"The deeper I get into thinking about and understanding the climate crisis, the more I want to reject that doom/hope dichotomy for a third option—a third state of mind. It’s one that acknowledges and doesn’t turn away from the actual doom—the melting coral reefs, the whole villages washed away in minutes, the forecast of what will likely happenwhen (not if) a summertime power outage occurs in Phoenix—but instead allows us to remain in, dare I say with, the unknown.
Growing up near the ocean was instructive for so many reasons, but one of the most important lessons involved learning to duck under the water when you see a wave cresting that’s too large to jump over. Submerge yourself, get down below the chaos and it will pass over you, I was taught early on in life."
A new book, The Resilience Myth, makes a related point. The author, who grew up in the Bahamas, talks about how the limitations and lessons of island life/time are core to her understanding of true resilience, and how she thinks it is key to our collective future. I think you'd appreciate her POV a lot.
One of the reasons I trust your perspective on climate so much is that you're willing and able to look at things so honestly and comprehensively and still make the decision over and over that engaging is important and useful. It's inspiring and instructive.
This is so beautiful:
"The deeper I get into thinking about and understanding the climate crisis, the more I want to reject that doom/hope dichotomy for a third option—a third state of mind. It’s one that acknowledges and doesn’t turn away from the actual doom—the melting coral reefs, the whole villages washed away in minutes, the forecast of what will likely happenwhen (not if) a summertime power outage occurs in Phoenix—but instead allows us to remain in, dare I say with, the unknown.
Growing up near the ocean was instructive for so many reasons, but one of the most important lessons involved learning to duck under the water when you see a wave cresting that’s too large to jump over. Submerge yourself, get down below the chaos and it will pass over you, I was taught early on in life."
A new book, The Resilience Myth, makes a related point. The author, who grew up in the Bahamas, talks about how the limitations and lessons of island life/time are core to her understanding of true resilience, and how she thinks it is key to our collective future. I think you'd appreciate her POV a lot.
One of the reasons I trust your perspective on climate so much is that you're willing and able to look at things so honestly and comprehensively and still make the decision over and over that engaging is important and useful. It's inspiring and instructive.