I’m so glad that my own sons are grown…and so worried about my grandsons (and granddaughters) in today’s challenging world. As a climate novelist, I think a lot about how to motivate people to move beyond their climate anxiety and despair. Hopelessness doesn’t help any of us in our daily lives, and it certainly doesn’t help the environment. But action brings up overwhelm: the problem is so big, and we are so small. This problem is exacerbated for young people who don’t feel they have any power. But they DO. Look at Greta Thunberg. A 12-year old in Las Vegas told me (a baby boomer) that the Baby Boomers had ignored the problem for too long and now aren’t doing enough. She inspired me to launch a grassroots climate change initiative, Be the Butterfly, that an invites people to do SOMETHING - something that works in their lives or lifestyle - to help mitigate climate change. Everyone of every age can do something, and action brings hope. We can all Be the Butterfly
These thoughts help me connect my big balloon of climate worry back down to everyday actions of caring and connecting. And talking about what we care about.
If y'all have not yet read "Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future", by Patty Krawec, do yourself (and our children) a favor and get yourself a copy. Read it aloud, with friends. This idea of "kinship" is crucial, and not new. Native peoples founded entire societies on this. Modernity however, empire cultures, colonial expansion, etc. severed us severely from all this, promoting a more "us vs. them model. As such, few of us in the so-called "developed" world now know how to live well together with fellow humans, much less with out more-than-human kin. So when calamity strikes, as it is now on all fronts (our children are certainly not wrong in feeling despair), we don't know what to do. Our hyper-individualized "culture", based as it is in consumption and the accumulation of material gain has resulted, surprise surprise, in a lack of meaning. As mentioned in this fine article, "The antidote to radicalization... is meaning, belong and emotional fluency. ECOLOGICAL KINSHIP." Spot on, Britt. Spot on! Most of us are extremely far removed from what this actually entails however. Patty Krawec offers some suggestions in her book. It will likely take us many generations to get back to a place of Right Relations, but we need to start heading back home, today. For the benefit of future generations. Thanks for this fine Q and A, Britt.
Thanks so much for your comment Gregory and for the recommendation of Krawec's book, which sounds excellent. I just wanted to offer a clarification that the wisdom in this particular column comes from Kyle Hill, not me (Britt). Kyle is the climate - aware therapist responding to our reader's question; he happens to be Indigenous and the writing about ecological kinship in this piece came from him. Thanks for reading along with us.
The good thing is we are all sensitive to the issue and devoting focus, time and energy to discuss it. Across the nations, this has to be encouraged, because if we talk about it we sure will find a way out of this sad circle of climate changes and the mental health well being.
Appreciating this article and all the comments. It is so easy to despair. These times are so hard. A few thoughts come to mind, as a parent of 2 adults now. A son and daughter.
My hope decades ago was that, as a parent, I was an activist. My intention was to bring 2 people into the world that would bring more peace and love to it. I am grateful they are doing just that now. They are such caring, loving humans. So parenting is a powerful tool to transform the world. This was one of the hardest things I have done, but the most rewarding.
I also think that the time and effort I put into raising them will give them the strength to weather whatever comes in the future.
It seems that throughout my 7 decades of life, women have been claiming a new identity and growing in power. But I think men have not gone through a similar transformation. So there is a stuckness there. And a backlash against the feminine right now. We see this in the rise of white male supremacy. So this kind of leaves young men in a confusing place. Is being human about dominance and separation? Or about partnership and connection, interconnection? Difficult for teens going through their own identity crisis, as well.
Create talk time rituals in your family. Mealtime Ritual. Even at Bedtime. It was usually at the latest hour, my daughter really needed to talk, when I was tired. But we had significant conversations then. Create Family Time rituals on weekend. Make all these times screen free. Really limit screen time. But you need to start with yourself, as you are modeling for them. Creating connection is everything. My husband and I practice a talk time ritual twice a day now, that we are retired. It has been a life saver. I can't say enough about making regular time and space for connection and quality conversations in life.
Wishing you all strength and clarity, as you live through this time, that is both crazy and wonderful. Trying to to keep rebalancing heartbreak and hope. To keep my hope strong. And shine my light.
Ecocentrism begins in families and continues in schools. It has to become "normative love" for those who are going to suffer most in these challenging times and in those ahead.
I’m so glad that my own sons are grown…and so worried about my grandsons (and granddaughters) in today’s challenging world. As a climate novelist, I think a lot about how to motivate people to move beyond their climate anxiety and despair. Hopelessness doesn’t help any of us in our daily lives, and it certainly doesn’t help the environment. But action brings up overwhelm: the problem is so big, and we are so small. This problem is exacerbated for young people who don’t feel they have any power. But they DO. Look at Greta Thunberg. A 12-year old in Las Vegas told me (a baby boomer) that the Baby Boomers had ignored the problem for too long and now aren’t doing enough. She inspired me to launch a grassroots climate change initiative, Be the Butterfly, that an invites people to do SOMETHING - something that works in their lives or lifestyle - to help mitigate climate change. Everyone of every age can do something, and action brings hope. We can all Be the Butterfly
100%. Fluttering fiercely. Thank you for that butterfly metaphor, Kate!
These thoughts help me connect my big balloon of climate worry back down to everyday actions of caring and connecting. And talking about what we care about.
Thank you Martha, glad Kyle's wisdom brought the balloon back down!
If y'all have not yet read "Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future", by Patty Krawec, do yourself (and our children) a favor and get yourself a copy. Read it aloud, with friends. This idea of "kinship" is crucial, and not new. Native peoples founded entire societies on this. Modernity however, empire cultures, colonial expansion, etc. severed us severely from all this, promoting a more "us vs. them model. As such, few of us in the so-called "developed" world now know how to live well together with fellow humans, much less with out more-than-human kin. So when calamity strikes, as it is now on all fronts (our children are certainly not wrong in feeling despair), we don't know what to do. Our hyper-individualized "culture", based as it is in consumption and the accumulation of material gain has resulted, surprise surprise, in a lack of meaning. As mentioned in this fine article, "The antidote to radicalization... is meaning, belong and emotional fluency. ECOLOGICAL KINSHIP." Spot on, Britt. Spot on! Most of us are extremely far removed from what this actually entails however. Patty Krawec offers some suggestions in her book. It will likely take us many generations to get back to a place of Right Relations, but we need to start heading back home, today. For the benefit of future generations. Thanks for this fine Q and A, Britt.
Thanks so much for your comment Gregory and for the recommendation of Krawec's book, which sounds excellent. I just wanted to offer a clarification that the wisdom in this particular column comes from Kyle Hill, not me (Britt). Kyle is the climate - aware therapist responding to our reader's question; he happens to be Indigenous and the writing about ecological kinship in this piece came from him. Thanks for reading along with us.
good amount of healthy discussion is required in the matter specially the youngsters should be linked to healthy sources of information.
The good thing is we are all sensitive to the issue and devoting focus, time and energy to discuss it. Across the nations, this has to be encouraged, because if we talk about it we sure will find a way out of this sad circle of climate changes and the mental health well being.
Appreciating this article and all the comments. It is so easy to despair. These times are so hard. A few thoughts come to mind, as a parent of 2 adults now. A son and daughter.
My hope decades ago was that, as a parent, I was an activist. My intention was to bring 2 people into the world that would bring more peace and love to it. I am grateful they are doing just that now. They are such caring, loving humans. So parenting is a powerful tool to transform the world. This was one of the hardest things I have done, but the most rewarding.
I also think that the time and effort I put into raising them will give them the strength to weather whatever comes in the future.
It seems that throughout my 7 decades of life, women have been claiming a new identity and growing in power. But I think men have not gone through a similar transformation. So there is a stuckness there. And a backlash against the feminine right now. We see this in the rise of white male supremacy. So this kind of leaves young men in a confusing place. Is being human about dominance and separation? Or about partnership and connection, interconnection? Difficult for teens going through their own identity crisis, as well.
Create talk time rituals in your family. Mealtime Ritual. Even at Bedtime. It was usually at the latest hour, my daughter really needed to talk, when I was tired. But we had significant conversations then. Create Family Time rituals on weekend. Make all these times screen free. Really limit screen time. But you need to start with yourself, as you are modeling for them. Creating connection is everything. My husband and I practice a talk time ritual twice a day now, that we are retired. It has been a life saver. I can't say enough about making regular time and space for connection and quality conversations in life.
Wishing you all strength and clarity, as you live through this time, that is both crazy and wonderful. Trying to to keep rebalancing heartbreak and hope. To keep my hope strong. And shine my light.
Ecocentrism begins in families and continues in schools. It has to become "normative love" for those who are going to suffer most in these challenging times and in those ahead.
Things to check out on this topic -
What if We Get it Right? - Ayana Elizabeth Johnson (book)
Not the End of the World - Hannah Ritchie (book)
Goodgoodgood (website, they also have a lovely free email newsletter with good news from around the world and a paid monthly newspaper)