Community is at the heart of everything Saltgrass does.
But what does it mean?
Diversity – We know that monocultures are not healthy in nature, that robust ecosystems are about countless species all working together in ways we still don’t always understand. So too with human culture and so too with the answers to the climate crisis. There will not be one solution, there are already thousands of different responses, actions and endeavours. Each climate solution is part of a massive ecosystem of answers, each needing the others to exist so that they may exist. No-one needs to be everything – and that is a huge relief!
Respect for the whole of the earth – When people talk about community they usually mean humans, but we want to also recognise that we are part of a community that includes plants, animals, fungi, ecosystems and the entire biosphere that we are a part of. We are a part of nature. We are certainly not separate or above or outside of nature. The wellbeing of all humans and all species is interconnected. To pretend otherwise is what got us into this mess.
Respect for Country and First People – Respect for first nations people and their culture is embedded in all episodes through acknowledgement of Country and Elders. Also, all care is taken to be respectful in how Australia’s first people are spoken about if they are not present in the conversation and how our shared history is spoken about. Effort is made to seek out topics and interviews with First Nations people to help share their perspectives on culture, nature and how to be in better relationship with Country. We continue to work on decolonisation of self and show.
Accessibility – We hope to provide education and knowledge in layperson terms, so that the content appeals to people at any stage of awareness around climate action. We try to ensure that financial means is no barrier to accessing the podcast content. Accessibility also means transcripts and other accessibility aids where possible.
Authenticity – Our goal is to present stories with integrity and transparency, this means allowing the humanity of the presenter and the guests to be a core part of the show.
Curiosity – We try not to get locked into dogma. We want to understand why one human pours their entire life into something and the next person doesn’t. Always searching for ways to connect with people to increase understanding, awareness and spark positive change. Always looking for ways people are changing and how the movement is evolving. We don’t always agree with everything our guests say, but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about it and leave room for different opinions and points of view.
Also, just in case it needs to be said:
Climate change is real and it is happening because of humanity – We started the show anxious that there would be lots of climate deniers pushing back. It hasn’t happened once! The majority of people not only accept that climate change is happening, they agree that it is caused by human activity. Most people also have some level of anxiety about this problem. This can manifest in blinkers on and an attitude of ‘too big, too hard’ – which is totally understandable. Or it can spur people to action, whether in their day to day habits, their work or on a political level. Wherever people are at, we hope that this show will be helpful.
Saltgrass Podcast 