Healthy planet, anyone?
Recently, NASA data scientist Peter Kalmus, chained himself to the entrance doors of the JP Morgan Chase building in Los Angeles and explains why inaction on the climate crisis pushed him to chain himself to an LA bank – and why trusting in the ‘people in charge’ is so dangerous.Kalmus explained,
[I have] this mounting feeling that I need to do more. I have a sense of desperation, because of the wide gulf between what the science says society needs to do and how it feels like everything is heading in the opposite direction. World leaders and people not understanding that we’re in an emergency.Read more >>
Then the question comes to me, if I’m sitting with the science every day, and I want to protect my kids and young people and non-humans, what do I do? I’ve been on this 16-year journey trying to answer that question, and civil disobedience seemed like something good to try. I’m ashamed to say that it took me this long.
I, too, have "this mounting feeling that I need to do more". Alas, my imagination doesn't extend to what I can do that's actually effective. I make small efforts: recycle, try to avoid using plastics (totally impractical in today’s world), reuse disposable masks, avoid shopping for extraneous “stuff”, live lightly, and educate myself on many dismal issues – poisoned oceans, rivers, air, space, and, yes, the nature of “people”.
There once was a time I’d join assorted groups protesting assorted issues (predominantly working with anti-war and peace groups). I quickly learned these groups of people are as confused, back-biting, mono-focused, and, yes, ultimately as self-destructively boring as most other groups of people.
It’s depressing to grasp that “people” are the problem, that “people” are ultimately “navel gazers” incapable of stepping out of entrenched patterns of thinking. Me included. I try to get on board with others’ thinking, but quickly revert to gazing at my own navel when I recognize the circular nature of “our” thinking and our views.
I’ll go out on a limb and say: beyond thinking and writing about the "issues", NO ONE knows how to face, never mind constructively and collectively address, the dire situations facing our planet.
There once was a time I’d join assorted groups protesting assorted issues (predominantly working with anti-war and peace groups). I quickly learned these groups of people are as confused, back-biting, mono-focused, and, yes, ultimately as self-destructively boring as most other groups of people.
It’s depressing to grasp that “people” are the problem, that “people” are ultimately “navel gazers” incapable of stepping out of entrenched patterns of thinking. Me included. I try to get on board with others’ thinking, but quickly revert to gazing at my own navel when I recognize the circular nature of “our” thinking and our views.
I’ll go out on a limb and say: beyond thinking and writing about the "issues", NO ONE knows how to face, never mind constructively and collectively address, the dire situations facing our planet.
Yes, we “see” countries struggling with climate-related catastrophe, yes, we see unilateral military invasions of sovereign nations, yes, we see fossil fuel companies making billions of profit dollars as their CEOs push clearly destructive policies and actions and block generative policies, and, yes, we vote for politicians financially supported by fossil fuel companies to go along with such policies.
But what to do that's effective?
What did Peter Kalmus do after he chained himself to the entrance doors of the JP Morgan Chase’s building?
He packed up and went home.
Oh, sure, news outlets followed him home. Oh, sure, he’ll found a non-profit company to “feel” he’s contributing.
Then what?
Perhaps Peter Kalmus will be The One to break through the “noise” and “save the planet.”
I hope so.
But I doubt it.
And there’s the rub.
Meanwhile,
SF Bay Area:
Sunrise: 5:53am
Sunset: 8:17pm
KZN, South Africa:
Sunrise: 6:40am
Sunset: 5:10pm
But what to do that's effective?
What did Peter Kalmus do after he chained himself to the entrance doors of the JP Morgan Chase’s building?
He packed up and went home.
Oh, sure, news outlets followed him home. Oh, sure, he’ll found a non-profit company to “feel” he’s contributing.
Then what?
Perhaps Peter Kalmus will be The One to break through the “noise” and “save the planet.”
I hope so.
But I doubt it.
And there’s the rub.
Meanwhile,
SF Bay Area:
Sunrise: 5:53am
Sunset: 8:17pm
KZN, South Africa:
Sunrise: 6:40am
Sunset: 5:10pm
