The Sustainability Lecture: Xiuhtezcatl Martinez an Inspiration to Youth

Today I attended the sustainability lecture given by Xiuhtezcatl Martinez. At first, I thought it was going to be weird listening to a kid my age speak about all of the crazy things he has done in his life; more things than I will ever be able to do in my life time. It was truly inspiring to hear him speak. The amount of passion he had in his work is what captivated me. The fact that he has written a book taught in courses, presented at a UN meeting, been on several talk shows, and given TED talks is incredible. His story was fascinating to listen to as was motivated by his family around him to make a difference in the world. Oh, and the fact that he and his group got a court date for their movement is amazing. While I don’t usually enjoy spoken word hip hop, I could appreciate what he was doing with the feeling and passion behind it.

Line drawing of environmental activist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez

I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to see my home engulfed in a flood or a fire. What he was able to live through and keep moving forward with his movement is incredible. The Earth Guardians movement is amazing. Its crazy to think that someone my age is doing so much good for the world. The story of the boy in Africa that had this movement started was fantastic. He managed to spread this movement to a level that the government recognized and adopted.

I was stuck for a while on what to write for my blog entry, but this lecture was truly inspiring, and I had to share. This lecture will be in the back of my mind for a long time to come. It makes me wish that there were more people out there that were doing what he is, in getting the youth involved.          — Doughty