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If I had a dime for every time I’ve heard somebody say this, regarding virtual conferences, zoom meetings, etc.

And you’re right, it’s not the same. It’s not the same as face-to-face.

However, there are trade-offs.

• Not having to pay for gasoline, hotels, out-of-town restaurant meals.

• I don’t know about you, but I find that the signal-to-noise ratio is vastly boosted by the reduced distractions of virtual convening. In-person meetings can leave a person feeling overstimulated and distracted.

• On a related note, this is something that often comes up at a conference or retreat. The atmosphere is very concentrated and intense in terms of learning, and that can result in an intense emotional bonding with our fellow participants. The can be beautiful, but they can also be a lot of emotional fallout. I have many times seen people fall into intimacies that would best have been kept platonic/collegial rather than physical, and have often been one of those people. Virtual conferences offer a way to meet people, and if there is meant to be deeper intimacy, the individuals can then, after the conference, correspond and arrange it. But there is a safety buffer of geography.

• Having an electronic means of transmitting contact info, and other info, by text right there on the spot, via the Comments section of Zoom or other conferencing app. No more arriving home with a suitcase (or backpack) full of scrap paper, business cards, etc. Hey, maybe you’re more organized than I am, but I suspect I’m not the only one who finds great relief in immediate, paperless, easily retrievable info-sharing.

• On a somewhat related note, I noticed that the “postconference crash” or “emotional hangover,” or whatever you want to call it, from a virtual conference is almost zero. Whereas I have had some severe emotional hangovers, post-crashes after returning home from physical conferences, retreats, convergences. It seems to be accentuated the more geographic distance there is. With meetings at the local or bioregional level (as opposed to in-person conferences that draw from a wide area), somehow I end up staying more grounded, knowing that we will realistically be able to keep in touch and build real community over time. (This is my experience; your mileage may vary. But I often find that when I describe my experience, it turns out that more people feel the same way than I had expected. And I have not only experienced this as a participant, but also witnessed it as a teacher, instructor, or leader — That a lot of people crash once they get home.) Otherwise — this may sound counterintuitive, but — I think we are better off meeting virtually if we’re going to be meeting with people who live in geographically scattered locations.

• Being able to interact with, learn from people who might not have the means to come to an in-person conference. I’ve met people from Kenya to Kazakhstan to Chile to Canada, and lots of places in between.

• Scheduling too, people from so many countries might not be able to drop everything to come to one conference that’s happening at one time. But meeting online increases the odds of being compatible with more people’s schedules. Yesterday’s Water Stories webinar I attended (Water Retention Earthworks Success Stories) seemed to have dozens or possibly even hundreds of attendees, from all over the world. The presenters were based in Chile, and offered truly invaluable knowledge with detailed illustrations and footage.

• Being able to implement what you’ve learned immediately, on the spot, in your household and neighborhood and community. No jet lag — either literal or mental.

• And of course, for all of us who care about eco-footprint and walking our talk, there is no contest. Virtual for the win! This is really key in particular for those of us who identify as environmental professionals. We need to walk our talk.

• And finally, germ exposure. With or without Covid, viral transmission is a major concern and is not going to become any less of a thing as years go by. My personal preference is to limit indoor spaces, and build a bit of immunity with some exposure to indoor spaces locally at selected times. Priorities and tradeoffs! Like, I don’t need to be present at city commission meetings indoors so much. Nothing I have to say is that important that I can’t make a video or write an email. And I adore my city officials, but fortunately we can get face-to-face contact via outdoor public community events. But, when a friend of mine is getting a community award, I am willing to risk a bit of indoor time to honor her.

To be sure: Face-to-face contact is necessary for humans, as it is for all other primates. Fortunately, face-to-face contact is available literally all around us. And many of us are deficient in the area of knowing our neighbors. If you need more face-to-face contact, go outside. You can start with something as simple as just saying hello to somebody as they are walking by walking their dog. I know this may sound dismissive, but this is a life-and-death issue for our society right now. We are deficient in face-to-face contact. And in-person conferences are not the way to solve that deficiency.

Another thing you could do, that I think a lot of people don’t think to do, is gather a bunch of your local community members in one place, such as a roofed pavilion or your open-air living room, with a wide-screen TV (or sheet + projector, or laptop computer), and attend a virtual conference together.

As the Flight Free Movement — a wonderful movement which seems to be led largely by academics who have seen the light — has taught me, there’s a lot of gatekeeping and ego in academia and other professions that makes people think they need to travel to glamorous conferences overseas. So, handling that set of emotions and beliefs is a key part of weaning ourselves off of the compulsion to travel to things that are best partaken right at home.

All of that said, every bioregion these days abounds and opportunities to get together in person, outdoors, to experientially learn things such as planting, harvesting, earthworks, rainwater collection. I do strongly encourage everybody so inclined to carpool, walk, bicycle to those opportunities in your home region.

PS. Right after I posted this blog post, I was able to partake of a video that was an invaluable review for my Certified End-of-Life Doula training. Which I took online, in 2023. Since a lot of you have expressed interest in training for hospice doula/end-of-life Doula, I am sharing the link here to Suzanne O’Brien’s YouTube channel. Suzanne is an amazing instructor — super knowledgeable and experienced, kind, down-to-earth, and a great inspiration. With the CEOLD training, I have already been able to help multiple friends and neighbors as they and their families have gone through the end-of-life passage.

Someone in the Deep Adaptation group is starting a study group in their community. And asked for recommendations of books and other texts.

They mentioned they are interested in both fiction and nonfiction (very wise, in my experience — fiction can convey a lot of deep truth), and books as well as other media.

I am pasting here some of the recommendations that people mentioned in the comments. I will add to this list as I come across more recommendations.

Here are some titles one member recommended; I will try to dig up the authors etc. as time permits.

•Breaking Together
• Another End of the World is Possible
• On Freedom (Maggie Nelson)
• We’re Doomed Now What?
• Climate Wars
• Deep Green Resistance
• The Resilience Imperative
• Mossbacks

• Michael Dowd’s “Post Doom” series includes both audio and written works. https://postdoom.com/

• Carolyn Baker’s books Undaunted and Love in the Age of Ecological Apocalypse. As the DA member who recommended these so aptly puts it, “I don’t need the science anymore. I need to figure out how to be.” Carolyn Baker has YouTube interviews also.

• I also recommend Eye of the Storm: Facing Climate and Social Chaos, by Terry LePage, who is a member of the Deep Adaptation group. (BTW Terry is hosting a zoom book club for the book starting this Saturday January 13, 2024. Check the Deep Adaptation group for details and sign up. Hope to see you there!)

CULTIVATING COMPASSION

To the many excellent recommendations that others have suggested, I would very strongly recommend some reading about cultivating compassion.

I gave this topic a whole header by itself. Because, in my experience, compassion is the ultimate adaptive trait for a society, and for individuals.

Here is an excellent short compilation that gives great practical tips for everyday people on how to cultivate compassion. How To Be a Bodhisattva https://www.lionsroar.com/how-to-be-a-bodhisattva-2/ (Thich Nhat Hanh; Lion’s Roar)

HOW TO BE A BODHISATTVA
It may seem like an unattainable ideal, but you can start right now as a bodhisattva-in-training. All you need is the aspiration to put others first.
THICH NHAT HANH
14 MARCH 2023

• Everyone Is Your Guest
  Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche on your life as a future bodhisattva
• 6 Baby Steps to Kindness
  The path of compassion, says Judy Lief, starts with stepping out of your usual storyline. Here are five ways to do it.
• You Deserve Compassion Too
  Compassion makes no distinction between self and other, says Christina Feldman. Care for your own suffering in the same way you care for others’.
• The Buddha’s Love
  Thich Nhat Hanh describes how love for one person becomes love for all.
• Unbearable Compassion
  For our compassion to be effective, says Ogyen Trinley Dorje, the 17th Karmapa, it must be as unbearable as the world’s suffering is.
• Toward a Culture of Love
  Love is the ultimate transgression, bell hooks argues. Its transformative power can shatter the status quo.

compassion, bodhisattva

I had to take a deep breath when I read this post on a friend’s page, because of their assumption that people who are walking must surely want a car. Very American and very car-centric.

But, I reminded myself that the post arose from a kind, generous, empathetic intention.

The post:

CAR DONATION NEEDED. There are 3 men in <city> that I’ve never met, but around 5 PM they are always walking on __ Road sometimes they are in uniform. Not sure who they are but I have been seeing them for at least a year walking. … if anyone has one they want to donate I can help with transfer fees. I love to see people work and these men are obviously coming from some sort of employment and walking at that.

My response:

You are so kindhearted always!

Things to consider: They may have a good reason for walking.

• They may not have their driver’s licenses, and may not be eligible for driver’s licenses.
• A car, even a free car, is very expensive for the recipient, and depending on their income it could be out of their range. (I speak from personal experience as a person who was once offered a free car and would have had to turn it down even if I wanted it.) Even if the car is free, they have to worry about gasoline, maintenance, insurance, repairs, and all of those other things. (But maybe as <another friend commenting> suggested, they would want a bicycle or scooter, which is a lot more affordable to keep.)
• I know this sounds crazy, because a lot of people I’ve met in Florida assume that a person who is walking can’t possibly be enjoying it, and must surely want to be in a car. But they might actually enjoy the walk. Sometimes a walk allows a person to socialize and unwind and get fresh air, even if they have been working at hard labor all day.
• They might only be walking a short way. And they might not have car parking available at their living situation or workplace.

Not trying to sound negative!! Just mentioning these things because car owners don’t necessarily think about them.

Still, it’s worth maybe talking to them, seeing what they say. And regardless, three cheers to you always for your kind heart.

PS. Something I refrained from writing in my response to friend’s post is that I have long considered cars to be an inferior mode of transport to just about any other mode, in so many ways.

A member of the DA group has an import business (Moroccan rugs), which also has a tourist guide side to it. She feels a dilemma as far as eco sustainability of the travel business (particularly given that Morocco is in extreme drought, and experienced its first 50 C day last summer), and yet the artisans depend on income from tourists who buy their rugs.

This is such a great question! (Visit the Deep Adaptation group on Facebook and type “Morocco” in the search field; that should bring up the thread.)

Hi! Thank you so much for posting this question. It’s such a good one, and I love the responses that others have already given.

Some years back, I felt compelled to transition the in-person aspect of my occupation (sustainability educator) to eliminate long-distance travel.

I used to travel to teach/speak in person; now I am primarily a book writer and blogger, also post short videos. (I do still speak in person locally in my community.)

A little while back, while researching for a blog post the issue you bring up – because it is something that affects a lot of my readers/clientd – I found a tourism model that feels very attractive to me and might work for you.

Some people in Kazakhstan, a country I have long felt intrigued with and interested in visiting, have started a virtual tour guide business. Virtual tour guides connect with customers by teleconference app such as Zoom or Facetime, and basically walk the customer into the village / marketplace.

The customer gets to shop, pick out rugs or clothing or other traditional handcrafted items. Which the customer pays for online via secure app, and then the items are shipped to the customer.

Thanks to the internet, and the tour guide’s camera, the customer gets to talk face to face with local people, even sit down for a chat over coffee or tea etc., and see realtime views of the village, countryside, etc.

it is very likely that I will sign up for one of these virtual tours.

As a person in her 60s, who for some years traveled extensively for work and also had the privilege of taking a number of trips for her own enjoyment and education, I feel very happy to be able to switch to a mode of travel that is ethical.

If you were to offer this for morocco, I would almost certainly sign up, as I am extremely intrigued with Morocco and would love to visit there if it were not for the eco-footprint and the harm that tourism can do to local economies.

The virtual option seems to radically lessen the negative impact, while boosting the positive impact on locals.

(Side note, Regarding the carbon footprint of one’s occupation:
I also retroactively purchased carbon offsets for every single flight I could remember taking in my adult life, but I do know that carbon offsets are by no means perfect. I have taken a no-flight pledge for the duration of the rest of my life, and/or duration of the climate crisis.)

Highest regards to you, thanks for being in this group and thanks for posting your question. And do keep us informed about what approach you decide to take!

And my response to a person in the comment section who says she is 70 years old and is “selfishly” traveling by plane to see all the places she had dreamed of visiting for her whole life:

I really love and can relate to what you have written here. BTW if you are interested in options for mitigating your plane travel, if you do not already have a way to mitigate, I hear that Gold Standard are the best type of offsets.

Gold Standard offsets are focused on new tree planting & other projects, rather than taking multiple credit for existing projects, so they avoid a pitfall of many so-called carbon offsets. And, they only add a few dollars to the price of a ticket.

I no longer fly, but I purchased Gold Standard offsets to retroactively mitigate the impact of every flight I could remember taking in my adult life.

Another sub topic that came up in the Ecovillage thread I’ve been posting about. Is ableism. One person commented that they are not in an ecovillage because, in their current place:

“… the access to medical care … is beyond what we could find in a small community. Sometimes I struggle with the ableism in adaptation and prep discussions. (Not blaming anybody, just trying to see how we spoonies will find our place when we can’t contribute physically.)”

To which I replied:

Thank you and everyone else who is continuing to bring this aspect up, ableism is an extremely important thing to address. For any community! No community can be sustainable without addressing the needs of all of its members.

Prepper culture, and the dominant culture as a whole, is hyperindividualistic and focuses too much on the material aspect of things. So much is missed, many of us have non-material contributions to make that are every bit as important to the collective survival and thrival.

PS. I even challenge the notion that people don’t have something to contribute physically just because they might have chronic conditions or what have you. Our culture really does undervalue regular daily tasks like child-minding, watching over animals, serving as historians/archivists, and so on, all of which people of many different abilities can do. And people of all ages, right up to the most elder of elders!

Other essential functions include art, storytelling, music. All of these can be done by people who are not necessarily young and physically sturdy. In fact, some of the greatest artists and musicians and storytellers have been physically frail and/or living with mental health conditions.

And yes, the arts, music, storytelling, performance, and just plain FUN and JOY are absolutely essential functions to a culture. (I have written extensively about this elsewhere on this blog.)

If we don’t think they’re essential, that says a lot about the dominant culture we’ve been steeped in — and explains a lot about why more of our community efforts don’t take off and thrive.

I can’t say for sure, because I’ve never seen a study on this and never done one. All I know is that I hear from a lot of people who are supposedly trying to build a community, but they don’t acknowledge the validity of anything other than basic survival functions.

Back to the topic of ableism: Not incidentally, an ableist mindset also marginalizes children and elders. A viable, healthy society not only allows but actually requires the full, valued participation of all of its members, from the very youngest to the very oldest.

Basically a roof over one’s head, growing food, and catching water. Basically a modern-day version of that dour-faced couple in the American Gothic painting. That’s their business, as long as they understand that a lot of people will not want to move onto rural acreage and try to endure life without art, music, storytelling, and just plain fun and joy. And civilization cannot survive, let alone progress, without those things.

From a fellow author this morning on the feed of my deep Green book page:

People are paying $150 for pink Stanley cups and I’m over here asking 99 cents for my book smh #writerlife #writingcommunity #indieauthor

And my response:

Seriously! (And I’m going to have to Google to find out what a pink Stanley Cup is, because I thought a Stanley Cup was only if your NHL hockey team won the big tournament.)

Maybe it’s a cup version of a Stanley thermos. Which is awesome too, because I am all about reusable cups (instead of the disposable plastic cups which are so tacky and which everyone keeps using with such wild reckless abandon).

BTW I have one of those Stanley thermoses, super vintage and I got it for like five dollars at a yard sale and it works really great.

— But yeah, either way, the original post holds! Support your indie authors, buy their books!! A dollar spent on a book is a dollar spent on the collective knowledge and joy. I would even venture to say that a dollar spent on a book is a force multiplier out in the community.

I would even rather buy books than have a car. Books, and online classes, are two of the main things I spend money on instead of owning a car. I have never questioned that it is totally worth it!

(Yes, there are other major reasons I don’t want to own a car, but books and online classes and online conferences are some of the financial ones.)

The actual comment that came across my feed was: “Buying a new car sucks *ss. Why do you have to sign so many papers?”

And my response:

Having to buy a car sucks, period.

I wish more places had good public transportation and safer ways to get around without having to take on the expense and stress of a owning a car.

(I myself do not own a car, but most of the people I know do, and they are always going through some sort of hassle. Car repairs, insurance, losing their cars to floods or other natural disasters, dealing with gasoline expenses etc.).