How many interviews do you do a day?

It varies. Today I do eight, and then I go to a community event tonight right after that. So it's a full day. There are certain questions which are always asked, but there's usually something different about each one. My challenge is trying to get out what I want. That's the reason I do the media. I don't do the media because of "Woo-woo, Julia Butterfly," as I call it. I'm not into promoting me. I'm into talking about why I've done what I've done, why I continue to do this work and why other people should care.

Go with that. Tell me what you want us to know.

I want people to know that 97 percent of the ancient redwoods are gone. And of the remaining 3 percent, only 1 percent is permanently protected. The other 2 percent is disappearing daily at a horrific rate.

I want people to know that there are issues everywhere around the world -- that every community has issues facing them both socially and environmentally. From the air, to the water, to the forests, to nuclear waste, to the continued genocide of indigenous peoples. All of the issues.

I don't stop there. Because that's what disempowers people and overwhelms them. They think, "Oh, there are too many issues. I as one person can't make a difference." So the next message is: "OK, how do you make a difference? How do you as an individual make a change?"

I use the analogy of the hand. Any time we point a finger at what is wrong in the world, there are three fingers pointing back at us. I look at those three fingers as power, responsibility and love -- in daily, community and global life. It's not "Can we make a difference?" It's that we do make a difference because we have the power to change the world through everything we do and say.

That love part sounds interesting. Could you be a little more specific?

We live in a world that tells us not to care, to consume everything in sight. It tells us that being cool and being an individual actually means buying what everyone else is buying and doing what everyone else is doing.

For me love is not about froufrou New Age-ism. It's about a way of living and honoring the interconnectedness of life and accepting our responsibility and our power to change the world for the better.

Let's break it down. What are we doing in our daily lives? We live in a disposable society. We throw so much away. But it doesn't come from nowhere. It comes from the planet and it comes from future generations' lives.

So what do we do in our daily life? Are we buying paper cups every day and throwing them away, or are we willing to bring a reusable mug with us everywhere we go? Are we willing to stop using paper or plastic when we go into a store -- and bring our own cloth bag? Are we willing to bring reusable containers everywhere so that when we go out to eat we don't take our dinner home in a throwaway container?

The average American consumes [what used to amount to] 14 generations' worth [of products] in a single generation. So those small actions aren't small at all when they're multiplied by every person in this country.

Let's take that to our community. What issues are facing our community? Whatever it is that sparks your passion, find a way to help. Whether it's writing letters, attending rallies, signing petitions or direct action -- there's something that everyone can do.

Then take that globally. We should take the time to be conscious of where our dollars are going, and be willing to take our money back, even if it's our favorite store. That's the way we're going to protect the world. I can't do it alone. I'm not a superhero who swoops in and saves the day. I'm doing my part. Now it's time for everyone to do their parts too.

Your story is very dramatic. And perhaps people are longing for that kind of drama in their lives, but isn't what you're prescribing rather mundane by comparison?

The drama of my story is what has kindled the numbed consciousness of mainstream society. We live in a very image-oriented world. And the image of living in a tree for 738 days is what gets people interested in an issue that they may not have otherwise been interested in.

I'm not negating direct action. I lived in a tree for two years, and I'm continuing to do direct action. I was in Washington with the actions against the IMF and the World Bank. And I'm planning on going to the Democratic Convention [in Los Angeles] to speak out against the lies of our political leaders. I absolutely believe we have to get active. But I believe that the two go hand in hand. The personal is powerful. The personal is our hope.

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