Hi from Greece!
I’m sitting on a balcony in Athens reading the IPCC climate report. Ash floats like soft, dusty snow. My first day in Athens there were no fires, and one of the first things I noticed was how muted the landscape was – silver olive trees that flickered like molten silver in the wind, terracotta earth, sepia-rinsed hills.
Today, all the colors that were so pleasing yesterday are heightened and radioactive—a neon sun like a pink egg yolk. As I read I am aware of the hypocrisy. A European vacation probably ranks high on the do-not list when it comes to climate breakdown recommendations—air travel being an indisputable contributor to climate breakdown.
Listen to my playlist for contemplating the end of the world :)
I’m here to visit a childhood friend whom I have known for close to 16 years but haven’t seen since I was nineteen. In Athens, I’ve continued my discussion of the climate breakdown with anyone and everyone who is willing to talk about it with me (if you’ve met me you know at least two things about me—I’m really intense and enjoy asking questions that border on inappropriate : | ). Over the last few months I’ve spoken to many—old, young, artists, scientists, vegans, omnivores—about the state of the world. Unanimously, we all know that if we don’t make immediate, drastic changes, humanity will most likely end within the next hundred years or so (timelines vary).
Where people disagree is on these two points:
Are humans capable of the amount of drastic change required to save our race? And, do we deserve to be saved?
On the first point, I am not sure. History has proven us to be an obdurate species. Our big brains brought us fire, agriculture, the industrial revolution, art, but we haven’t quite evolved to free ourselves from the seemingly primal cycle of destruction. On the second point, the arguments I hear are always: why should we deserve to live, with the world such as it is? Rampant inequality, cruelty with a horrific and infinite imagination, genocide. We should just close the door on humanity. Wash our hands of this whole living business and leave the earth to whatever else survives.
First, I want to acknowledge that I know that all things die. Individual lives. Ecological eras. Stars. I’m not happy about death (see previous newsletter) but I certainly accept death as a natural part of life. Humanity will end. That much is certain (which is probably why my biggest guilty pleasure is vampire movies, which are essentially like porn for those who fear death. Eternal life, hell yeah!) But, nothing makes me as angry as when I hear an intelligent, creative, and soulful person say humanity doesn’t deserve to live. “The climate breakdown is inevitable, so stop fighting.”
Maybe it’s my lizard brain that’s constantly fighting for its own survival or maybe it’s the wannabe Aragorn in me:
But, to me, the above argument is akin to the “born bad” argument. “Some people are just born bad and deserve what comes to them.” (Yes, I am an abolitionist and don’t believe in the death penalty or prisons but we can talk about that later. I don’t think anyone is born bad except maybe Ted Bundy, and even him I’d be willing to reconsider.)
I don’t believe that because of past or present terrors the human race doesn’t deserve a second chance. In fact, I believe the opposite. It strikes me as incredibly cowardly to decide to give up before we’ve even really begun. “It’s too hard, it’s always been this way. Humans will never change.” Duh! Change doesn’t happen if you don’t even try. It’s like people who are so afraid to fail they come up with all sorts of excuses as to why their dreams aren’t possible. Rather than be vulnerable, accept failure as a likely if not guaranteed outcome and still try, people would rather never even begin. But therein, lies the courage.
Someone very close to me, someone I have loved since their first few years on earth, has been struggling with their strong belief that life is not worth living. They’ve spent time away from their family and I’ve gone to visit them in their time away from home. It’s impossible to convince anyone, even someone you love, that life is worth living. But I’ve tried anyway. I even wrote a book dedicated to this person in my attempt to prove that life was something to cherish, something to fight for. (I’ve since abandoned the book because it turns out I’m not nearly old enough nor wise enough to create an artifact that represents the beauty of life).
But in trying to encourage this person to fight for their life, I have ended up fighting for my own.
I’m a fairly privileged person, and yet it’s taken me many, many years to learn to be grateful for my life, to cherish it, all of it. I truly believe that human life is worth fighting for. I also believe that life was beget from change itself. The living world is change. To assume that humans are incapable of change is the biggest statement of hubris I have ever heard. What makes humans stand outside the laws nature of life itself?
This newsletter holds these truths to be self evident:
At our current pace, the human race will end. And soon.
The human race is worth fighting for.
The people who will suffer soonest and most extremely are not white middle-class Americans. So, if you feel comfortable in your life and don’t feel the pressure of climate breakdown, just know that’s privilege and not reality.
It will take imagination beyond comprehension to redesign our society in order for the human race to survive. LIFE WILL NOT LOOK LIKE THIS. We need unparalleled creativity and courage. And we need to get to fucking work.
In order to reimagine a new life, an old life must die, meaning colonialism, racism and misogyny and all the products of the old world. In dying, life is transformed.
First order of business? Learn to love the world!
Before you start getting all dark and morbid— appreciate the beauty that is this world! It’s tremendous! Learn to love the ground beneath your feet and the beautiful cultures of reciprocity and pleasure and wild terror that abounds.
Underland, Robert Macfarlane—this book is like if Shackleton, Darwin, and Alex Honnold had a baby. It’s beautiful beyond words, poignant and legitimately EXCITING. Like, edge of your seat exciting. One of the best books I’ve read in recent years.
Surfacing, Kathleen Jamie—a quick read about what’s lost and found throughout time. Also an important reminder that some of the first people who are already being affected by climate change are the indigenous populations in Alaska and Canada.
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Annie Dillard—HANDS DOWN A CLASSIC.
World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale sharks and Other Astonishments, Aimee Nezhukumatathil-a stunning portrait of the natural wonders of the world and our human place in it.
Tides, Jonathan White—not as good of a writer as Robert Macfarlane but he still described the living world with beauty and grace and I feel like I finally understand tides. Or at least a small slice of their infinite beauty.
Literally everything by Rachel Carson—she’s a personal hero of mine. An unparalleled writer and a human who truly lived in the world around her. Her legacy surrounds us.
Still don’t think the human race is about to go extinct? Read these books:
Learning to Die In the Anthropocene, Roy Scranton—be prepared for this one. But stick through it, the human world needs you!
Falter, Bill McKibbon—Bill McKibbon is just a fascinating writer, you can really read anything of his but this is his newest and illuminates the most modern truths.
Adventures in the Anthropocene, Gaia Vince—even if you only read the first five pages this book will change you.
Don’t like to read and prefer to listen?
For the Wild—this is a MUST listen to. This podcast has introduced me to things that had never occurred to me to even research before—like degrowth, climate colonialism, capitalism and the environment. The host kind of drives me crazy but it’s worth pushing through. Nothing, and I mean literally nothing has expanded my mind like this podcast.
Braiding Sweetgrass—I listened to this book while I was recovering from surgery and it was incredible, thoughtful and better on audio than print in my opinion.
Emergence Magazine, beautiful, soul, delightful, wondrous.
Compiled Podcasts (I did the dirty work for you)
Call to Action:
This is by no means a prescriptive newsletter. There are so many ways to fight climate breakdown, it’s not possible to list them all here. Also, based on your situation in life some might not be feasible (for cost, health issues, time etc). There are also a LOT smarter people out there who can direct you to the right place. This is just a “climate breakdown for beginners” newsletter. Get out there, read, be open, and be engaged.
BUT, no matter who you are or where you live you must do something. And you must start now.