What hope is there

Having written several pieces about the climate emergency, protested, written to MP’s and local councillors, run workshops, attended trainings and more, I am wondering; what hope is there?

My conclusion is; not a lot.

I find myself in a very reflective and contemplative place wondering whether to bother anymore.

Hippie thing

I’m fed up being patted on the back and told to “keep up the good work” while said person appears to carry on with business as usual. What I do, my activism, does not negate another’s responsibility to act. In other words, I’m not carrying some of the need so they don’t have to. 

We all need to act.

I’m fed up being treated as some extreme, lefty, hippie. “Oh that, it’s Mairi’s thing”. It’s not. Its a human thing, it’s a thing already affecting millions of people across our planet and headed our way at an alarming rate.

We all need to act.

The apathy

Sometimes I despair so much it makes getting through the day a huge effort.  The situation on earth makes me want to scream and scream at everyone, to shake them, and kick the f__k out of something. I cannot believe the apathy about this issue.

If another person goes on about how in their day it was the war or nuclear threat, that there’s always something to worry about, I will probably punch them. 

Many already suffer from the effects of climate change and the breakdown of our ecology. They are displaced from their home lands, starving, living in refugee camps for years or risking life and limb in rubber dinghies to head for a country such as ours.

Species are going extinct at an unprecedented rate, water sources disappearing, forests being burned, glaciers gone. How much more has to happen before we all act?

My conclusion. A lot.

Global Strike

Our local town had a fantastic turnout for the recent Global Strike. The local paper reported on it. The same issue also carried a Primary One Souvenir edition, photos of all the new children who have just started school this year. The paper tells us,

”..the shining faces have been all smiles as they pose for their first ever school photograph.”

I think they missed a trick however as some of these same children may have been out on strike and almost certainly will be in the future. Their faces may not be so shiny and happy when they wake up to the lack of truth telling and action being taken regarding their future.

Did this story make the front page? No, of course not. This is not the world we live in.

Prizes and giveaways

After a lot of flicking, the Strike article could be found on page 12. The front cover of our paper this week was in fact a full 4 page outside cover of adverting for a national company, complete with offers of prizes and giveaways, money off and more.

Can you see now why I wonder, what hope is there?

There could not be a more blatant example of what has created the mess we face on planet earth.

When money and consumerism trump children taking to the streets with signs saying “Help Us” we see clearly what we are dealing with. The Government is not telling the truth and neither are our press.

I despair.

Sick system

We are trapped inside a sick system which cares more about the next profit to be made than saving our incredible ecosystem home for future generations. We don’t seem to get it.  Whatever inconvenience, discomfort or disruption we experience now by changing our human lives on earth, is as nothing compared to the adaptations we will be forced to make in the future. 

The longer we leave it, the worse it will be.

It is not enough

The recent UN Gap report makes scary reading. Even if countries met all the agreements they have already signed up to, it is not enough. Therefore when the politicians tell you how well they are doing, how they have hit whatever target, do not believe them. They are either delusional or lying.

I truly do despair. 

I do want to give up.

I don’t want to keep banging my head against this brick wall of denial.

What hope is there?

Little. 

And yet…………

Known and ignored

How can I stop doing something? How can I know all this and do nothing? What kind of a person would that make me? How could I look my children and nieces and nephews in the eye if I choose to ignore the facts?

While attending the Global Strike in Glasgow one of my children woke up. Not to the climate emergency, she knows all about that. No, she woke up to the fact that we, the generation before have done this, to them. We have known and ignored the situation and largely continue to do so.  

She is angry and quite rightly so. 

Attention bought

As I heard her speak I cried. She tells a truth I don’t want to hear. I wanted to cover my ears, make it go away. If I could I would just switch off and drop into the collective sea of denial and distraction. Hey, I could join everyone on the sofa watching, consuming, attention bought by global corporations.  

I wish I could, but I cant.

So how do I continue? How do I move forward?

Active Hope

Well its not easy, but if I listen I know the answer. Practice Active Hope.

“Active Hope is something we do rather than have. It involves being clear what we hope for and then playing our role in the process of bringing that about. The journey of finding, and offering, our unique contribution to the Great Turning helps us to discover new strengths, open to a wider network of allies and experience a deepening of our aliveness. When our responses are guided by the intention to act for the healing of our world, the mess we’re in not only becomes easier to face, our lives also become more meaningful and satisfying.” Active Hope

What hope is there

Despite still often wondering “what hope is there” I am willing to give hope another chance. I will play my part in the Great Turning.

Slowly I am working out what my unique contribution is. To do this I have to listen deeply. I have to say no to what I feel I should do or could do and instead have the courage to follow what I believe my role is. No matter how challenging, scary or crazy it may seem, we must all dare to actively hope and follow it’s nudge.

This is a challenge. It means changing. I don’t find changing easy but I do at least know it is possible!

Radical Self Care

When I stop and listen, when I clear away the negative chatter telling me other things I feel drawn to explore and practice Radical Self Care (RSC). I feel there is something important to be shared about this way of seeing our place in the world.

Taking care of what is contained within our skin is important but RSC extends that concern out to include the whole. This amazing place is where we all belong. In order to take care of ourselves we HAVE to take care of our Mother Earth.