“in eastern n. carolina,
where I grew up,” writes the journalist, “climate change was never a polite topic of conversation.” or in large northern cities. or western suburbs. or liberal, midwestern college towns. but, as he says, “govt. that’s not protecting its citizens from the challenges of climate change (property loss, food system collapse, increased intensity of storms, flooded infrastructure, extreme heat, economic disruption) is not acting in the interests of its citizens” (& the citizens, one could argue, are not actively protecting themselves or their kids or grandkids or neighbors); but how – the rich won’t permit them- selves to be taxed; even if they did, would there ever be enough re- sources or re- sourcefulness to “harden” our infra- structure or inner structures enough? maybe the shrinks are right: we can’t see anything this threatening, so over- mastering, so clearly bent on our obliteration – can’t think of an “us” beyond clan & land – can feel the loss of 31 to gunfire, but not millions hammered by drought, then storms that destroyed meager harvests in southern africa . . . unless of course you’re them; can’t admit we were just wrong: too dangerous to our self. funny weather we’ve been having, huh? july 2019 the hottest month ever on planet earth. it doesn’t rain in “high summer” around here, not much, but now we get in- undated: i’m writing from a coffeehouse, as power’s out at home – and a home- less man pushes a shopping cart in the rain, a bicycle tire hangs from its side. you can’t afford to think about it you’ll go mad or hide all the time or yr heart will stay too broken to pump like nature meant it to. can’t think about 11.2 m acres (17,500 sq mi) lost to the boreal forests of siberia so far, as of yesterday (greenpeace russia: “the size is now hardly manageable. the fire is already too big”); don’t think, new mexico, abt yr water supply’s being low as eritrea’s; don’t listen when the arctic specialist sez “i’m losing the ability to communicate the magnitude”; it’s hardly manageable, too big: 122 f + 85% humidity for hajj – soon everyone will be bowing at the kaaba in spacesuits; soon everyone will be praying to something or somebody just trying to make it o.k. “words are so fucking sad”: they can’t do justice by them selves
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June 2021
Kristin Prevallet Author/Editor
I'm a writer & teacher in Lawrence, Kansas who actually believes the scientists. I wrote a book of poems called Of Some Sky that seems to have something to do with all this. |