In some of my posts, and in my book, I adopt a light humorous tone. I do it in order to increase the receptivity of us “first worlders” — in particular my core audience of fellow “Woodstock Boomers” — to the project of radically curtailing our consumption, voluntarily.
I talk about “prepper home ec”; “doomer style files”; being a “doomer boomer”; hosting the “Zombie Apocalypse watch party.”
Humor can be very helpful. But too much of it can backfire. I recommend carefully curating one’s intake of humorous material, fun creative “deep-green lifestyle” content, and scary news. Adjust on the fly according to your ability and willingness to confront the situation.
I also recommend regularly just walking outside (to the degree that you feel safe doing so) and being in your body, and checking in with how you’re feeling both physically and emotionally.
If you don’t feel safe walking outside in the public space, create a little nook in your indoor space. Ideally with some connection to outdoors, even if it’s just some rays of sunshine, moonlight, a bit of sky. If you are able to open a window, all the better. Even in very dense urban areas, nature makes herself known. Tune in to birdsong, the sound of wind, the music of rain.
The fact is, things are really serious. It’s not funny at all what a lot of people around the world are experiencing. Particularly in less-developed countries. The countries where the people have made little or no contribution to climate change, but are suffering the worst of its effects.
As David Gelles reported in the New York Times “Climate Forward” email newsletter yesterday:
“This week, the heat index in Rio de Janeiro reached 144 degrees Fahrenheit, or 62 Celsius, the highest ever measured in the city. The national government issued health warnings because of extreme heat in multiple cities.
“In South Sudan, temperatures were forecast to reach 113 degrees Fahrenheit, far above the 90-degree highs typical of the dry season from December to March, as my colleague Abdi Latif Dahir reported.
“In Bengaluru, India, water supplies are running low, and last month Ghana and Nigeria issued heat warnings to the public.
“We don’t yet know whether all these events were caused or worsened by climate change. But we do know that human-caused global warming was behind many of the extreme heat events that helped make last year the hottest on record. A recent study also concluded that climate change made the extreme heat West Africa experienced in February 10 times as likely …”
Voluntarily curtailing one’s consumption is not easy at times. Particularly if you live in a place where you pretty much have access to everything money can buy, as we do here in the USA. It takes self-discipline, and it takes a powerful “WHY.” Reading about the seriousness of the situation is a good way to remind ourselves of why we are embarking on this path of radical reduction.