"All of us—all life on Earth, including humans—are going through this horrible event called global warming. The way we talk to each other about it is also pretty horrible. We yell facts thinking that this will inspire and persuade people. We need an ecological language that doesn’t make the person who served me at my local fast food place feel stupid or evil.
Guilt is about individuals. Global warming is a billions-of-people scale problem. Let’s have a conversation about being responsible instead. If you can understand something, then you’re responsible for it."
Timothy Morton
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead
And yet, in a million ways every moment we are doing what we can to destroy our home. I'm not sure that most of us CAN understand. But for the love of all that is holy, we have to try.
ReplyDeleteI weep for this planet and for my grandchildren. those with the most power to change things are submerged in their greed and selfishness.
ReplyDeleteThank you for presenting the paradox of two truths. May it be possible for a small group of thoughtful committed people to develop a language of change and possibility that doesn’t exhaust its physical, emotional, and financial resources in accusing the majority of people of being stupid or evil.
ReplyDeleteI'm in the midst of reading The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee, by David Treuer. My perception is that his message is that there is and always will be a small group of thoughtful committed people who will be the change the world needs, against all odds.
May the children in that video and their children and grandchildren to thrive, against all odds. I keep doing all I can. For that, I am responsible. My actions are guided by those throughout history whose actions teach me that despair, although it arises again and again in the experience of being human, is not a sustainable option.
I / you/ we must be the change I / you/ we want to see in the world (Mahatma Gandhi)
Surely we're way past just having a conversation. That's the failing of the "chattering classes". Better to break a few windows and work up from there.
ReplyDeleteTwo excellent quotes. I often try to reconcile the fact that I'm only one/seven billionth of the problem, but I'm still part of it. We must do what we can. I would love to change the world.
ReplyDeleteI am trying so hard not to despair, because I know that makes me give up.
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