood and plans of the people we interact with without meaning to.
Ok super. Let’s now jump to the main part of our interview. You are currently working on promoting climate action. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change in our world today?
My avenue of promoting climate action has mainly been through writing. In particular, I write for a Christian audience to help explain and show how Christian and biblical values are naturally in line with caring for the planet and loving our neighbor through daily decisions to make a difference in climate action. One of the more obvious ways I explain this is by talking about how if we view Creator God as an artist, then all of creation is God’s artwork, and if we love God, then we will take care of this incredible canvas, or sculpture, of life. There wasn’t any need to try to spin or sell anything because even Christ’s simplest, foundational commandment: love God and love your neighbor, can be accomplished through being intentional about how our daily choices and actions impact the environment, which in turn affects our neighbor, globally and locally. I have two recent books out: A Christian’s Guide to Planet Earth and All of Creation. The latter is an adapted kids version of the original book to reach a younger generation with a similar message, but a bit funnier and more in line with “kid-speak.” Before this I wrote a nature-themed devotional, which I hope to continue to do, in which I choose a particular part of the natural world to write about, include relevant Scripture, a prayer, and in general, help the reader to contemplate the goodness of God through the lens of creation and Scripture. I believe this is as important as the more practical aspects of my writing because it helps us connect with creation in a deeper level and helps us develop an appreciation and even love for it, and we protect what we are connected to, what we love.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause? How old were you when you made this decision?
It started with my passion for protecting endangered species in elementary school: the gorilla presentation, a save the rainforest skit, and later a save the manatees project. I wouldn’t have been able to express it like this then, but it was my young theology that inspired this passion. I believed God created all the animals, and I was inspired, intrigued, and in awe of each one I learned about. So when I learned any of them were in danger, it was innate in me to feel indignant on their behalf and on God’s behalf and to want to try to save them. So I started by telling my classmates about the issues because somehow I also knew the problem would take a whole lot of people to fix it. However, it wasn’t until I was working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) International Affairs program after university in communicating about endangered species project around the world, that I consciously made the connection between the church missions I had been previously a part of and this mission to restore the environment. One of my colleagues (who happened to be a Jesuit catholic) called it our “Sacred Mission.” During this time climate change was becoming a priority for environmental communications, and I saw it as one of the most urgent issues of our time, if not the most, as it is connected to and augments all other environmental problems around the world. Around the same time, I started to catch wind of a trend of particular communities of Christians not accepting climate change as a real problem, and I decided to go to Yale to get my masters studying this connection between religion and environmental care in order to better understand the disconnect and learn a way to help bring some clarity about how the Christian faith relates to climate change and environmental issues today. The religious population is a numerous one, and I felt responsible to have a genuine conversation with my particular family of faith about these matters close to my heart, fueled by my love for God and earth, and writing was a gift I was able to use.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. We don’t always get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
My “Aha Moment” was when I found myself sitting across from a Zondervan acquisitions editor at a coffee shop in Nashville. Basically, after moving back home from Washington DC, I started going to a Presbyterian church and my Sunday school teacher happened to be the publisher I had previously written the devotional book for as a freelance writer. Eventually he found out I was that writer and ended up putting me in touch with the editor right before I left for Yale. So during the Christmas break after my first semester of grad school, there I was sitting across from that editor with cappuccinos between us listening to her tell me about this idea she had for a book that would be a general guide for Christians on caring for the earth; sales had approved it (a big hurtle I learned); she just needed a writer. I told her I was studying that exact topic and had already outlined and begun writing a book just like it (a passion project I started with my dad for local churches in Tennessee). It felt like the book project was placed in my lap, and I felt a responsibility to accept, as I’d been privileged to study and experience both Christian work and environmental work. I think one moral of this story is to be open to genuine connections and ready to talk about your passions, gifts, and goals.
What are some of the things you did, or steps you took to get started?
It turned out to be a pretty huge project: summarizing all the ecosystems, planetary networks, and environmental issues of the whole planet. I started by tweaking my outline based off of feedback from my editor, and then began compiling a mega amount of research on each topic. Wait I should say I started by praying first. Haha. It’s okay, I can’t remember if I did that or not but I did have the sense that God was with me and was pleased with this project, and that my friends and family would help get me through facing each challenge and taking deep dives into the suffering of the planet to figure out a way to write about it in a helpful, encouraging, and convicting way to reach my readers.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
So I didn’t see this coming, nor did anyone really, but the global pandemic broke out while I started writing this book. I researched and wrote the majority of it during the quarantine times of covid. It was because of that that my covid pod ended up being my biggest daily support. One of my favorite memories with them was building a tent fort in the middle of our living room. Their humor and goofiness especially were a great comfort and support while writing the book without much outside connection to the world.
Without saying specific names, can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
There’s not one specific person, but it’s been those readers who have found me on social media and messaged me about the different ways one of the books has inspired them or helped them connect their faith with their care and concern for the planet. I’m particularly gratified that the book was turned into a children’s version because I would have loved to have had a similar resource growing up as I was wrestling with what my faith had to do with the planetary issues I was learning about. With that said, I’m especially encouraged when I hear from parents about their little reader.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
One thing society and politicians could do is to focus on passing environmental laws and policies that are more bipartisan in nature. I learned the necessity of this while working with the USFWS: one administration worked diligently to communicate and work on climate change issues, and the moment the administration switched, climate change work was halted, and we lost a lot of progress. Passing environmentally protective laws is a big win, but it’s often not sustainable if we don’t work hard to bring our political “opponents” on board. Another thing is similar to this but has to do more with conversations with friends and family members who aren’t on board with climate action. I believe it’s important to speak passionately, but kindly. Also, try to listen first and understand what the holdup is. Often, it’s a value or belief that actually can be in line with environmental care. Whoever you’re speaking with needs to know you respect them and that you’re on the same side because most people do want a healthy environment and prosperous community. These two are inextricable. And finally, the obvious one, is do everything in your own power to change your daily habits towards climate aware choices. Ride your bike, save up for that electric vehicle, purchase less, and vote informed.
Fantastic. Here is the main question of the interview. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
1 . I’d start by saying to younger Betsy: You can do both, but you also don’t have to. If others are like me, I’ve had more than one passion and career path possibility. I felt pressure to follow both. This may be good or bad I’m not entirely sure yet, but I think some people are fulfilled by pursuing multiple career opportunities, and some like to settle down and become experts with depth in one field. I think both are valid. It’s about knowing yourself and what would be most fulfilling for you. Try to do what is instinctual or intuitive or most practical for you and discern out the voices that are more along the lines of “you should do this’ rather than are you truly passionate about this or will this be fulfilling and fitting for who you know yourself to be, your gifts and what is natural for you in activities in your day? For example, I’ve started working in a lab at Yale to figure out if the everyday practical activities of a scientist suit me, and I’ll let that work inspire my writing and drawing. Or I’ll discover that I prefer a lifestyle of writing and environmental communication that is more flexible with travel and where I work. There’s time to figure it out and shift directions when necessary.
2 . Also, be less modest about what you’re up to, or let go of what is probably false humility. It keeps you from inviting people into what you’re excited about and takes away others’ opportunities to share in it and support you. I shied away from talking about my book while I was working on it because I didn’t want to make a big deal of a dream come true. Which in hindsight this is silly because my friends and family want to be a part of what is important to me.
3 . Take classes that interest you to add to your skillset. Want to paint as well or illustrate, cook or surf, or learn wood working? Prioritize finding a teacher or class. take your hobbies seriously as well, they are food for creativity and optimism in whatever work you do. A hobby skillset could end up being a part of your career, or not. Either way it enriches your life and it’s worth making time for. For example, I took painting classes from my pastor’s wife while I was living in England, and I still paint today.
4 . Here’s a big one: feeling guilty about leaving home when following a calling and people you love will not help you or them. Be intentional about keeping in touch and expressing your love and be creative for how to keep important connections alive. I have people I love in many different places, which has been the most challenging part of my life, but I often let feelings of guilt or sadness keep me from just reaching out to them and maintaining those connections, which would lessen those heavy feelings and make me feel happy and connected.
5 . This last one is just a practical one related to the field of publishing, and probably most creative careers, which is to get an agent or someone like an agent. It’s helpful to have someone in-the-know, especially if you are new in a field, to help you navigate the culture and dealings of being a creative for a living. People have specialties in order to help out, and it can be more fulfilling to work with others.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
I would encourage young people to aim for contentment in what they own and to learn to share clothes, accessories, gaming devices, etc. Contentment and sharing will go a long way in communities to help us stifle the flow of mass consumerism, which effects the environment and enhances climate change. I wouldn’t stop there though. I’d encourage them to be creative and optimistic about innovate ways of living in community and acquiring what we need for our daily lives. Have fun with thinking of ways to live with the planet, where we enjoy its gifts while also helping nature flourish.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I’d love to have tea with Alister McGrath. He’s a professor at Oxford and part of the Ian Ramsey Center for Science and Religion. He’s a forerunner in helping Christians think deeply about the relationship between science and religion, and he seems to be always respectful and reasonable when he has public conversations about these topics. Plus, he just seems really kind and optimistic.
How can our readers follow you online?
My Instagram is @betsypainter, and I have a website: betsypainter.com. I have hopes of starting monthly nature devotional postings and an email group you can subscribe to for those. It’s said “coming soon” for a lot longer than what passes for the meaning of “soon.” Once there’s interest, I’ll get that going!
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
About the Interviewer: Monica Sanders JD, LL.M, is the founder of “The Undivide Project”, an organization dedicated to creating climate resilience in underserved communities using good tech and the power of the Internet. She holds faculty roles at the Georgetown University Law Center and the Tulane University Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy. Professor Sanders also serves on several UN agency working groups. As an attorney, Monica has held senior roles in all three branches of government, private industry, and nonprofits. In her previous life, she was a journalist for seven years and the recipient of several awards, including an Emmy. Now the New Orleans native spends her time in solidarity with and championing change for those on the frontlines of climate change and digital divestment. Learn more about how to join her at: www.theundivideproject.org.
Young Change Makers Promoting Climate Action: Why and How Betsy Painter Is Helping To Change Our… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.