Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983) was an architect, writer, systems theorist, designer, inventor and futurist. He once said, “We are called to be architects of the future, not its victims.” People, at least in my circles, seem to be finally talking about the climate crisis. But there still aren't many who are actually taking some action — action that will create the future. So, in the interests of the new year, and new year's resolutions, here is a short list of actions that you can take to do your part in 2019 to help safeguard the future. 1. Create Political Will
write a letter
sign a petition
send an email or a fax
make a phone call
visit your elected officials, at all levels, and ask them what they're doing about climate change
vote in the candidates who understand climate change and who include viable climate change solutions in their campaign
talk to others about how they can create political will
2. Make the Following Demands of Your Elected Officials
declare the climate change emergency (if London, England can do it, then your municipality can, too)
end fossil fuel subsidies
3. Meet with Like-Minded and Like-Hearted Members of Your Community
it's important (for our mental health) that we learn to mourn and lament all the sadness and "climate grief" surrounding this greatest crime ever against humanity
cry, laugh, and come up with solutions for local resilience together over tea
support a local coffee shop or library as a meeting place
4. Set an Example for Others
choose a plant-based (lower greenhouse gas-emitting) diet; go vegan (and share vegan foods with your friends and family)
grow some of your own food using no-till, no synthetic chemical methods
be an early adopter of new (lower/zero carbon) technologies, if possible (and if not, learn about them so you can promote them in your community)
be seen with your low/zero-carbon technologies (renewable energy, transportation ... like walking!)
5. Seek Out Courageous and Compassionate Ways to Make the Conversion to Zero Carbon
there are so many possible (viable) solutions to the climate crisis — and we need them all ("clean coal" is not viable)
spend some time to do some research; become passionate about some of the solutions
do this for all the children, of all species
ignore the deniers — or, if you've done enough research, stand up to them (but, be forewarned, it's time-consuming)
After all, as Peter Drucker says, "The best way to predict the future is to create it." And it's our future to create.
Have you ever heard that expression, "Be careful what you wish for, for you might get it"? Well, I got what I made the mistake of "wishing for" ... I said too often that I was busier than a one-armed paper hanger (an old saying of my dad's), and that I needed a break from all the busyness. I fell this past Thursday morning and broke my wrist — on my non dominant side, luckily. So today's post is being brought to you (slowly) by my right hand, while the left one looks on forlornly from its cast. Two hands are definitely better than one, especially as holiday preparations approach (I've bowed out of Christmas festivities for this year) and as a huge writing deadline looms (hunt and peck typing is so slow). It's incredible how helpful that second hand is! But it's got me thinking of what we could accomplish on the climate front if we put our 15 billion hands together. Actor and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn once said,
"As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others."
So that still leaves us with billions of hands that could and should be helping to safeguard the future for those who aren't "old hands" yet.
Which reminds me of another important quote when it comes to climate change leadership.
"It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong." — Thomas Sowell (an economist whose views I don't appreciate)
Anyway, my holiday wish for you this year is that you have / find /take a few moments to truly appreciate the strength and the power of your two hands ... to wrap around loved ones, to help others in need, to write letters and create protest signs, to grow food and prepare it and share it, to create the future and hold the fate of all the children, of all species. May your hands be your gift to the world.
The climate talks (COP24) in Katowice, Poland have wrapped up with as little accomplished and as much left undone as expected ... but we always hope for better, don't we? I find myself doing a lot of finger crossing (for good luck) these days, but without holding my breath (expectations can be demons). The devastation of the biosphere can only get worse now, and faster and faster. We're likely in "only a miracle can save us now" territory already. My hubby is just back from the International Criminal Court in The Hague. He and others (including Polly Higgins) spoke about getting massive environmental damage due to climate change recognized internationally as a crime against humanity. But the wheels of justice turn very slowly (unless, of course, you're an African-American accused of a misdemeanor crime in the United States), so that can only be one piece of the strategy. But things have been heating up (pun intended, I guess) since the publication of the IPCC's Special Report on 1.5ºC, and the Fourth National Climate Assessment in the United States. Here's how I know. Amongst articles such as The 15 Most Stylish Topcoats to Wear All Winter and Damnit, Ted Cruz's Beard Looks Tolerable, Esquire Magazine offered up
by Charles P. Pierce. The subtitle of his article is: "The lastest U.S. government climate report is a pre-emptive coroner's report, and our politics aren't equipped to deal with it." I don't think I have to say any more. Maclean's Magazine, in Canada, is into the fray. David Moscrop wrote:
"We
can’t address an existential threat with our fellow citizens standing in
our path. They rob us of the hope we need to save ourselves" is the subtitle. Now, you know what I think of hope (it's a developed world luxury that we don't deserve — unless we're taking action), but I'll let him have this one because he's a newbie who has just woken up to the climate crisis and is going from zero to "climate grief" quite rapidly. (Whoever could have imagined that one of our greatest obstacles to climate change mitigation would be people who think that hope and feeling good are more important than action?!)
Anyway, my point is this. Sometimes, this calling hurts. It's hard. We can feel defeated and depleted. And when that happens, we have to have our touchstones. The people we can reach out to, the uplifting books or movies we can read or watch, and music — songs we can listen to over and over again that speak to our souls and know exactly what to tell us.
So whether you've been doing this for decades (like my husband and me) or you're just discovering how desperately bad the climate change crisis is now, Anthem by Leonard Cohen is an excellent invitation to take stock and then to keep at it ... imperfectly, if necessary.
ANTHEM, by Leonard Cohen
The birds, they sang At the break of day Start again, I heard them say Don't dwell on what has passed away Or what is yet to be.
Yeah, the wars They will be fought again The holy dove She will be caught again Bought and sold and bought again The dove is never free.
Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering There is a crack, a crack in everything That's how the light gets in.
We asked for signs The signs were sent: The birth betrayed The marriage spent Yeah, the widowhood of every government Signs for all to see.
I can't run no more With that lawless crowd While the killers in high places say their prayers out loud But they've summoned, they've summoned up a thundercloud They're gonna hear from me.
Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering There is a crack, a crack in everything That's how the light gets in. You can add up the parts You won't have the sum You can strike up the march There is no drum Every heart, every heart To love, will come But like a refugee.
Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering There is a crack, a crack in everything That's how the light gets in
Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering There is a crack, a crack in everything That's how the light gets in That's how the light gets in That's how the light gets in
Life is busy. Saving the world is hard — and never-ending — work, it seems, especially if one wants to also have a semblance of "normal" in one's life. In the interests of getting everything done that needs doing, I'm going to leave you this week with ... nothing. I'm depleted and yet still giving.
So, with apologies, I'm going to get back to work now. I'll be here again next week, deadlines met (I hope!), dishes done, garden finally put to bed (talk about procrastinating) and friends lunched and tea'd and dinnered with.
May something good come out of Katowice in Poland at COP24 this week. We have GOT to get moving on getting to zero carbon. (The biggest "enemy" in the world is chasing us, and it feels like we keep tripping each other up instead of helping each other run faster.)
p.s. Wait, here's something wonderful for us to meditate on. It reminds me of why I do the climate change work I do. It's not for me!
Am I a climate change crank? Possibly. I put my climate change work ahead of everything except my marriage (and my dog ;-). I put off friends if I've got a writing project on the go. I can't bring myself to attend social events that are going to be all happy happy. My house is a mess.
I don't believe that "hope" is more important than action (but that action is our only hope). I rarely see my family "back home" because I don't want to fly. My social media posts are almost always about environmental issues (although I'm not averse to a joke or inspirational story now and then). And I can't remember the last time I got to go on a "real" vacation that wasn't a climate change conference (and the attendant stresses). Yeah, maybe I am a climate change crank. But it's how I can live with myself. It's how I know I'm doing (almost) everything I can. However, as more and more people discover how bad things are, they are talking more and more about their despair ... the despair I've been feeling for years and years, and crying about every. single. day. So in the interest of keeping some friends in my life, I'm not going to say, "What took you so long?" or anything snarky like that. However much I believe that truly feeling the pain of what we're losing and then lamenting it is vital, I'm going in a different direction today.
I'm going to share what Al Gore (my mentor in the Climate Reality Leadership Corps program) and other leaders presented recently on The Five Stages of Climate Optimism. (I suppose Mr. Gore wouldn't have anyone signing up for his trainings if he didn't present some sort of optimism.)
BTW, please consult a qualified professional if you believe you may be
suffering from anxiety or depression, or experiencing other forms of
mental health distress. Or find a climate change buddy you can share this burden with. (Now that's a good friend!)
The Five Stages of Climate Optimism In a TV interview earlier this week, Climate Reality Founder and Chairman Al Gore said this about the recent flurry of scientific reports about climate change:
“It is hard at times to hear all that and feel the tragedy of it and maintain your hope and optimism that we’re gonna solve this problem. I continue to believe that we will, because we have faced almost insurmountable obstacles in the past…and we have rallied, as human beings, to do what’s right.”
Even when scientists uncover new information about the impacts that will result from climate change, even when the research tells us that we have only a few years to make global changes if we’re to avoid the worst, here at Climate Reality we remain optimistic.
We each, as individuals, keep our hope tanks filled in different ways, but here are five things we’ve found to be particularly good for refilling our optimism.
1. Acceptance
As a climate advocate, you’re likely tuned in to the latest research and policy progress regarding climate change…and so it’s not news to you that the headlines aren’t always sunny.
Many people who contemplate climate issues find that they wrestle with a whole spectrum of emotions – including, for some, grief. And it’s no wonder.
But the five stages of grief end with acceptance, and there are many wonderful activists, researchers, and medical professionals working today to help people who are working through environmental grief to reach the acceptance stage and stay motivated. There is great power in acknowledging and talking about the feelings we have about the climate crisis – and accepting our own feelings is important if we’re to turn acceptance into powerful action.
2. Community
“Grace happens when we act with others on behalf of our world.” ― Joanna Macy
The best antidote to despair is a community of people you can talk with, learn with, and work alongside to make a difference.
When we meet directly with the people who make up the Climate Reality Leadership Corps – parents, teachers, doctors, scientists, innovators, entrepreneurs, community organizers, faith leaders, and so much more – we find at every turn that there are new reasons to be optimistic.
Did you know that just last week members of a US Climate Reality Chapter in Santa Barbara worked together with the students in a Campus Corps Chapter to get their local transit district to commit to using all-electric buses?
This community of passionate activists met together, campaigned together, and ultimately won together.
And this singular accomplishment doesn’t exist on its own – take it from those of us who see your Acts of Leadership come in every day. Thanks to people coming together to support and inspire each other, change like this is happening right now in places all over the world.
And that gives us hope.
3. Inspiration
"In the struggle between hope and despair, I always come out on the side of hope." ― Vice President Al Gore
It’s not too hard to find inspiration in the work of Climate Reality Leaders, but where else can you go for a quick dose of hope?
The bad news often grabs the big headlines, but it continues to be true that in spite of attention-getting policy setbacks at the national and international level, the economy continues to turn in favor of clean, renewable energy. For instance, we just learned that in some parts of the US now, wind and solar are cheaper than coal and natural gas, and the We Mean Business Coalition now boasts 830 companies committed to significant climate action.
Companies, as well as local governments, continue to prove they can make big changes. Cities, which are responsible for approximately 70 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions and a place where policies like building codes and renewable energy standards can make a real difference, are stepping up in a big way – in fact, 27 major cities (including London, New York City, and Melbourne) have succeeded in reducing their emissions by 10 percent over a five-year period.
Back in 2016, Vice President Al Gore explained some of the many inspirations for his optimism in a popular TED talk, most of which still apply today.
The truth is that the news isn’t all bad, even if it may seem that way sometimes – and we’re consistently inspired by the real world progress that we see beyond the doom-and-gloom headlines.
4. Action
“The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.” ― Wendell Berry
Knowing the reality of the climate crisis is important – and we must see it for what it is before we can hope to fight it. But without hope and inspiration, it’s hard to maintain the will to act [this is where I disagree; I think that if we act, it maintains our hope and inspiration; otherwise, it's a cop out, but then I did say that I'm a crank! but just because I'm a crank doesn't mean I'm wrong] – which is one reason why Climate Reality continually looks to highlight and support the solutions that are already underway to fight the climate crisis.
If you want to be inspired by how people all over the world are taking action, make sure you tune in to this week’s broadcast of 24 Hours of Reality: Protect Our Planet, Protect Ourselves. We’ll highlight stories from around the globe not just about the impacts of climate change, but about the solutions that are already gaining ground. We’ll also share a unique way you can take action by contacting world leaders.
“Take breaks when you need them. Rest, take care of yourself, and return to the work. I promise it’ll still be there when you’re recharged.” ― LaUra Schmidt
When confronting the existential crisis presented by climate change, we can’t always jump to our feet – sometimes the sheer scope and size of it all, and the weight of our emotions, means we must take time to sit with our feelings and take care of ourselves. [Now we're talking! This is what I mean by lament, and being willing to feel bad for the sake of the future.]
One way we like to recharge ourselves is to get out in a natural place – get close to the very environment we’re all working so hard to protect. Whether you head to the beach, forest, mountains, or local park, the simple act of being outside has numerous physical and mental health benefits.
Consider, as well, taking a break from the news and the science for a time. Consider disconnecting from social media or any other distraction that doesn’t directly contribute to your happiness and wellbeing. Whatever it is you do to care for yourself, make sure you make time for it. Often, taking a break from the action to pause and appreciate the life we have on this planet is just the thing needed to allow us to come back refreshed and ready to make change.
This fight won’t be over soon, and it won’t be easy – but if we look out for ourselves and each other, if we focus on sources of inspiration and opportunities to act, we can make a positive difference in the future that the next generation will inherit. *******
That is my gift of compassion to you this week! May you find a place in your heart where you can hold the pain so that young children don't have to.
