Dear reader,

Regardless of whose fault it is, here’s a truth that we need to accept — rural America has been forgotten. Coastal Americans constantly write rural America off as “flyover country” and “irrelevant”. Small towns only show up as backdrops for national political coverage, or when some kind of disaster has struck. The modern centralization around NYC has reinforced the notion that reporting on rural America is now a chore that is only undertaken when convenient to the national landscape. Occasional judgmental think pieces on how life has become “out there” run the show instead of real coverage.

We’ve allowed these petty ideals to get in the way of effectively conducting our society. Additionally, we’re living through a time where so many Americans don’t understand each other. We don’t take the time to consider what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes or understand why people believe the things they believe. All of these challenges, at a time where, more than ever, we desperately need to understand each other.

I’m egregiously guilty of the same mistakes I’ve just described. Perhaps more than any other reason, that’s why I left behind the suburban lifestyle of the East Bay and moved to Southeast, Kansas.

One way or another, this division has to be healed. I don’t have all the answers, and no one ever does, but I do know that we can look to rural America as an example of where to start. The compassion and the decency of small-town Americans that I’ve already witnessed in the few weeks I’ve been here is an underappreciated quality and it’s something that the rest of America stands to learn a great deal about.

Figuring this out won’t be an easy task, and it shouldn’t be. I truly believe the growing pains that this process will take will be well worth the hard work. If we truly want to bridge the gap between the two different Americas we live in, we have to make an effort before it’s too late.

One of my first stops in Allen County was the beautiful waterfall at the Elsmore Lake, located in the Southeast corner of the county.

Enter my new role here at Thrive Allen County. I first learned about Thrive’s work through a conversation with an online peer I met through political work. You all may recognize her as Allie Utley, one of the fiercest rural advocates in the country. After a few preliminary discussions around what it would take to bridge the urban-rural divide, and coupling with the Thrive board of director’s decision to sign onto the Kansas Climate + Health Declaration, it seemed only fitting that I join the team at Thrive to work on climate action — an entirely new field of work for them, their region, and myself.

I’ll admit, I’m a newbie when it comes to climate activism and research. But, after becoming inspired by public figures such as Governor Jay Inslee and Former Vice President Al Gore, I’ve decided to dedicate my life to this cause. I’m a firm believer in the idea that there is so much more to responsible stewardship of our environment than just recycling, or turning off your lights, or shutting off your water. There is an inherent opportunity for us to reshape the public health of our communities, to grow the economy in a way that creates more jobs than what’s been lost, and protect our air and our water. Our rural communities are the solution to climate change, and the sooner we acknowledge that potential and harness it, the better.

I eagerly anticipate developing public awareness strategies to draw attention to the climate crisis, as well as encouraging the community to adopt more sustainable practices.

Allen County, I have a really good feeling about this.

Yours rurally,

Arjav Rawal

Environmental Projects Intern