For this post, I originally planned on sharing the Rainforest Action Network's awesome REVEL 2012 highlight video we put together, however because of the recent event of the unexpected death of Becky Tarbotton, my heart is elsewhere... Though I didn't know Becky personally, I had the honor of capturing a few of her speeches as RAN's incredible executive director over the last couple years. Her presence struck me as one of the most graceful and brightest I had witnessed. She made a giant room full of people hold complete attention, waiting with baited breath for what she had to say...and then she charmed them, grounded them, inspired them. As Bill McKibben said on DemocracyNow! last week, "we have no surplus of feisty, smart, wonderful young environmental leaders. It's an enormous loss."
I've re-watched this recent speech captured at REVEL 2012 many times now, coming away with the spirit of the work RAN has done and will continue to do and how she led with such light and charisma and heart. Moreover, life is so so precious. I recommend taking a few minutes to watch her speech in tribute.