where, undisturbed, we can feel their
“When the inner joy Mother
A self-described “half capitalist,
essence and they can feel ours.”
Teresa spoke of, the joy of half environmentalist,” Von Otnott sells
Contact Susan Eirich, Earthfire Institute,
compassionate service, is
solar products and avidly promotes
P.O. Box 368, Driggs, ID; 208-456-
married to a practical and
the renewable energy business via his
New Orleans-based South Coast Solar
0926; EarthfireInstitute.org.
pragmatic drive to transform
Company. A longtime political activist
all existing economic, social for clean energy, he has been actively
and political institutions,
involved with his state’s development of
a radical and potentially
its renewable energy industry.
Von Otnott speaks monthly to
all-transforming holy force is
groups around the state, encouraging his
born. This radical holy force audiences to engage in the political pro-
I call sacred activism.”
cess by demanding that sustainable busi-
ness practices become the cornerstone
of Louisiana public policy. “Citizens
~ Andrew Harvey, author
must learn to hold their political candi-
and activist
dates accountable and let them know
that renewable energy is an important
industry that can generate the kind of
gest lesson from Project Cuddle, now
jobs that can’t
Debbe Magnusen
operating nationally, is the grace to be
be exported,” he
nonjudgmental. “I’m alive,” she main-
advises. In the end,
Debbe Magnusen, Activist
tains, “so that I can unconditionally love
he reflects, support
for Abandoned Babies
every scared girl or woman [who comes
for renewable
to me] through her ordeal.”
Debbe Magnusen felt bereft after hearing energies supports
about an abandoned baby found suf- the betterment of
focated in a trash bag close to her Costa
Contact Debbe Magnusen, Project
mankind.
Mesa home in California. As a compas-
Cuddle, non-crisis 714-432-9681 or
sionate woman who had already fostered
info@ProductCuddle.org; crisis hotline
Troy Von Otnott,
more than 30 drug-exposed babies while
888-628-3353.
South Coast Solar,
raising two biological children, Mag- LLC, 733 St. Joseph
nusen chose to channel her anger and St., New Orleans,
Troy Von Otnott
frustration into constructive action.
Troy Von Otnott, Political Activist
LA; 504-529-7869;
“As a foster mother, I had always
for Sustainable Business
SouthCoastSolar.com.
hoped that unwanted babies would As a child growing up in New Orleans,
be brought to me,” she recalls. “But it Troy Von Otnott recalls members of his As we begin a new decade, let us see
didn’t occur to me until that moment family embracing politics, interfacing new opportunities to take fresh action
that no one knew where I was or that I with politicians and working on public on the issues we are most passionate
wanted to rescue their newborn.” policy issues. The lively discussions and about. With our collective vision and
The insight led her to create a 24/7 debates sparked his curiosity about the potential, we can go far in meeting to-
crisis hotline in her Orange County liv- political process and eventually led day’s challenges and making the type of
ing room in 1996. Within 12 hours, she him to visit the halls of power in Baton impact that Robert Kennedy envisioned
received her first call, from a frantic, Rouge, Louisiana, and Washington, in 1966: “Each time a person stands up
frightened woman who had hidden her D.C., for a firsthand understanding of for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot
pregnancy from everyone she knew. To how a democracy works. He remarks: of others, or strikes out against injus-
date, Project Cuddle has helped rescue “Although we live in a free enterprise tice, he or she sends forth a tiny ripple
663 unwanted babies. “No baby de- society, government still controls how of hope. And crossing each other from
serves to die before having a chance to we function in life, particularly from a a million different centers of energy and
live,” says Magnusen, who understands business standpoint.” daring, those ripples build a current
the desperation of girls and women In his native city, politics is consid- that can sweep down the mightiest of
who can be in labor while still denying ered a contact sport, vigorously dis- walls of oppression and resistance.”
that they are pregnant. cussed around dinner tables. “We play
This tireless activist imagines herself for keeps,” explains Von Otnott, “and Linda Sechrist is a freelance writer and
in the place of every abandoned child unlike other larger regional cities, the the editor of Natural Awakenings’ flag-
and is inspirationally refueled each time business community doesn’t run this city, ship magazine in Southwest Florida.
she sees a newborn baby crying safely the politicians do. If you want to get any- Connect via 239-434-9392.
in a hospital. “For me, God is in every thing done, you have to understand how
person,” says Magnusen, whose big- to function inside the political system.”
46 NA Triangle www.natriangle.com
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