I am connected through Substack to a fellow in North Carolina near the Asheville disaster. I don't know his politics because the forum we chat on is not "political" although I suspect he leans blue.
His experience in living through the disaster and its aftermath is that the community has pulled together suprisingly well, and "you get to know your neighbors" in a way they had never done before. They just got water and power back in his area, but the water is not "drinkable" yet.
The point is, yes, climate disaster trumps eveything, and affects Red and Blue alike. It is unfortunately going to take more disasters before the message gets "home" that we are all in one Lifeboat Earth and unless we all take significant action NOW we are all going to be Sunk.
Oh yes… alas, I agree it is going to take more disasters. I wish I didn’t think that was the case.
It is so wonderful when folks pull together regardless of political affiliation, and work to help each other through a crisis. But I wish they’d also bond over the fact that THIS DIDN’T HAVE TO HAPPEN.
Climate change is a contradiction inherent in capitalism itself, and any solution that appears plausible within the existing political landscape is laughably inadequate, and so people prioritize other issues where they feel like a solution is attainable. This is why climate activists should focus on joining those opposing american empire
Hiya, you can 'insist' your government does all sorts of things until you're blue in the face- however, the people who control them are not amateurs!
I've found it helpful to understand the propaganda which has brought us here, to the 11th, or 12th, hour, and i am not despairing but rather am accepting of Mother Earth's right to shake us off. It's fascinating to be a human at this time.
As you say, climate change trumps everything. If we continue on our current economic path, we will crash. The neoliberal capitalist model, any form of capitalism, must end. It WILL end. Growing hundred billion dollar climate disasters, a resulting and just beginning insurance crisis, weather destroying agriculture, and the inevitable end of economically viable oil extraction guarantee it. We need profound change and leadership that understands and tells the truth, galvanizing us and as may countries as possible to united action. WWII showed the rapidity with which we can change. However, the challenge now is far different, shrinking the economy, not building a war machine poised to become an industrial powerhouse. Degrowth isn't even spoken of, but it's coming one way or another. Even should Harris win, without both houses and expanding the Supreme Court it is unlikely we will get enough done. Even the Green New Deal realized to its full potential doesn't come close to addressing harsh reality. Degrowth or death at scale. https://geoffreydeihl.substack.com/p/degrowth-the-vision-we-must-demand
Oh wow 😮 freaking amazing point about WWII. I often look to the rationing and other bits of the conservation economy during the war as my lodestar for thinking about what we need to do as we move forward, but dang. Shrinking vs building a war machine. That’s… huge.
In that regard, this is a problem unlike any humanity has ever faced. I am concerned that we don't have the tools to face it. On the positive, my article on degrowth has gotten more likes than any other. When the idea is presented, many react positively. Getting it into mainstream thought seems, to me, critical.
I think people like the idea that they have some agency and can potentially solve problems. Feeling powerless is less attractive. Hence your getting traction when writing about degrowth - it is an objective to work for, not a passive acceptance of defeat.
I agree. Somehow we have to give people a feeling of agency. The far right fringe seems to feel it. We don't which speaks to poor leadership. We must lead.
Hard agree. I am resolved to stop doing so much stentorian moaning on my page, and start offering ideas for concrete ways to make our voices heard and our influence felt.
Of course, I have to *think of* those things first.... (lol emoji) but I think I can do it. There are some excellent ideas out there.
Honestly, at this point, I am almost more concerned with talking to people about how we need to get government to HELP US and not leave us in the lurch. But that is another whole topic. :-)
When Florida is under water and people flee the Southwest they will be saying,why isn’t anybody doing anything about this?
People I have talked to say it’s just the weather changing. I try to convince them that climate isn’t just the weather. It is our whole environment. It usually falls on deaf ears.
I am connected through Substack to a fellow in North Carolina near the Asheville disaster. I don't know his politics because the forum we chat on is not "political" although I suspect he leans blue.
His experience in living through the disaster and its aftermath is that the community has pulled together suprisingly well, and "you get to know your neighbors" in a way they had never done before. They just got water and power back in his area, but the water is not "drinkable" yet.
The point is, yes, climate disaster trumps eveything, and affects Red and Blue alike. It is unfortunately going to take more disasters before the message gets "home" that we are all in one Lifeboat Earth and unless we all take significant action NOW we are all going to be Sunk.
Oh yes… alas, I agree it is going to take more disasters. I wish I didn’t think that was the case.
It is so wonderful when folks pull together regardless of political affiliation, and work to help each other through a crisis. But I wish they’d also bond over the fact that THIS DIDN’T HAVE TO HAPPEN.
Thanks. 😊
We are sunk and there is no parallel universe where it didn't happen. It did.
Climate change is a contradiction inherent in capitalism itself, and any solution that appears plausible within the existing political landscape is laughably inadequate, and so people prioritize other issues where they feel like a solution is attainable. This is why climate activists should focus on joining those opposing american empire
Hiya, you can 'insist' your government does all sorts of things until you're blue in the face- however, the people who control them are not amateurs!
I've found it helpful to understand the propaganda which has brought us here, to the 11th, or 12th, hour, and i am not despairing but rather am accepting of Mother Earth's right to shake us off. It's fascinating to be a human at this time.
Perhaps I should have said “demand.” Or “revolt.” 👍🏼
As you say, climate change trumps everything. If we continue on our current economic path, we will crash. The neoliberal capitalist model, any form of capitalism, must end. It WILL end. Growing hundred billion dollar climate disasters, a resulting and just beginning insurance crisis, weather destroying agriculture, and the inevitable end of economically viable oil extraction guarantee it. We need profound change and leadership that understands and tells the truth, galvanizing us and as may countries as possible to united action. WWII showed the rapidity with which we can change. However, the challenge now is far different, shrinking the economy, not building a war machine poised to become an industrial powerhouse. Degrowth isn't even spoken of, but it's coming one way or another. Even should Harris win, without both houses and expanding the Supreme Court it is unlikely we will get enough done. Even the Green New Deal realized to its full potential doesn't come close to addressing harsh reality. Degrowth or death at scale. https://geoffreydeihl.substack.com/p/degrowth-the-vision-we-must-demand
Oh wow 😮 freaking amazing point about WWII. I often look to the rationing and other bits of the conservation economy during the war as my lodestar for thinking about what we need to do as we move forward, but dang. Shrinking vs building a war machine. That’s… huge.
In that regard, this is a problem unlike any humanity has ever faced. I am concerned that we don't have the tools to face it. On the positive, my article on degrowth has gotten more likes than any other. When the idea is presented, many react positively. Getting it into mainstream thought seems, to me, critical.
I think people like the idea that they have some agency and can potentially solve problems. Feeling powerless is less attractive. Hence your getting traction when writing about degrowth - it is an objective to work for, not a passive acceptance of defeat.
I agree. Somehow we have to give people a feeling of agency. The far right fringe seems to feel it. We don't which speaks to poor leadership. We must lead.
Hard agree. I am resolved to stop doing so much stentorian moaning on my page, and start offering ideas for concrete ways to make our voices heard and our influence felt.
Of course, I have to *think of* those things first.... (lol emoji) but I think I can do it. There are some excellent ideas out there.
Honestly, at this point, I am almost more concerned with talking to people about how we need to get government to HELP US and not leave us in the lurch. But that is another whole topic. :-)
When Florida is under water and people flee the Southwest they will be saying,why isn’t anybody doing anything about this?
People I have talked to say it’s just the weather changing. I try to convince them that climate isn’t just the weather. It is our whole environment. It usually falls on deaf ears.