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RtE: What environmental issue(s) do you consider to be the most critical at this time?

Hyim: The most critical environmental issue is that of human beings and our consciousness towards the environment. So many of us see ourselves as separate organisms, a species set apart from the rest of the Earth. We often see the Earth as something to be exploited and capitalized upon. Of course there are individual issues: the melting polar ice caps (Since 1979, the size of the summer polar ice cap has shrunk more than 20 percent - Natural Resources Defense Council), the decline of fresh water resources for our booming population, and the fact that about 140 species are becoming extinct everyday (Global Biodiversity Assessment. UNEP, Cambridge University Press, 1995). These are just a few examples of the devastation that our global community is facing. The challenges that we are facing, because we must alter our unsustainable social and economic systems, is daunting. I believe that simply the act of standing up for ourselves and our world and doing something, brings a sense of joy and truth to our person that is lacking because we so personally feel the destruction our world is experiencing.

RtE: What has inspired you to combine environmental activism with your music?

Hyim: It is impossible to not combine them for me. In some ways it's why I want to be on stage and be a part of putting the good word out. People act like making change and being a part of a movement for a better world is all work and no play. The truth is, when I feel myself as part of a movement and that what I am doing is the right thing to do, it allows me to celebrate life that much more. It allows me the joy of being alive!

RtE: Where is your favorite place in nature to go to find solace or inspiration?

Hyim: I love to be in the Oakland Redwoods here in northern California. I go running up there with my dog Izzy and sometimes I go up there to watch the sunset. I also enjoy Point Reyes, Yosemite National Park and my own backyard.