Yes! Just reading this made me feel less isolated.
I think one of the problems about the discussion around climate change is that we’ve been too effective at broadcasting the apocalypse side—which gets people’s attention but also makes them feel hopeless and thus perhaps LESS likely to take action—and we could be doing a lot more in the realm of designing what we DO want the future to look like. That better future won’t just happen on its own; we have to create it. Community is essential for that part. We can work wonders if we get together and plan. 💚
Yes, for me the idea of imagining livable futures is exciting. I worry that sounds a little too Pollyanna. But I'm not especially interested in optimism or hope or the question of how to think about the future. I think we can get bogged down in that one. I'm more interested in the doing. What can we do today? What can we do tomorrow? How do we live within this problem instead of trying to keep ourselves apart from it?
I found your post from the AWCS newsletter and I wanted to comment and say: I have the SAME thought whenever I wake in the middle of the night!! I will think of you next time that happens (tonight?).
This post was really wonderful. I did an online Climate Wayfinding course a few years ago and, too, felt rejuvenated being around other climate people. I'm still finding my way, but I love the framework of working with whatever you currently have to make one small action and then another to build a climate community!
thanks for linking to the damascus fund. I spent a few extra days there when I hiked through in 2019 and am so sad for the town and the trail community around there. and thanks for the reminder to build community rather than despair in isolation. i would totally drive to your baseball diamond in a corn field! (or walk there without using fossil fuels).
Hi Mandy, Thank you. I find the climate conversation about "What can I do?" tends to fall in two areas. The first is personal - "buy an electric car, eat less meat ...etc". the second is "pressure the government to do something". We do have a third option - to pressure the lenders. In Canada, for example, we have some of the dirtiest banks in the world in terms of funding fossil fuel extraction according to the Rainforest Action Network. RBC is a particular villain in this area. I pulled all my accounts out of TD after 40 years of dealing with them and told them clearly in a letter to the Chair why I was doing this. No response of course :). But if this were to become a movement?.... Bill Mckibben highlights this issue in the New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/could-googles-carbon-emissions-have-effectively-doubled-overnight
Thanks, Bruce. Yeah we're planning to move our banking all over to a credit union when our mortgage is up. I definitely think this is something we should all be talking about more!
We're heading in the right direction with this, Mandy. It's education and acknowledgment that takes us there. I lived on Keats Island for many years during the '80s. Back in the '60s though, people used to throw their garbage into the ocean as they left the island on a Sunday night... and their old fridges and stoves. It's just what they did, thinking it was fine. Now, anyone would be horrified to see that happen. We're making baby steps. I think the media is responsible for creating the idea that we're on the brink of an apocalypse. When we hear "This is the first time in 100 years we've seen the likes of this hurricane," what does that tell us? It happened 100 years ago. The messages being thrown out there are not helpful. Baby steps, hope, optimism, and action are required. Meanwhile, my heart goes out to your communities in Appalachia.
Hi Maureen: Hearing this kind of story reminds me how much behavioral norms can change--and if the pandemic taught us anything it's that this can happen quickly. Baby steps don't feel like to enough to secure a livable world but I've been heartened to see some steps happening more quickly than planned or expected--the last coal-power plant just closed in the UK and it was their primary source of fuel only a decade ago!
This is a fine, gentle rallying call -- something I can work with. Thinking about you and your people every day. Moving (medium torture). Reiterate endlessly that community is our only road to survival. It's all a project in process but I love your environmental writing class idea. I read a wonderful piece on darkness -- not published yet I think but full of good information as the writer travelled to the gathering out west somewhere, grasslands and the like. Thanks.
Yes! Just reading this made me feel less isolated.
I think one of the problems about the discussion around climate change is that we’ve been too effective at broadcasting the apocalypse side—which gets people’s attention but also makes them feel hopeless and thus perhaps LESS likely to take action—and we could be doing a lot more in the realm of designing what we DO want the future to look like. That better future won’t just happen on its own; we have to create it. Community is essential for that part. We can work wonders if we get together and plan. 💚
Yes, for me the idea of imagining livable futures is exciting. I worry that sounds a little too Pollyanna. But I'm not especially interested in optimism or hope or the question of how to think about the future. I think we can get bogged down in that one. I'm more interested in the doing. What can we do today? What can we do tomorrow? How do we live within this problem instead of trying to keep ourselves apart from it?
Definitely—the imagining needs to involve the practical steps to get to that future from here, or it isn't much use!
I found your post from the AWCS newsletter and I wanted to comment and say: I have the SAME thought whenever I wake in the middle of the night!! I will think of you next time that happens (tonight?).
This post was really wonderful. I did an online Climate Wayfinding course a few years ago and, too, felt rejuvenated being around other climate people. I'm still finding my way, but I love the framework of working with whatever you currently have to make one small action and then another to build a climate community!
thanks for linking to the damascus fund. I spent a few extra days there when I hiked through in 2019 and am so sad for the town and the trail community around there. and thanks for the reminder to build community rather than despair in isolation. i would totally drive to your baseball diamond in a corn field! (or walk there without using fossil fuels).
🩷🩷🩷 I love that you know Damascus!
Hi Mandy, Thank you. I find the climate conversation about "What can I do?" tends to fall in two areas. The first is personal - "buy an electric car, eat less meat ...etc". the second is "pressure the government to do something". We do have a third option - to pressure the lenders. In Canada, for example, we have some of the dirtiest banks in the world in terms of funding fossil fuel extraction according to the Rainforest Action Network. RBC is a particular villain in this area. I pulled all my accounts out of TD after 40 years of dealing with them and told them clearly in a letter to the Chair why I was doing this. No response of course :). But if this were to become a movement?.... Bill Mckibben highlights this issue in the New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/could-googles-carbon-emissions-have-effectively-doubled-overnight
Thanks, Bruce. Yeah we're planning to move our banking all over to a credit union when our mortgage is up. I definitely think this is something we should all be talking about more!
We're heading in the right direction with this, Mandy. It's education and acknowledgment that takes us there. I lived on Keats Island for many years during the '80s. Back in the '60s though, people used to throw their garbage into the ocean as they left the island on a Sunday night... and their old fridges and stoves. It's just what they did, thinking it was fine. Now, anyone would be horrified to see that happen. We're making baby steps. I think the media is responsible for creating the idea that we're on the brink of an apocalypse. When we hear "This is the first time in 100 years we've seen the likes of this hurricane," what does that tell us? It happened 100 years ago. The messages being thrown out there are not helpful. Baby steps, hope, optimism, and action are required. Meanwhile, my heart goes out to your communities in Appalachia.
Hi Maureen: Hearing this kind of story reminds me how much behavioral norms can change--and if the pandemic taught us anything it's that this can happen quickly. Baby steps don't feel like to enough to secure a livable world but I've been heartened to see some steps happening more quickly than planned or expected--the last coal-power plant just closed in the UK and it was their primary source of fuel only a decade ago!
This is a fine, gentle rallying call -- something I can work with. Thinking about you and your people every day. Moving (medium torture). Reiterate endlessly that community is our only road to survival. It's all a project in process but I love your environmental writing class idea. I read a wonderful piece on darkness -- not published yet I think but full of good information as the writer travelled to the gathering out west somewhere, grasslands and the like. Thanks.
Good luck with your move, Gwen. Moves are always so much work! Another situation where community is so essential.
I’ll find you in the hall! ❤️ Thanks for this.