Episode 0220: John Michno—Adding Leadership for the 2020's Climate Challenge

For Jubilee OneEarth Economics, part of positioning ourselves to meet the challenges of the 2020's is adding John Michno to the leadership team.

For Jubilee OneEarth Economics, part of positioning ourselves to meet the challenges of the 2020's  is adding John Michno to the leadership team.

John's Values

Environmental and human sustainability are so important. I can see that the Pearl of Great Price Jesus talks about -- is the ecosystem -- Earth, our home. Earth provides the right amount of oxygen, water and plant nutrients. This delicate balance is changing, due to the unconscious way that we over- consume. The Good News is, we are creating a new culture of sustainability.

John's Work & Business

I started work as a Fellow with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, researching mathematical models of sea pollutants and overfishing. With a degree in Physics from UCSD, I worked as a software engineer for a former division of General Electric. I became a software sales consultant to Global 500 corporations, saving building & vehicle operations costs and energy use. Advising a leadership team at the Federal Aviation Administration, I facilitated a $5.2 million software purchase. As a project manager, I directed 44 software engineers, gathering requirements from thirty US Navy managers. I eventually headed a team of twelve software engineers working for the National Science Foundation. We were a $20 million program for earthquake and structural engineering research from a consortium of fifteen universities around the world.

John's Human-Valued Mission

As this work drew to a close, I was weary of moving up the ladder. My ambition had always been to earn another promotion, challenging myself. But in the competitive world of business, I was wanting more kindness and coaching to develop my growth possibilities.

I had been an Intervarsity Bible Study leader and a camp counselor with inner city Latino and African American youth. I started to study Nonviolent Communication (NVC), a conflict intervention process with roots in the work of psychologist Carl Rodgers, who emphasized the beauty of the individual. I joined a circle of Unitarians, Buddhists and activists who hosted communication workshops. My friends invited me to co-facilitate a monthly NVC practice group. We added Appreciative Inquiry, Open Space Technology, mindfulness and Heart Math. I was invited to teach at various universities, synagogues and churches.

After the election of 2016, I became more aware of the bullying of Muslim, Hispanic and other school children. I joined an interfaith team and liaised to social workers at Trauma Informed Care Team. With the school district, we created new procedures and curriculum to protect kids from bullying.

As the climate emergency became apparent, I worked as the Interfaith Coordinator for 350, seeking to reduce the worst impacts of climate change. My job was to form relationships with clergy of all faiths, inviting them to take joint action on climate change, through education about the science of climate change, and through Creation Care circles in their faith communities. I worked with Catholics, Brethren, Episcopalians, Methodists, UCC, Religious Science and Ba’hai.

Through these experiences, I increasingly valued the diversity of spiritual practices, the insight of science, the preciousness of our environment, and of individual humans. We are bringing these gifts to nourish our planet and our peoples. 

In 2020, we’ll be holding special events recognizing the 20th year for Jubilee Economics Ministries -- A delegation to southern Mexico to learn communitarian practices from the JEM Circles there, 6/6-13; a conference in San Diego, 9/19-20, featuring  scholar Wes Howard-Brooke; a 20th anniversary party in San Diego toward the end of the year.

The 2020’s

1. Hopes and challenges of OneEarth (low growth/no growth) economics in the face of unbridled capitalism. Using communitarian (not communist!) models exemplified among the Zapatistas.

Colleagues: GrowthBusters (Dave Gardner)--film and podcast; World Population Balance + OverPopulation Podcast; Post-Carbon Institute programs + CrazyTown podcast (SLW! Ep. 109–Richard Heinberg); CASSE: Center for the Advancement of the Steady-State Economy (The Common Good Podcast Ep. 46–Brian Czech); Center for Sustainable Economy

2. Future of voluntary simplicity; being replaced by minimalism

Overconsumption and Overpopulation as the primary drivers of the Climate Crisis

For Earlier Episodes, visit http://simpleliving.startlogic.com/indexoth.php?place=podcast.php