Things are heating up quite seriously. Smoke from enormous wildfires many miles north drifts into the river canyon beside us. The Midwest drought finds the land in far worse condition than the last massive droughts in the 1930s, and a world far more dependent on its food exports. No, we aren’t in Kansas anymore.
And yet the silence around climate change, from president, candidates and administration, is a deafening affirmation that The Powers That Be, whoever really controls the ship of state, does not want America to turn and face the greatest crisis humanity has known. Therein lies the power of money, the short-term thinking of global capitalism, and the massive entrenchment of “Business as Usual” that needs to be dismantled. People are working at it, and we join our hearts and voices with theirs. But much more is needed — an upsurge of collective will to face and “solve” climate change and peak oil. That means us.
This message is at the heart of Guy Dauncey’s rousing conversation on The Great Transition (forthcoming episode 218). Author of The Climate Challenge:101 Solutions to Global Warming, Guy asserts that we CAN summon the determination to meet these environmental crises, get onto renewable energy, and re-create an economy in harmony with nature.
Joanna Macy, who coined the term The Great Turning, and Chris Johnstone have a new book Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in without Going Crazy provides broader perspectives for facing the crises, envisioning such a future, and personal tools to strengthen our capacity to face the crises, and find our point of engagement.
This week as I read and listen, their voices have blended, like a synchronistic syncopated duet:
We can do this if we’re determined, not defeated, cheers Guy.
Here are personal tools to strengthen you, rejoins Joanna.
This Saturday I’ll participate in Joanna’s workshop on “The Work that Reconnects.” Look for my notes.
(Photo by Robin Mallgren)
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Anna – I wrote my my book to help with this very all-important question; it’s designed as 101 Solutions to make it accessible and achievable. See http://www.theclimatechallenge.ca
As to discussions – they’re happening everywhere and nowhere. The Grist is one good place for engaged discussion – see http://grist.org/
Good luck!
-Guy
So – how can people be mobilized and also educated on what actions are essential to take?
(And where do we discuss the latter, among people who agree that action is needed? I realize it’s likely off topic here, sorry J. But where should it be happening, in our community?)
Janaia, thanks for writing on this.
(as I said on FB – the Jevons paradox, & Krugman’s Building a Green Economy)