Climate and YOU
Reflections on Living in a Climate and Ecological Crisis
Recent Episodes
10 – The Middle Way: Recipe for Sanity and Effective Action
The concept of the Buddhist Middle Way can help us stay sane and be effective. You definitely don't have to be Buddhist to appreciate the idea that human beings often think dualistically and end up clinging to one side of a dualism or another. This constrains our perceptions, creativity, and ability to respond skillfully. I discuss the approach of the Middle Way, which involves preserving our freedom by refusing to get stuck in extremes.
read more9 – We’re Not Destroying the Earth, We’re Destroying Ourselves
Issues arise when we frame our concern about climate and ecological breakdown as being about saving "the Earth." This invites us to think of the natural world separate from ourselves. Those who don't care about forest hikes and rare butterflies may ignore pleas to "save the Earth." We know "the Earth" has seen many waves of extinction and evolution, so we may feel fatalistic about humanity's decline. What's more realistic - and motivating - is to realize averting climate and ecological breakdown is about saving ourselves and the rich living resources on which we depend.
read more8 – We Can Fix This: Waking Up from the Trance of Adulthood
In this episode I make a case for taking action on the climate and ecological crisis because we can fix this. In particular, I want to reframe our view of human-caused global heating in a way that makes us think, “Of course we can fix this!” The key is calling bullshit on ourselves when we come up with a million excuses for why the status quo is immovable, why the system can’t be changed. The key is waking up from what I call the “trance of adulthood.”
read more7 – Gratitude for the Climate Crisis as Terminal Prognosis
Industrialized human societies have been living a reckless and destructive lifestyle that has had terrible consequences, but habits are hard to change, and the forces of greed are strong. Climate is like a terminal prognosis with conditions – if we don’t change our ways now, we won’t survive very long. It may seem strange to say so, but it’s possible to feel gratitude for the climate crisis as a wake-up call and opportunity for humanity.
read more6 – Forgetting Climate in the Middle of Other Major Crises
How do we – as individuals and as a society – avoid forgetting about, or deprioritizing, our looming, worsening environmental crisis while dealing with other major crises like war, injustice, and pandemic?
read more5 – Don’t Take Climate Action Unless You Really Want To
I don’t think you should take action on climate unless you really want to. Don’t do it because you feel guilty or because of anyone else’s expectations. I also think, though, that some part of you sincerely does want to take action, even if you’re not sure what to do.
read more4 – Three Kinds of Hope
Given the climate and ecological emergency we’re facing, and given the tremendous resistance human beings have to the changes necessary to address it, how do we have hope? I discuss three different kinds of hope – ordinary hope, active hope, and faith in humanity – and how at least two out of three of these kinds of hope remain accessible to us no matter what happens.
read more3 – Facing the Truth and the Practice of Bearing Witness
In this episode I talk about why it’s so important to face the truth of our climate and ecological emergency. Then I walk you through a practice I call “Bearing Witness.” When we Bear Witness, we mindfully choose to turn our awareness toward suffering – our own, or that of others – and give ourselves the time and space to absorb what’s going on. We temporarily set aside any effort to assign blame, avoid the discomfort, or plan a response. We just witness… and, surprisingly, doing this as a regular practice can help us face the truth without feeling overwhelmed, numb, or depressed.
read more2 – Prolonged Emergency Mode Versus a Wartime Mindset
What do we mean by the term “emergency?” As human beings, are we capable of comprehending the scale and seriousness of our crisis? What response is required of us if we do, indeed, believe we’re in an emergency? And how do we sustain “emergency mode” – a way of operating we’ve evolved to use for minutes, hours, days, or maybe weeks at a time, but not for years, with no resolution in sight.
read more1 – Climate and You: Introduction to the Podcast
In this episode I briefly introduce myself, the purpose of this podcast, and the basic approach I plan to take with it. In summary: The Climate and You podcast is about living in the midst of a climate crisis – how to face the truth, stay strong, and take action.
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