Thank you for writing. I share your feelings entirely. It's lonely, living with eyes wide open, expecting that others will wake up and want to at least talk about our predicament. But mostly they don't, they can't. They can't see that its our materialism that is driving us and all other life to extinction. But wait, I want my burger.....
You're welcome, and comments and conversation keep me going. No, many are blind, little wonder for those who only watch mainstream news. Materialism is a trap, I've always viewed it that way. I haven't eaten beef since I learned the Amazon was being burned to graze cows in the 1980s. Stopped eating pork ten years ago. I still eat fish and poultry, so I could do better. Three days a week, vegetarian. It's better for our health, too.
Hi Geoffrey, Yes eating less animal products is so much better for our health too. I look upon it as adding something not cutting something else out- the more beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils, greens and fruit I eat the better I feel. It's such a blessing to have access to these wonderful things- I'll enjoy them while I can.
Agreed, I eat a lot of beans to replace animal protein, and tofu isn't bad when cooked right, toasted and firm. Large portabella mushrooms, roasted red peppers, feta and balsamic vinegar on crusty whole grain bread make a good main course and I don't find chili or marinara lacking without meat. My wok is my favorite pan. Paying attention to how your body feels after changing habits is motivating, too.
I feel the same. Everyone walking around like nothings wrong, then the absurdity of a depression questionnaire. I’ve joined a group of writers who are invested in making stories of how to get through this, perhaps come out better. They’re nice people from around the world. It’s given me some purpose, and it’s good to be around people who get it. Climate change is in our face this summer. More people are waking up. The solutions are not circulating though. A slower, community -focused life, growing food, less mad driving or flying, less consumption and dependence on money. Sort of my great great grandparents life but with extreme weather. Capitalism will die. Many people and other species will too. It’s hard to be alive at time but also what we were made for.
Thank you for your comment. Absurdity rules the day ever more, and just a handful of people have managed to foist it on us, from Henry Ford to Milton Friedman. Zuckerberg, Musk and Bezos are among the new wave. However, capitalism is indeed going to die. It's going to run out of gas, quite literally. The sooner, the better of course because GHGs are having a devastating effect on our future and every living organism on the planet. Vision, leadership and courage are needed at the top, and there are many political obstacles to overcome we really don't have time for.
A slower, community focused life defines most of human existence on the planet. It's only with the industrial age that we've strayed from that. It's bad for the planet, and bad for our mental health.
I am old now as I look out on my backyard. It’s all wildflowers and weeds. So is my front yard. I haven’t mowed a lawn in years. This is how my entire neighborhood looks. It’s alive with pollinators, butterflies, bees and birds. Rabbit and fox, are common, too. It raises my spirits to be part of this harmonious world. Later, I will ride my bike to the community gardens and put a few hours in conversing with my neighbors and friends, coming home with fresh, pesticide free produce. My body no longer hurts because it’s clean.
I often reflect early in the morning, when the birds greet the dawn and sun rays glisten on the beaded water of overnight dew. The new day seems like forever, filled with endless potential and promise. I marvel at this new world. We call it The New Dawn. I can scarcely believe we conquered The New Dark Ages, but we did. We woke up, just in time, and demanded better.
We realized our minds and bodies were polluted. We realized 8 billion people were too many. We realized that grotesque wealth inequality drove hatred and racism. We realized that consumerism drove slavery. We realized that our media was propaganda. We realized war machines were enforcing rape of the Earth. We realized the police had become enforcers of an immoral system. We realized justice was twisted by wealth. We boycotted. We organized strikes. We took to the streets and endured tear gas, bullets and incarceration. Some of us died, but we saved far more than we lost and created a future where there was none. I am so proud of us.
We saved our planet, and we’re never letting psychopaths threaten it again.
I would call this Thrutopian writing. I want to live there! (I’m actually looking at eco villages at age 70. )if you’re interested please check out the Thrutopian masterclass and the Accidental Gods podcast by Manda Scott. We Are publishing later this year? May I pass on your interest and perhaps you can contribute to the anthology or comment?
You absolutely may pass on my writing. Hopefully, you don't mean skip it, lol.
I make little to no money at this. The point is to reach people and affect how they see the world, that there are other possibilities, and we must fight for them. I'm happy that you find my words useful. Thank you. I'll check out the class and Manda Scott.
Geoffrey – Know that you are gotten and appreciated. It’s not an original story but you tell it very well. I especially resonated with you not being gotten by anyone in your immediate life. The way I talk about it, and forgive the self-flattery, is as if I am van Gogh born to blind parents. Thank god for the internet.
I paint a different picture where we take off from the way it is to look to what could be. We’re not scheming. Everyone is in their own rugged-individualist silo, and no one is rallying us.
We would look at root causes and not at moving deck chairs. What could get humanity on a life-giving track?
Suzanne, although I present science and statistics, the core message of my writing comes back to behavior. Technology won't save us, we're heading towards a low energy world not propped up by fossil fuels that have resulted in overconsumption, overpopulation and climate and ecological catastrophe. That bubble is bursting, and I keep pointing out renewables aren't the answer, because fossil fuels will become economically unviable to extract, rendering the build out and maintenance of them moot. Indeed, we are moving the deck chairs. And there are no original tales to tell, because every person with an ounce of wisdom has been forced to tell them over and over again.
Suzanne, you’ve nailed a big part of our alienated, is it schizophrenic (?), way of life. Is nobody home? There is so much infrastructure and of course the system is rigged so the status quo is maintained. Any critical thinking and curious individual can see through the charade, but it seems most want to carry on as usual. I feel mostly alone in my own family with these concerns and therefore agree wholeheartedly with your statement that “no one is rallying us”. As an early boomer (77 yrs) we experienced the assassination of truth tellers during the revolution of the 60s, one assault after the other. But these violent and ruthless controllers run deeper in time. As I grow older, and now with more time, I reflect on my father’s apparent depression and inability to participate in upholding or endorsing the system post WW2. We know all empires (and the good ol USA is an empire) eventually breakup. What’s next? May we who see a little more hold on and know we are not alone.
As a pretty senior senior, I get those depression screenings often enough. I answer positively (“everything’s just fine! It’s a beautiful day!”) then say to the doctor, “But really, you know, if you aren’t at least a little depressed from time to time, maybe you’re not paying attention.” Our world is full of cheap opiates of the masses, from sports to cheap goods at Walmart to gigantic automobiles, so aren’t we all supposed to be happy all the time? So sometimes I shrink into my little blue bubble and say, heck, I’m not even gonna be here that much longer, I might as well enjoy what I can.
As you can tell, I'm with you in those thoughts. My parents are in their mid 80s and just trying to finish their lives in peace. That generation had no clue after being kids in the Great Depression and watching their parents and aunts and uncles overcome WWII that consumption could kill us. The post-war boom was euphoric, and made this country the preeminent power in the world. Rachel Carson was one of the early ones calling it out to no avail, and since then activism has fought and clawed against power with some significant victories, but unable to change the tide. We're truly in the end game now and will have to hammer Harris-Walz to put their necks on the line. There is no longer time for half measures. Thank you for your comment, it's appreciated.
Reading the comments here was very comforting. Where did all these smart people come from? I have a couple thousand readers, and even though I keep delivering what I’d expect robust conversation about, no dice. I have something unique to offer that goes beyond analyses of what’s wrong, laments about that, and utopian ideas about what could be. No one else is dealing with what we could be doing, where NOW WHAT? Is my Substack title. Anyone who would think with me will get a subscription back so I can track with you! https://suzannetaylor.substack.com/about
Thank you for all of the efforts you put into these articles. They are thought provoking, educational and much needed. I think you hit it on the nail when you said climate change and doing something about it has everything to do with behavior modification.
I take recycling seriously and remove all of the labeling and adhesive with rubbing alcohol so that it can be easily recycled. Your research suggests that very little plastic actually ends up being recycled. Although I am disappointed, that will not change my behavior. In fact I pay for a service to recycle because we live in a township that doesn't offer trash or recycling services. Many neighbors only pay for the for trash service. Quietly, I raise my head and feel a little better for doing my part.
On the subject to beef- I rarely consume it but thought it interesting that the science community is all a buzz about reducing cow methane through introducing probiotics which will reduce digestive gas and the release of methane. My first thought was- why reengineer the animal, why don't humans simply reduce beef consumption? Human behavior modification? Apparently it's easier to change a cow's digestive tract than to ask humans to consume less beef. Who knows what impact this might have on cows if they begin to deploy this newest fad. For all I know the cow has been so altered with hormones and genetic breeding over the years that farmers won't adopt in less it benefits their bottom-line.
Please do not undersell your writing or what you are doing. Do not believe that family members are not proud to have you do this work. On the contrary, they may feel overwhelmed by the content but believe in what you do.
As we age, I too, feel overwhelmed and not sure how to navigate time with the many causes I believe in and/or how to best contribute. I have so many address labels they will outlive me- what's more I wonder if Nature Conservatory, National Park Federation, ASPCA, World Wildlife Federation, ACLU, Planned Parenthood and the other organizations I've contributed to over the years, actually use my donations for the "cause?" I will never really know. That said; I feel better supporting things I believe in.
This brings me to my final thought for now- because I feel better I, exercise regularly and try to keep my needs simple, I do not feel depressed. I try not to ruminate over the things I can not control but focus on what I can.
I am moved by your writing and appreciate it. Thank you!
We should be refilling containers, not spending energy on melting them down and manufacturing new ones, if common sense ruled. Another bit of industry nonsense about recycling plastic, pyrolysis.
As for beef, sure, reducing their methane emissions would be something, but that doesn't change the fact their grazing land converts biodiverse forest to grassland and reduces an important carbon sink, particularly in the Amazon. Bragging about reduced methane from cows, however, will give the industry a bunch of bullshit to hang PR on.
I'm not worried about my family reading or not reading, but my words and others doing good work are only as effective as far as they reach. It is frustrating that the well-known "big" writers on Substack for the most part don't make climate change an important topic in their writing, or promote those of us who do. It's taken three years to approach 600 subscribers, although I get readers beyond that base, and I'm encouraged subscriptions have doubled since the beginning of the year. Perhaps some of the small voices will emerge, and part of this is connecting with others who may have ideas or relationships that can leverage our work into higher places.
I generally don't get depressed, I do get tired though because my brain rarely turns off. I am missing the mountains and cycling I used to do, but a brain tumor and arthritis change the equation. I'm thankful I have this endeavor to pursue. Thanks for your kind thoughts.
You get tired because your brain rarely turns off, but, being older than you are, instead of being consumed by despair and fading out into any dark night my brain staying on has me still in the thick of the human adventure, fully ALIVE!
Yes, I recycle plastic at the grocery stores, but again it is sad to know it doesn't get re-used or that there is a limit to recycling the plastic. Gosh- keep up the work.
Thank you, glad you find value in what I'm doing. Exorcised is a perfect word play on that photo. Free speech is a fantasy, plenty of examples of it being squelched historically, but hate speech and lying are acceptable norms.
Reading all these comments was comforting. I feel like a voice in the wilderness, and even though I have a couple thousand readers to whom I keep throwing challenges to think with me, no dice, and the commenters here are the people I’d like to be engaging with. I am a unique voice on Substack and beyond, where there’s no scheming going on for what to do. There are great analyses, moving laments, utopian fantasies, but here we are and Now What?, which is my substack title: https://suzannetaylor.substack.com/about.
"I hope I am creating a bit of a community that we may not have in our immediate lives. I think that’s worth something regardless of the outcome of our crises. I know it helps me."
I think you are creating a bit of a community, and I'm inspired to try something similar. I am struggling with the challenge of convincing family and close friends about what I see, those with whom I feel obliged to at least make maximum effort.
I wonder to what extent the kind of communities we build will need to be some kind of hybrid between those around us and those of like mind that are far away.
A local community would be valuable to me, and I'm certain if I did some digging I could find a climate/environmental oriented group near me. ThirdAct is active in Rochester, but an hour away, so that's a bit difficult. And to be honest, although I can be sociable, as a natural introvert it's easy for me to stay in my head reading and writing. Sometimes I need a shove.
This endeavor consumes most of my time, but I like being informed, even if what I learn is difficult. Maybe people learn something in this space, and maybe it provides something of an outlet. I started slowly, publishing a couple of times a month, but now try hard for four a month. So I say go for it!
Great writing on important subjects. We are on parallel paths, I call myself a "Cassandra", and am, also, grateful for the internet as vehicle of connection to tiny pockets of clear eyed sanity in a world more and more like a giant asylum back ward, where I spent some years as a practicing psychiatrist. I have come to the conclusion that we were dumped out here as the descendants of the overburden of a massively overpopulated Europe, Africa, and Asia. We are 3,000 times more numerous today than were our last ecologically balanced and self-sustaining ancestral migratory Hunter-Gatherer clan/band members, never bigger than the Dunbar number, 150, and who spent their lives in an emotional/social nexus we "moderns" can only dream of.
After a lifetime in medical/psychiatric/addicitionist/stress management practice, I am now thrilled to be so close to the ultimate relief of passing into a better world at 79yo, and write daily encouraging potential parents to forego birthing yet another child they have neither the resources or stress reserves to parent, only to watch him/her perish in a 6 degC melting environment by their 23rd BD, in 2047. The more I study the weather according to the "experts", the more I realize they are clueless. Thank God for C3S and their "Climate Pulse" page, which I monitor daily, only to see the average global surface temp. rising 0.2+ degC annually.
I am the author of the free online e-book, "Stress R Us", and am a childhood abuse survivor, hundreds (thousands) of whom I treated and commiserated with during my 42 yr. medical practice. I, too, love to write, as you obviously do as well. Thank you for your work, and know that you are not alone, nor am I. Stay the course. I'll be reading your work wherever I find it! Namaste' Gregg Miklashek, MD
I am not a climate writer but I do share your sense of anxiety and totally agree about the cause. I read about this shit in the early 1990s and watched in horror as Democrats kept pushing off the goals to a further decade to appease shareholders and Republicans not giving a shit. I used to believe we could push the Democrats to do the right thing, but this admin has taught me they care about nobody but the corporate and Israeli overlords. I do everything I can.. I eat ant based, I didn't have children, I grow my own vegetables and fruit, I use publish transport, I plant trees, I have joined reforest programs, and we will install solar and water tanks this winter. But Jesus H, it shouldn't just be on a few of us who give a shit. I buy all used clothes and electronics. I plant for pollinators and I feel a complete sense of doom 24/7.
Writing about climate was not an expected path, but when I was briefly on Twitter (until management changed) I read or interacted with climate scientists which made me want to know more, to be able to express a legitimate opinion, and to be able to communicate what I learn in a way that is accessible. I have long felt a sense of doom, since my mid-teens, sensing the unsustainability of this standardized, hollow, consumption madness. Like you, I live simply and consume as little as possible.
Both parties have contributed to the rise of oligarchs, and the worldwide plundering of nations world over through the brutal policies of Chicago School/neoliberal economics. The atrocity in Gaza caused me to write about it twice. Calling those who call out genocide antisemitic is simply an attempt to maintain the status quo. The US supplies nearly 42 percent of the world's weapons, and 92 percent of Israel's.
I love what you're doing. Like you, I consume as little as possible, and try to make a contribution through this writing. If nothing else, we can at least feel some peace through our personal choices and actions. BTW, the mechanism of GHGs and global warming were demonstrated and published by scientist Eunice Foote in 1856, well before Exxon's own scientists predicted this situation in the mid 1970s.
Hi Geoff, I like to think we're all Cassandras (you, me and the people who read your newsletter), who--for those who aren't familiar--was a Trojan priestess in Greek mythology, fated by the god Apollo to utter true prophecies that aren't believed. It's frustrating but the reality is that we have been given the gift of being able to see into the future. The question then becomes: are we at least prepared (do we have back-up water, food, a go-bag, and yes, stable mental health?) for what's ahead? Rather than focus on trying to convince people who can't be convinced, are we taking advantage of the foresight to be of help when, as we all know, the collapse finally comes and there's no longer any way to deny it??
Not helping, but they’re actually still alive when they’re falling. It’s just their brains disconnect everything else, to save, well the brain. I know, I’m sorry, but just had to say it, makes it darker in all accounts.
Geoff, your articles and the resulting comments are like my lifeline to sanity. Like you, most of my immediate family are in a state of denial. In order to keep the peace, I try to avoid topics that will cause arguments. That may make me a coward, but it does help with the depression factor!
Also, I try to keep in mind that all over the world, there are people who realize what is happening and are not afraid to speak out. Their numbers will grow as the problems become more evident. Our children and grandchildren will suffer the consequences if that does not happen soon enough.
My parents are driving in today to spend some time. We'll be gathering at my sister's. I could open my mouth about what I know from three years of learning, but I likely won't. More and more I feel we are on an unalterable trajectory. If that is so, who am I to take away their comfort? Some of us need to find the truth, others will never see it, and some may suspect, but don't want to know. The elephant in the room is the end of oil, which will sputter out, and the Achilles heel of the foolish global economy which offers no resiliency. When one part goes down, it will ripple. Nature offers the opposite lesson, myriad diversity, redundancy, and overlapping systems. Indigenous people's reverence and low impact way of living was correct. We'll be fortunate if some of us manage to get back to that model.
Thank you for writing. I share your feelings entirely. It's lonely, living with eyes wide open, expecting that others will wake up and want to at least talk about our predicament. But mostly they don't, they can't. They can't see that its our materialism that is driving us and all other life to extinction. But wait, I want my burger.....
You're welcome, and comments and conversation keep me going. No, many are blind, little wonder for those who only watch mainstream news. Materialism is a trap, I've always viewed it that way. I haven't eaten beef since I learned the Amazon was being burned to graze cows in the 1980s. Stopped eating pork ten years ago. I still eat fish and poultry, so I could do better. Three days a week, vegetarian. It's better for our health, too.
Hi Geoffrey, Yes eating less animal products is so much better for our health too. I look upon it as adding something not cutting something else out- the more beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils, greens and fruit I eat the better I feel. It's such a blessing to have access to these wonderful things- I'll enjoy them while I can.
Agreed, I eat a lot of beans to replace animal protein, and tofu isn't bad when cooked right, toasted and firm. Large portabella mushrooms, roasted red peppers, feta and balsamic vinegar on crusty whole grain bread make a good main course and I don't find chili or marinara lacking without meat. My wok is my favorite pan. Paying attention to how your body feels after changing habits is motivating, too.
I feel the same. Everyone walking around like nothings wrong, then the absurdity of a depression questionnaire. I’ve joined a group of writers who are invested in making stories of how to get through this, perhaps come out better. They’re nice people from around the world. It’s given me some purpose, and it’s good to be around people who get it. Climate change is in our face this summer. More people are waking up. The solutions are not circulating though. A slower, community -focused life, growing food, less mad driving or flying, less consumption and dependence on money. Sort of my great great grandparents life but with extreme weather. Capitalism will die. Many people and other species will too. It’s hard to be alive at time but also what we were made for.
Thank you for your comment. Absurdity rules the day ever more, and just a handful of people have managed to foist it on us, from Henry Ford to Milton Friedman. Zuckerberg, Musk and Bezos are among the new wave. However, capitalism is indeed going to die. It's going to run out of gas, quite literally. The sooner, the better of course because GHGs are having a devastating effect on our future and every living organism on the planet. Vision, leadership and courage are needed at the top, and there are many political obstacles to overcome we really don't have time for.
A slower, community focused life defines most of human existence on the planet. It's only with the industrial age that we've strayed from that. It's bad for the planet, and bad for our mental health.
At the end of this article, I fantasized a little bit about what a slower, simpler world would look like, The Illusion of Fossil Fuels. https://geoffreydeihl.substack.com/p/the-illusions-of-fossil-fuels
I am old now as I look out on my backyard. It’s all wildflowers and weeds. So is my front yard. I haven’t mowed a lawn in years. This is how my entire neighborhood looks. It’s alive with pollinators, butterflies, bees and birds. Rabbit and fox, are common, too. It raises my spirits to be part of this harmonious world. Later, I will ride my bike to the community gardens and put a few hours in conversing with my neighbors and friends, coming home with fresh, pesticide free produce. My body no longer hurts because it’s clean.
I often reflect early in the morning, when the birds greet the dawn and sun rays glisten on the beaded water of overnight dew. The new day seems like forever, filled with endless potential and promise. I marvel at this new world. We call it The New Dawn. I can scarcely believe we conquered The New Dark Ages, but we did. We woke up, just in time, and demanded better.
We realized our minds and bodies were polluted. We realized 8 billion people were too many. We realized that grotesque wealth inequality drove hatred and racism. We realized that consumerism drove slavery. We realized that our media was propaganda. We realized war machines were enforcing rape of the Earth. We realized the police had become enforcers of an immoral system. We realized justice was twisted by wealth. We boycotted. We organized strikes. We took to the streets and endured tear gas, bullets and incarceration. Some of us died, but we saved far more than we lost and created a future where there was none. I am so proud of us.
We saved our planet, and we’re never letting psychopaths threaten it again.
I would call this Thrutopian writing. I want to live there! (I’m actually looking at eco villages at age 70. )if you’re interested please check out the Thrutopian masterclass and the Accidental Gods podcast by Manda Scott. We Are publishing later this year? May I pass on your interest and perhaps you can contribute to the anthology or comment?
May I pass on your writing ?
You absolutely may pass on my writing. Hopefully, you don't mean skip it, lol.
I make little to no money at this. The point is to reach people and affect how they see the world, that there are other possibilities, and we must fight for them. I'm happy that you find my words useful. Thank you. I'll check out the class and Manda Scott.
Geoffrey – Know that you are gotten and appreciated. It’s not an original story but you tell it very well. I especially resonated with you not being gotten by anyone in your immediate life. The way I talk about it, and forgive the self-flattery, is as if I am van Gogh born to blind parents. Thank god for the internet.
I paint a different picture where we take off from the way it is to look to what could be. We’re not scheming. Everyone is in their own rugged-individualist silo, and no one is rallying us.
We would look at root causes and not at moving deck chairs. What could get humanity on a life-giving track?
Suzanne, although I present science and statistics, the core message of my writing comes back to behavior. Technology won't save us, we're heading towards a low energy world not propped up by fossil fuels that have resulted in overconsumption, overpopulation and climate and ecological catastrophe. That bubble is bursting, and I keep pointing out renewables aren't the answer, because fossil fuels will become economically unviable to extract, rendering the build out and maintenance of them moot. Indeed, we are moving the deck chairs. And there are no original tales to tell, because every person with an ounce of wisdom has been forced to tell them over and over again.
Suzanne, you’ve nailed a big part of our alienated, is it schizophrenic (?), way of life. Is nobody home? There is so much infrastructure and of course the system is rigged so the status quo is maintained. Any critical thinking and curious individual can see through the charade, but it seems most want to carry on as usual. I feel mostly alone in my own family with these concerns and therefore agree wholeheartedly with your statement that “no one is rallying us”. As an early boomer (77 yrs) we experienced the assassination of truth tellers during the revolution of the 60s, one assault after the other. But these violent and ruthless controllers run deeper in time. As I grow older, and now with more time, I reflect on my father’s apparent depression and inability to participate in upholding or endorsing the system post WW2. We know all empires (and the good ol USA is an empire) eventually breakup. What’s next? May we who see a little more hold on and know we are not alone.
As a pretty senior senior, I get those depression screenings often enough. I answer positively (“everything’s just fine! It’s a beautiful day!”) then say to the doctor, “But really, you know, if you aren’t at least a little depressed from time to time, maybe you’re not paying attention.” Our world is full of cheap opiates of the masses, from sports to cheap goods at Walmart to gigantic automobiles, so aren’t we all supposed to be happy all the time? So sometimes I shrink into my little blue bubble and say, heck, I’m not even gonna be here that much longer, I might as well enjoy what I can.
As you can tell, I'm with you in those thoughts. My parents are in their mid 80s and just trying to finish their lives in peace. That generation had no clue after being kids in the Great Depression and watching their parents and aunts and uncles overcome WWII that consumption could kill us. The post-war boom was euphoric, and made this country the preeminent power in the world. Rachel Carson was one of the early ones calling it out to no avail, and since then activism has fought and clawed against power with some significant victories, but unable to change the tide. We're truly in the end game now and will have to hammer Harris-Walz to put their necks on the line. There is no longer time for half measures. Thank you for your comment, it's appreciated.
I can totally relate to this.
Judging by the reaction, many of us are seeing and feeling this. Thanks, Anna.
Reading the comments here was very comforting. Where did all these smart people come from? I have a couple thousand readers, and even though I keep delivering what I’d expect robust conversation about, no dice. I have something unique to offer that goes beyond analyses of what’s wrong, laments about that, and utopian ideas about what could be. No one else is dealing with what we could be doing, where NOW WHAT? Is my Substack title. Anyone who would think with me will get a subscription back so I can track with you! https://suzannetaylor.substack.com/about
Thank you for all of the efforts you put into these articles. They are thought provoking, educational and much needed. I think you hit it on the nail when you said climate change and doing something about it has everything to do with behavior modification.
I take recycling seriously and remove all of the labeling and adhesive with rubbing alcohol so that it can be easily recycled. Your research suggests that very little plastic actually ends up being recycled. Although I am disappointed, that will not change my behavior. In fact I pay for a service to recycle because we live in a township that doesn't offer trash or recycling services. Many neighbors only pay for the for trash service. Quietly, I raise my head and feel a little better for doing my part.
On the subject to beef- I rarely consume it but thought it interesting that the science community is all a buzz about reducing cow methane through introducing probiotics which will reduce digestive gas and the release of methane. My first thought was- why reengineer the animal, why don't humans simply reduce beef consumption? Human behavior modification? Apparently it's easier to change a cow's digestive tract than to ask humans to consume less beef. Who knows what impact this might have on cows if they begin to deploy this newest fad. For all I know the cow has been so altered with hormones and genetic breeding over the years that farmers won't adopt in less it benefits their bottom-line.
Please do not undersell your writing or what you are doing. Do not believe that family members are not proud to have you do this work. On the contrary, they may feel overwhelmed by the content but believe in what you do.
As we age, I too, feel overwhelmed and not sure how to navigate time with the many causes I believe in and/or how to best contribute. I have so many address labels they will outlive me- what's more I wonder if Nature Conservatory, National Park Federation, ASPCA, World Wildlife Federation, ACLU, Planned Parenthood and the other organizations I've contributed to over the years, actually use my donations for the "cause?" I will never really know. That said; I feel better supporting things I believe in.
This brings me to my final thought for now- because I feel better I, exercise regularly and try to keep my needs simple, I do not feel depressed. I try not to ruminate over the things I can not control but focus on what I can.
I am moved by your writing and appreciate it. Thank you!
Thank you for your encouragement, Pam. I too, recycle. Aluminum, glass and cardboard I believe are recycled at a fairly high rate, but not plastic.
https://climateintegrity.org/uploads/media/Fraud-of-Plastic-Recycling-2024.pdf
We should be refilling containers, not spending energy on melting them down and manufacturing new ones, if common sense ruled. Another bit of industry nonsense about recycling plastic, pyrolysis.
https://www.propublica.org/article/delusion-advanced-chemical-plastic-recycling-pyrolysis
As for beef, sure, reducing their methane emissions would be something, but that doesn't change the fact their grazing land converts biodiverse forest to grassland and reduces an important carbon sink, particularly in the Amazon. Bragging about reduced methane from cows, however, will give the industry a bunch of bullshit to hang PR on.
I'm not worried about my family reading or not reading, but my words and others doing good work are only as effective as far as they reach. It is frustrating that the well-known "big" writers on Substack for the most part don't make climate change an important topic in their writing, or promote those of us who do. It's taken three years to approach 600 subscribers, although I get readers beyond that base, and I'm encouraged subscriptions have doubled since the beginning of the year. Perhaps some of the small voices will emerge, and part of this is connecting with others who may have ideas or relationships that can leverage our work into higher places.
Giving is good, here's a link to help judge if your money is being given wisely: https://www.charitynavigator.org/
I generally don't get depressed, I do get tired though because my brain rarely turns off. I am missing the mountains and cycling I used to do, but a brain tumor and arthritis change the equation. I'm thankful I have this endeavor to pursue. Thanks for your kind thoughts.
You get tired because your brain rarely turns off, but, being older than you are, instead of being consumed by despair and fading out into any dark night my brain staying on has me still in the thick of the human adventure, fully ALIVE!
Yes, I recycle plastic at the grocery stores, but again it is sad to know it doesn't get re-used or that there is a limit to recycling the plastic. Gosh- keep up the work.
PS) I am so sorry to hear about arthritis.
Your work is great, and appreciated. It's very helpful.
I read the caption on the photo as "free speech *being exorcised from* ..."
Stay well.
Thank you, glad you find value in what I'm doing. Exorcised is a perfect word play on that photo. Free speech is a fantasy, plenty of examples of it being squelched historically, but hate speech and lying are acceptable norms.
Reading all these comments was comforting. I feel like a voice in the wilderness, and even though I have a couple thousand readers to whom I keep throwing challenges to think with me, no dice, and the commenters here are the people I’d like to be engaging with. I am a unique voice on Substack and beyond, where there’s no scheming going on for what to do. There are great analyses, moving laments, utopian fantasies, but here we are and Now What?, which is my substack title: https://suzannetaylor.substack.com/about.
"I hope I am creating a bit of a community that we may not have in our immediate lives. I think that’s worth something regardless of the outcome of our crises. I know it helps me."
I think you are creating a bit of a community, and I'm inspired to try something similar. I am struggling with the challenge of convincing family and close friends about what I see, those with whom I feel obliged to at least make maximum effort.
I wonder to what extent the kind of communities we build will need to be some kind of hybrid between those around us and those of like mind that are far away.
A local community would be valuable to me, and I'm certain if I did some digging I could find a climate/environmental oriented group near me. ThirdAct is active in Rochester, but an hour away, so that's a bit difficult. And to be honest, although I can be sociable, as a natural introvert it's easy for me to stay in my head reading and writing. Sometimes I need a shove.
This endeavor consumes most of my time, but I like being informed, even if what I learn is difficult. Maybe people learn something in this space, and maybe it provides something of an outlet. I started slowly, publishing a couple of times a month, but now try hard for four a month. So I say go for it!
Great writing on important subjects. We are on parallel paths, I call myself a "Cassandra", and am, also, grateful for the internet as vehicle of connection to tiny pockets of clear eyed sanity in a world more and more like a giant asylum back ward, where I spent some years as a practicing psychiatrist. I have come to the conclusion that we were dumped out here as the descendants of the overburden of a massively overpopulated Europe, Africa, and Asia. We are 3,000 times more numerous today than were our last ecologically balanced and self-sustaining ancestral migratory Hunter-Gatherer clan/band members, never bigger than the Dunbar number, 150, and who spent their lives in an emotional/social nexus we "moderns" can only dream of.
After a lifetime in medical/psychiatric/addicitionist/stress management practice, I am now thrilled to be so close to the ultimate relief of passing into a better world at 79yo, and write daily encouraging potential parents to forego birthing yet another child they have neither the resources or stress reserves to parent, only to watch him/her perish in a 6 degC melting environment by their 23rd BD, in 2047. The more I study the weather according to the "experts", the more I realize they are clueless. Thank God for C3S and their "Climate Pulse" page, which I monitor daily, only to see the average global surface temp. rising 0.2+ degC annually.
I am the author of the free online e-book, "Stress R Us", and am a childhood abuse survivor, hundreds (thousands) of whom I treated and commiserated with during my 42 yr. medical practice. I, too, love to write, as you obviously do as well. Thank you for your work, and know that you are not alone, nor am I. Stay the course. I'll be reading your work wherever I find it! Namaste' Gregg Miklashek, MD
I am not a climate writer but I do share your sense of anxiety and totally agree about the cause. I read about this shit in the early 1990s and watched in horror as Democrats kept pushing off the goals to a further decade to appease shareholders and Republicans not giving a shit. I used to believe we could push the Democrats to do the right thing, but this admin has taught me they care about nobody but the corporate and Israeli overlords. I do everything I can.. I eat ant based, I didn't have children, I grow my own vegetables and fruit, I use publish transport, I plant trees, I have joined reforest programs, and we will install solar and water tanks this winter. But Jesus H, it shouldn't just be on a few of us who give a shit. I buy all used clothes and electronics. I plant for pollinators and I feel a complete sense of doom 24/7.
Writing about climate was not an expected path, but when I was briefly on Twitter (until management changed) I read or interacted with climate scientists which made me want to know more, to be able to express a legitimate opinion, and to be able to communicate what I learn in a way that is accessible. I have long felt a sense of doom, since my mid-teens, sensing the unsustainability of this standardized, hollow, consumption madness. Like you, I live simply and consume as little as possible.
Both parties have contributed to the rise of oligarchs, and the worldwide plundering of nations world over through the brutal policies of Chicago School/neoliberal economics. The atrocity in Gaza caused me to write about it twice. Calling those who call out genocide antisemitic is simply an attempt to maintain the status quo. The US supplies nearly 42 percent of the world's weapons, and 92 percent of Israel's.
I love what you're doing. Like you, I consume as little as possible, and try to make a contribution through this writing. If nothing else, we can at least feel some peace through our personal choices and actions. BTW, the mechanism of GHGs and global warming were demonstrated and published by scientist Eunice Foote in 1856, well before Exxon's own scientists predicted this situation in the mid 1970s.
https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/first-paper-to-link-co2-and-global-warming-by-eunice-foote-1856/
Hi Geoff, I like to think we're all Cassandras (you, me and the people who read your newsletter), who--for those who aren't familiar--was a Trojan priestess in Greek mythology, fated by the god Apollo to utter true prophecies that aren't believed. It's frustrating but the reality is that we have been given the gift of being able to see into the future. The question then becomes: are we at least prepared (do we have back-up water, food, a go-bag, and yes, stable mental health?) for what's ahead? Rather than focus on trying to convince people who can't be convinced, are we taking advantage of the foresight to be of help when, as we all know, the collapse finally comes and there's no longer any way to deny it??
Hi Geoffrey
Not helping, but they’re actually still alive when they’re falling. It’s just their brains disconnect everything else, to save, well the brain. I know, I’m sorry, but just had to say it, makes it darker in all accounts.
Details count. I ran across that information when I was writing about heat, drought, and Mexico City's crumbling reservoir system. Dead before or after they hit the ground, it's a troubling indictment of how we have run over everything on this planet. Perhaps the AP was exaggerating. https://apnews.com/article/mexico-heat-wave-howler-monkeys-dying-b99e0570dfb53a2fb7ebe663acecde78
Geoff, your articles and the resulting comments are like my lifeline to sanity. Like you, most of my immediate family are in a state of denial. In order to keep the peace, I try to avoid topics that will cause arguments. That may make me a coward, but it does help with the depression factor!
Also, I try to keep in mind that all over the world, there are people who realize what is happening and are not afraid to speak out. Their numbers will grow as the problems become more evident. Our children and grandchildren will suffer the consequences if that does not happen soon enough.
My parents are driving in today to spend some time. We'll be gathering at my sister's. I could open my mouth about what I know from three years of learning, but I likely won't. More and more I feel we are on an unalterable trajectory. If that is so, who am I to take away their comfort? Some of us need to find the truth, others will never see it, and some may suspect, but don't want to know. The elephant in the room is the end of oil, which will sputter out, and the Achilles heel of the foolish global economy which offers no resiliency. When one part goes down, it will ripple. Nature offers the opposite lesson, myriad diversity, redundancy, and overlapping systems. Indigenous people's reverence and low impact way of living was correct. We'll be fortunate if some of us manage to get back to that model.
So many great comments. They said everything I'm feeling. Keep up the good work, Geoffrey.
Thank you, Robin, yes, the comments have been great and help me, too.