some thoughts on the end of the world
A friend and I were talking about the end of the world - as one does these days1 - and I realized a few things about that. Or maybe I should say I had a few moments of clarity on how I feel about it.
The big one was - big as in pull the focus way back, go geological time scale sorta big - I'm not worried. Which, I know, sounds horrible and unrealistic. I'm very aware that things will get shittier,2 and most likely - since we as a species seem unable/unwilling to change our behavior - at some point the planet will become uninhabitable for humans.
Which sucks for us, but we're just a blip in time anyway. The earth was here before there were humans, and it will go on without us. That’s what made me not-worried.
That is, Mother Nature bats last, as they say. Somehow I found that oddly comforting. Like how the stars we see in the night sky are actually, in many cases, no longer extant. But their light is only now reaching us. Reminds me of the scale of things.
But, being human, of course there's the part that still makes it about us. And there, it's not quite so simple.
I'm sad.
and angry.
Is there a word that encompasses both of those?
Sangry? Angrad?
Sad and angry that we KNOW that limiting consumption in general, and fossil fuel usage in particular, would slow climate change. And yet we don't make changes in our lifestyles.
It's not that we need more information, or some new technology to save us; it’s a problem of will. And of petrochemical lobbyists having bought enough of our elected officials to influence public policy. Le sigh.
Then there's the fact that, while we're all in this, it's not really “all in this together.” The folks with more resources are contributing more to the problems of climate change, but they also have more ability to insulate themselves from the effects.
The inequality of it chaps my hide. If we're sinking the ship it would be one thing if we were ALL partying like it's 1999. Instead there are folks with yachts that have yachts, while other people are sleeping in the street. If we're going out, at least we could feed, clothe and shelter everyone on the way. And heck, maybe even go crazy with health care and education for all too.
Which makes me think of something I read - forgetting where now, and who the person was3 - from someone who does neighborhood community building. They talked about how "prepping" in the sense of stockpiling supplies isn't necessarily the best way to survive an apocalypse, since if you're the only one on your block with food, for example, you then have to protect it from everyone else who doesn't. Also, a stack of canned goods only lasts for so long.
So they are doing things like learning to grow their own food, and other basic living skills. And working with their neighbors so everyone has something to contribute, and is invested in the community. The point they made was that many of the skills for surviving an apocalypse are also ones that could keep one from happening in the first place.
Still not sure what to do with the sads and the angry, but the things to survive an apocalypse that might also forestall one - that seems promising.
And beyond that, the earth will persist...
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although it was in the ecological, not the current US political situation sense. which actually are not unrelated, but I digress
technical term
please pop it in the comments if you know
My favorite tree! https://flic.kr/p/2rhgWUi