Climate Hell for Our Children

You know how sometimes you can "google" a topic and then stumble onto a website that is not at all what you were looking for — but that ends up being just what you needed? That happened to me the other day, and I came across this quote:

If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. Let them go with our arms around their knees. Let no one go there unwarned or unprayed for.

Yes, it was an evangelical Christian website (not at all what I was seeking), but that quote really jumped out at me. Though not in the context they meant it.

It struck me that we could substitute the word "children" for their "sinners" — and then maybe people would understand the hellish climate change emergency that we've condemned our children to:

If children be damned, at least let us stand in the way of that hell for as long as we're alive. Let them go with our arms around them, holding on as tightly as possible. Let no child go there unloved or unprayed for.

Indeed, let us do everything we can possibly do to help today's generation of children avoid the climate hell we're currently creating. I know that's what I'm working for.

Get Inspired!

Well, folks, if we have the energy and creativity to do this:

... and the skill and creativity to do this:

... then we can save the world! (We've got to find our inspiration anywhere we can. ;-)

Okay, I'm Back! Depression -> Anger -> Action

The suicide of our young friend really got to me. But I'm happy to report that several things have conspired recently to pull me out of my "it's no use, the world is too cruel" blue funk and depression.

First, I attended a work-related retreat that decidedly did not live up to its name (it was purported to be about "education for human sustainability" — but I was the only person there talking about the survival of our species). That got me realizing that there is still an ENORMOUS amount of educating to do — even amongst educators. And that's my vocation, so I need to hop to it.

Then, at the retreat, I talked with a lovely mother of two students. She told me that she has lots of energy to create change, but that even contemplating the climate change emergency saps her of this energy. So I found myself giving her a pep talk that worked on me, too! Here's what I suggested to her:

"Feel the despair. Truly feel it. Don't be afraid. It's the perfectly natural reaction if you understand the situation. But then turn the resulting depression to anger (especially on behalf of your children). And then, as Gandhi suggested, channel that anger into positive action."

Also, I've been inspired by some friends and fellow climate change activists who have decidely NOT let the situation get them down. Whoosh, I'm being swept along by their ongoing hard work and enthusiasm. (We don't have to be strong every minute, but we should remember who's got the life buoys.) I am also grateful for supportive emails from acquaintances and strangers.

Then, some posts on my favourite listserve got me hopping mad about how much we're allowing the climate scientists to be bullied. I've always been a defender of the underdog, and right now the climate scientists are down and need our support and defence.

Sure, the IPCC has flaws ... perhaps the greatest is that they were set up to NOT make policy recommendations. Another flaw is that they decided at their first meeting to sugarcoat the truth (the scariest story in 2030: Confronting Thermageddon in Our Lifetime by Bob Hunter) in order not to alarm the policy makers into feeling there was nothing to be done. They haven't been including carbon feedbacks in their therefore too tame projections. And many of them have not been courageous enough to speak out about the climate change emergency (join the crowd). Indeed, I suspect that many of them are so focused on reductionist research that they haven't even seen the climate change emergency, which requires an integration of research results and a bird's eye view.

But they don't deserve our doubt and derision on top of the deniers' / skeptics' / ignorers' / delayers' bullying and harassment. If anyone deserves our compassion right now, it's the climate scientists.

And finally, spring has arrived here in the Pacific Northwest of North America. I cannot feel blue when every plant I see is demonstrating such life force!

For the sake of the Earth, the future, and the children of all species, I'm back!

(with thanks for the photo and the kind thoughts to Karen of BitStop.ca)

The World is a Harsh Place for Sensitive Souls

Just realized that I haven't blogged in a long time. So many (too many) things happening, the saddest of which is the loss of a young friend. She was sensitive and gifted — and tortured as only sensitive and gifted teenagers can be. She said goodbye to this insensitive world yesterday, breaking many, many hearts. Thank you for sharing sunny bits of your too short life with us, sweet girl. My heart goes out to your parents.

I am despairing at a world full of people happy to not try to make the world a happier place, a safer place. No, that's so convoluted. What am I trying to convey? There is so much pettiness in the world. There are so many people not making any efforts to make the world a better place — and rationalizing every step of the way. Why must the fragile, vulnerable ones pay for this with their lives?

Community meetings on greenhouse gas reductions and the spearheading of a local "transition movement." Not an ounce of urgency or passion. Strong doses of "we can't/shouldn't do that here." (When are people going to get that we can't NIMBY this issue anymore? The atmosphere does not respect boundaries, borders or backyards.) No one jumping at the chance to do all we can. A lot of platitudes and holding back.

The sensitive ones are killing themselves because it's all too cruel. The rest of us are killing everything else because we're boring — we cannot muster energy and enthusiasm, creativity and imagination, passion and urgency. We're good at sitting around and talking, but talk is just talk unless it leads to learning and action.

My young friend cared about the Earth and the future. Because I believe that every life is sacred, may I find a way to honour her care and concern. Blessed be.

But I could have told you, Vincent,

This world was never meant for one

As beautiful as you.