I’m feeling a bit like a deer in the headlamps, these days: the truck is barreling our way, but I have no idea which way to jump. Writing helps think it through. But I have a feeling that, if it were all up to me, we’d all be road-kill before I got it thought through. (Speaking of which, do all the deer in the Midwest US have spongiform encephalitis, these days? Or is it still safe to kill em and eat em? That might be essential information before long.)
The best I can come up with: pressure our city and county commissions to develop a comprehensive climate resilience plan. The conclusion may be that all the money in the world can’t prepare us and we’re fucked. If so, people need to know that – even though it clearly does not solve the problem. And as for mitigation . . . well, I’ll participate in whatever campaign the young folks come up with – “Keep Hope Alive!” – since it’s their future on the line. But I gotta say, the facts on the ground – and even more so in the oceans – aren’t looking very encouraging. Maybe the best all-around advice for all of us is to Toughen Up. To spend more time working outdoors when it is extremely hot and humid. Spend more time working out. Go without food for days. Do as many things as possible without electricity. Camp on weekends. Only use a container when you wash and don’t leave the faucet running. Learn how to live with housemates (again). You can certainly take along your notebook or laptop when doing any of these things – or a recording device and clip-on mic – so you can write down your thoughts while doing them. But in the U.S., a resource that is even more depleted than water is time. Most writers don’t write (directly) for money; and working for money requires more and more hours from you, the worker. So, any prepping you do, not to mention writing about it, will become more and more difficult – both in terms of making the time and (esp. for us older folks) energy. At some point, one inevitably asks – how long is it worth it? When do you stop writing? When do you stop fighting (if ever)? When do you stop?
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
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. |