For Shodo Spring, the reality of climate change got personal eight years ago when she visited her laughing newborn grandson.
"I thought, 'We can't do this … He's expecting a good life and so we have to change this,'" Spring said.
Since then, Spring, of Northfield, has become an environmental activist and trained as a Zen Buddhist priest.
While training to become a priest in 2011, she repeatedly envisioned walking the route of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which is to transport petroleum from Canada to Texas. It's the final phase of the Keystone pipeline and is still awaiting U.S. government approval.
As a result of those visions, this summer she'll embark on a 1,200 mile "Compassionate Earth Walk" from Hardisty, Alberta, to Steele City, Neb., following the pipeline's path.
Spring considers it "a spiritual walk" with the dual purpose of "returning energy to the earth" and engaging with people affected by the pipeline about its impact.
Environmentalists oppose the pipeline because it will carry tar sands oil, a dirty, heavy substance that requires a lot of energy to extract and refine. They cite the likelihood of spills — and the fact that the pipeline crosses the world's largest intact ecosystem and land with spiritual significance to Native Americans.
The walk, which starts July 1, will likely end in late October, Spring said. About ten people plan to trek the majority of the way, with others joining them for portions.