When I talk with friends about personal change toward climate survival, this is what I circle back to: accountability has to start with our own selves. They always shoot back statistics about how individual efforts like not flying or driving less or not eating farmed meat, etc, don't dent the curve, and how nothing will change under national leadership takes this seriously. They are't wrong, exactly...but I think they miss the point. As you point out, we're a country that can't be told what to do. So sure, we need leadership, we need regulations, we need to force corporations to put lives before profits. But none of that will stick if we aren't individually prepared to make sacrifices, to change our daily lives.
Thanks for your reflections, as always. And enjoy the shit out of those blue skies and crisp mornings. I'm breathing a little easier here in Portland (where we can't open the windows) just looking at your picture at the top of this post. We need beauty, we need joy. It's unevenly distributed; that's a fact. Cherish it anyway.
Honestly your words and that photo are a breath of fresh air this morning. As Tara mentioned, we're under a red haze of smoke and ash, with all of our windows closed, after a summer of tear gas and pepper spray. Please enjoy that clean air and water.
Oh man, I feel you. On all of this. I sure do wish we could sit around a campfire under the nightsky, in place where wildfire was not a concern, and that didn't require ungodly amounts of fossil fuels to get to, and just shoot the breeze. A beer would be nice, too. I appreciate your analysis and your personal tidbits. I'm sorry to hear about your book delay as I've been going through some of that myself, but I also resonate with how you put that into perspective.
Doomscrawler here (deliberately curtailing Twit lately)- Once again, you've provided a very good daily almanac of where you're AT and where you ARE, Chris. Now about some alternative remedies to those virulent trophy homes...
We've been evacuated three out of four years (in Sonoma County and here in the CA foothills), and flooded in by rising river water one of those years. It's been a lot to handle. And we can't get fire insurance through most insurers. It's expensive. Like $10,000 a year. I'm about to get a new policy and just gritting my teeth over the expense. CA needs to offer a statewide fire policy just as they do with flood and earthquake (an affordable FEMA policy). We moved from the forest to a town because we couldn't see the fires coming and we were in a canyon with just a one-lane road in/out. CalFire told us they wouldn't come in to save our houses f necessary. So we decided to sell and move. We are a mile from an airbase for CalFire and feel much safer here -- though not guaranteed by any means. It's an epic problem and I hope for a blue win this fall so we have a hope of doing something about it. I, too, feel guilty. ANd hopeless. One day at a time. <3
I can relate to feeling fat and happy and a bit guilty about it. I enjoyed being reminded of just how lucky I am; healthy, hiking, going about my day with no real worries.
If you’re ever out this way again, hit me up, I’ll feed you a meal. 🙂
We need all the guilt free gorgeous Fall days we’re given. COVID, Zoom and the 53 long days until election results will give us enough angst. I’m trying not to become an irritable Old white broad...
Excellent review of Grounded. I am looking forward to reading your book. Also, Obama couldn’t pass much legislation because the Republicans decided to block every bill he tried to pass.
"Everything, everything, everything." I hear you.
When I talk with friends about personal change toward climate survival, this is what I circle back to: accountability has to start with our own selves. They always shoot back statistics about how individual efforts like not flying or driving less or not eating farmed meat, etc, don't dent the curve, and how nothing will change under national leadership takes this seriously. They are't wrong, exactly...but I think they miss the point. As you point out, we're a country that can't be told what to do. So sure, we need leadership, we need regulations, we need to force corporations to put lives before profits. But none of that will stick if we aren't individually prepared to make sacrifices, to change our daily lives.
Thanks for your reflections, as always. And enjoy the shit out of those blue skies and crisp mornings. I'm breathing a little easier here in Portland (where we can't open the windows) just looking at your picture at the top of this post. We need beauty, we need joy. It's unevenly distributed; that's a fact. Cherish it anyway.
Honestly your words and that photo are a breath of fresh air this morning. As Tara mentioned, we're under a red haze of smoke and ash, with all of our windows closed, after a summer of tear gas and pepper spray. Please enjoy that clean air and water.
Oh man, I feel you. On all of this. I sure do wish we could sit around a campfire under the nightsky, in place where wildfire was not a concern, and that didn't require ungodly amounts of fossil fuels to get to, and just shoot the breeze. A beer would be nice, too. I appreciate your analysis and your personal tidbits. I'm sorry to hear about your book delay as I've been going through some of that myself, but I also resonate with how you put that into perspective.
Doomscrawler here (deliberately curtailing Twit lately)- Once again, you've provided a very good daily almanac of where you're AT and where you ARE, Chris. Now about some alternative remedies to those virulent trophy homes...
We've been evacuated three out of four years (in Sonoma County and here in the CA foothills), and flooded in by rising river water one of those years. It's been a lot to handle. And we can't get fire insurance through most insurers. It's expensive. Like $10,000 a year. I'm about to get a new policy and just gritting my teeth over the expense. CA needs to offer a statewide fire policy just as they do with flood and earthquake (an affordable FEMA policy). We moved from the forest to a town because we couldn't see the fires coming and we were in a canyon with just a one-lane road in/out. CalFire told us they wouldn't come in to save our houses f necessary. So we decided to sell and move. We are a mile from an airbase for CalFire and feel much safer here -- though not guaranteed by any means. It's an epic problem and I hope for a blue win this fall so we have a hope of doing something about it. I, too, feel guilty. ANd hopeless. One day at a time. <3
I like your book review.
I can relate to feeling fat and happy and a bit guilty about it. I enjoyed being reminded of just how lucky I am; healthy, hiking, going about my day with no real worries.
If you’re ever out this way again, hit me up, I’ll feed you a meal. 🙂
We need all the guilt free gorgeous Fall days we’re given. COVID, Zoom and the 53 long days until election results will give us enough angst. I’m trying not to become an irritable Old white broad...
Excellent review of Grounded. I am looking forward to reading your book. Also, Obama couldn’t pass much legislation because the Republicans decided to block every bill he tried to pass.
Will you be doing a book release event in Helena for Becoming?