kenna

I don’t really deal with it well either and really the only positive takeaway for me is knowing that some animals will thrive pretty much no matter how bad it can get, which means those will be the animals re-diversifying and dominating the planet in an evolutionary explosion of new species long after we’re all gone.Past extinction events were what filled the ocean with fish, turned huge dinosaurs into tiny birds and flooded the planet with mammals, to name a few big shifts.One thing that seems to love the warming oceans are soft-bodied cephalopods, who also seem to love that we’re eating up their fish competitors, so we might just be handing the ocean over to an octopus-based future.On land, the predictable roaches, ants, wasps and rats are doing well, as are clever corvids.The BEST equipped land mammals in my opinion, however, are all of the armadillos. Their range is already rapidly expanding because many armadillo species are opportunistic omnivores well adapted for harsh, unpredictable climates and can establish themselves anywhere from flooded swamps to barren deserts. They burrow and they swim and they can scavenge almost anything.

Climate anxiety, or more generally, ecological grief, is common but perfectly actionable, because it’s anxiety. Anxiety is a thing that you can treat. Here are some things that may help.

Treat it like any other anxiety. I’m serious. You may be like, “Well, Elodie, the difference is that [my other anxiety] is about things that ARE NOT REAL, and my Climate Anxiety is about THINGS THAT ARE VERY MUCH EXTREMELY REAL. So therefore it can’t be treated, and therefore I must feel horrible. This extremely SPECIAL anxiety is just too REAL to treat.” And I’m like: hey! first off, don’t act like [your other anxiety] needs to be ‘real!’ it IS real! all that matters is that you have anxiety. it literally does not matter whether you’re anxious about something “real” or “valid” or not, okay? Stop that mindset, it isn’t helping you (and it’s really bad for other anxious people to hear.) Any anxiety that happens is here, and it affects you, and THAT is real. Treat it. It’s the same issue.

After addressing it as anxiety, the best cure for the causes of climate anxiety is climate action.

Ensure that you are getting your information from reputable sites and reliable sources. There are a lot of blogs, products, programs and influencers who have built their platforms on monetizing people’s eco-anxiety, deliberately cultivating a state of anxiety and fear (and a neat little market to go with it). Resist this and stick to the evidence, choosing research that is meant to educate and inform.

Don’t fall into the trap of obsessing over individual actions. A lot of anxiety will come from whether you recycled a plastic spoon, and then you might get upset by seeing a person leaving their car running, and then you might be overwhelmed by how disgusting and polluted your city seems, with all these people who just don’t appear to care. Instead, convert that anxiety, energy and desire to do something into Actually Useful climate actions. Psychologists, economists, scientists and policymakers awkwardly agree that focusing on individual actions is bad for your mental health, unproductive, and ineffective. Make the decision to cut off these thoughts and treat them as intrusive.

In particular, try to stop yourself from negative hyperfocus on what everyone else is doing. If the sight of other people eating meat makes you feel ill because you can’t stop picturing them EATING YOUR CHILDREN’S FUTURE, or if you find yourself on Facebook berating people for using disposable diapers, or if you’re terrorizing your coworkers by sorting their trash, then this is a clue that this eco-anxiety is affecting your ability to relate to people and you need to stop. It is not a good road, and you can be better.

Also, you are more than just a Unit of Consumption. Humans are more than that, too.

Read about how environmental victories, such as closing the hole in the ozone layer and removing the lead from gasoline, were achieved. What’s the difference here? What needs to be done? How do you actually win these fights? Remember that they all seemed impossible and terrifying at the start. Nobody enters a war thinking that the only outcome is victory.

There are plenty of resources to direct you to Actually Useful Climate Actions, but some good first steps include

Find your local, in-person group that is concerned about the environment and join them for literal, actual, real-life meetings/activities/protests/events. 

Learn about the relevant charities and choose one that aligns most closely with your interests. Some charities may have some stances that you don’t agree with, but the good thing is, researching this is a productive use of your time. Friends of the Earth? Extinction Rebellion? The World Wildlife Fund? 360Degrees? Greenpeace? The YEARS Project? Our Children’s Trust? Survival International? THERE ARE DOZENS. Choose one that operates in your country and aligns with your own goals and values. Most of them can do a lot of good actions with a regular donation of £3/$5 a month. If you can’t donate money, you can still sign up for newsletters, sign petitions, participate in their campaigns, write to your local politicians on their behalf, fundraise, and volunteer. Seriously, don’t try this alone! There are literally dozens of powerful and influential charities who can make an enormous difference, who are BEGGING you to come and participate. They NEED you.

Signing petitions and writing to politicians are honestly powerful and necessary actions that you can do, and they are often accessible if your abilities are limited. There are plenty of good reasons why your abilities may be limited, like disability/work/finances/mental health/time/energy.

If you have the resources, direct actions like marches, strikes and protests are incredibly powerful - but they work best when more than one person is involved. Who can you join? If the answer is “nobody,” then who will join you? Do you have allies in your classmates? Would friends and family do it for love?

Learn about what is actually needed (generally, it isn’t chasing plastic bottles; but do you feel a calling to do so? Where does that come from? what can you do?) and reflect upon what you can provide.

If you have skills, experience or connections, how can you bring them to bear on climate action? This article talks about psychologists and journalists who thought about this, and the career/hobby/life decisions they made.

 If you are an artist/writer/creator of fiction, there’s an interesting book called “The Great Derangement” by Amitav Ghosh, which wants to drag the entire concept of fiction for never talking about climate change. It’s difficult! Read it!

If you cannot get away from worry about your individual impacts, calculate your carbon footprint; there are plenty of easy free calculators. Then, find and research a carbon offset service that will plant a tree to suck up your carbon. It isn’t perfect, but neither is focusing too much on What One Person Can Do, and at least this way you can think about your tree. This is more a “quick cure for immediate anxiety” than an Actually Useful Climate Thing - but what a nice displacement activity!

Maybe individual displacement activities mean a huge amount to you and help your anxiety. That’s amazing! Do them! Why not make a commitment to do them joyfully? Share a plant-based meal with your friends/family/colleagues, or plan a plant-based party (maybe a vegetarian potluck? Lots of people will actually enjoy the challenge!) Plan a super-low-carbon vacation or break. Really get into your vegetable garden as a source of pleasure. Make your individual choices as joyous additions to your life, rather than sacrifices.

Some individual actions we don’t talk about much are incredibly useful, but people don’t know they exist. If you’re lucky enough to have some, and I know that a lot of people don’t, divest your pension/retirement/savings money to green/ethical/eco holdings. (Did you know that a lot of banks use your money to invest directly in fossil fuels? Hey! Did you know that you can literally say no to that!) Change your energy supplier to renewable energy. Are eco holdings or green energy not available where you live? Fabulous, that’s your action for a week; calling your bank or power company and explaining what a good offering that would be.

Politics. SORRY BUT THERE IT IS. YOU CANNOT GET AWAY FROM IT.

Talk about it. It’s hard to be anxious about an existential threat when friends, family and colleagues may not even notice or believe in the threat. Without being a proselytizer, you can actually talk to the people you respect about your concerns, and even ask them to share in them.

Talk to a therapist. They know how to do this.

Hey, maybe this is an interesting career direction for you! If it really means a lot to you and your life… then how can you serve? Is this your Job? Maybe it is.

STAY AWAY FROM DOOM-AND-GLOOM PEOPLE. Generally, they know fuck about shit!! They really don’t have anything useful to say!!! Also STAY AWAY FROM CLIMATE DENIERS. They know even fewer fucks about even fewer shits! Just keep away from these people! They’re mean, nasty, incorrect, wrong and ignorant - and they’ll drag you down with them. Don’t give them the keys to your mental health! They’ll drive it off a cliff! It’s what they WANT to do.

There are plenty of websites talking about this, all with their own conclusions, many of which I’ve said here. Here they are:

Climate anxiety doesn’t have to ruin your life. Here’s how to manage it.

Climate anxiety is real, but there’s something you can do about it

What To Do About Climate Change Anxiety, According To Experts

Eco-Anxiety Isn’t New, and It’s Time to Deal with It

Don’t Allow Climate Change Anxiety to Ruin Your Life: Five ways to handle your (or your child’s) “eco-anxiety”

Hope and mourning in the Anthropocene: Understanding ecological grief

Make a folder, Tumblr, or box full of things that reassure you and bring you joy. perhaps like this:

And here is an image that is one of the most useful and succint ways to answer this question that I’ve seen (it’s strictly USA-based but you can take what applies to you). Source, which is easier to read.

AND FINALLY,

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY,

If you feel suicidal,

CALL FOR HELP.

Search for your region + suicide hotline on the net. Talk to family, friends, colleagues. Call the emergency services on yourself. Make contact with a therapist. If you feel suicidal then treat that as something that needs to be fixed. Because it can be. And it will.

trees

XCel Energy Center - Saint Paul, MN

To be an ally you have to use your power. You do what you can to improve the lives of others. You give voice to the marginalized. What better way to do that than to exercise your right to vote?

If you’re not registered, do it now. And then show up to the polls on November 6th.

Register now: http://bit.ly/partnerrtv

“There was a significant national response to the shootings: hundreds of universities, colleges, and high schools closed throughout the United States due to a student strike of 4 million students,[10] and the event further affected public opinion, at an already socially contentious time, over the role of the United States in the Vietnam War.[11]”

Student strike of 4 million students! Let’s do that again lol

Another picture from Kent State.

But it was not just Kent State, eleven days later Mississippi Police fired 150 rounds into a dormitory at Jackson State College, killing 2 and wounding 15 black protesters.

I didn’t make this fantastic song, but I did make the rain edit and boy it is amazing to hear!

-sounds best with headphones-

(please, please, please copy, paste, and share widely):

-Border Patrol can verify citizenship within 100 miles of a border or “external boundary.” This includes coastlines so NYC is within the 100-mile zone.

-Border patrol can only ask brief questions about citizenship, and they cannot hold you for an extended time without cause.

-You always have the right to remain silent. You do not need to answer their questions.

-***WITH THAT SAID, IF YOU ARE A BORN CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE WHITE, YOU NEED TO SPEAK THE FUCK UP.***

-The most important acts of resistance are the small ones. Make it difficult and uncomfortable for ICE agents to do their jobs. They are counting on citizens to turn a blind eye and allow them to deport undocumented citizens without challenge. Disabuse of that notion.

-If you are on a train, bus, or anything else and ICE or CBP boards, you need to stand up and loudly let everyone know that they have the right to remain silent or only answer questions in the presence of an attorney, no matter their citizenship or immigration status. There have been numerous reports that confronting the agents in this way has caused them to leave without verifying citizenship. THIS CAN SAVE LIVES.

-If you see anyone being held up by immigration, loudly ask if they are being detained and if they are free to go.

-Immigration officers cannot detain anyone without reasonable suspicion, an agent must have specific facts about you that make it reasonable to believe you are committing or committed, a violation of immigration law or federal law.

If an agent detains you, you can ask for their basis for reasonable suspicion, and they should tell you.

-Always say no to a search and let everyone know that they can and should refuse consent to a search.

-They cannot search or arrest anyone without facts about that make it probable that they are committing, or committed, a violation of immigration law or federal law.

-Silence alone meets neither of these standards. Nor does race or ethnicity alone suffice for either probable cause or reasonable suspicion

-As white citizens, we have a level of privilege which protects us from retaliation from ICE for being “rude” and making a scene, which makes it our DUTY to speak up and make sure people without the same privilege know their rights. GET LOUD. YELL. YELL IN SPANISH IF YOU KNOW IT. LET PEOPLE KNOW THEY DON’T HAVE TO SAY SHIT. MAKE ICE UNCOMFORTABLE. THROW SAND IN THE GEARS OF WHITE SUPREMACY.

BONUS INFO:

-It is perfectly legal to record immigration agents as long as you are not on government property or at a port of entry. If your train/bus gets board, pull your phone out and start videotaping immediately.

-If you are detained or see someone getting detained, get the agent’s name, number, and any other identifying information. Get it on tape.

“recuerden que tienen derecho a permanecer callados” (plural you)

“recuerde que tiene derecho a permanecer callado” (singular you)

You can also add “no tiene que decir nada sobre su estatus de inmigración” (you don’t have to say anything about your immigration status"

We all know that latines are being targeted with this. Learn from a speaker or the internet how to say those phrases aloud (you can type them in Spanish into Google translate and click the speaker button to hear them). Memorize them.