Thanks for your great response Jason and I totally agree and I do have hope. The human tipping point is one to think about as it relates to larger change. I see myself as a teacher in my commitment to an active, chemical free landscape in a suburban setting where I get questions about what I'm doing. One person strolling by asked me if I lived here or worked here, ha, ha. I recently moved from an idyllic 6 acres in MA (you might wonder why), to CT where every day I see more upland forest falling for housing and the increasing issues of building and removing trees , the disruption to the understory and the increasing issues of where all the water goes. It all starts with empathy. Every time I release a butterfly with my grandchildren I know that their feelings for the natural world continue. The work is is one of addition, whole systems as you've described. The timing is crucial. Not sure what I would do without Heather, my thanks to you both!!
Isn’t this absence of morality its own tipping point? If mankind is groomed to no longer care or dumbed down to be unaware how can an understanding of ecological systems ever be understood. Remember how we used to collect tadpoles in grade school and observe the process of them becoming frogs? We need the process of slow learning and observation to “get”our place in all the systems you describe here.
I very much appreciate your speaking to our current lack of philosophically and technologically maturity when it comes to managing the planet, Jason, as well your direction towards PTP’s, those were new to me. Shameful at scale…yes. Much to think on. Thank you, as always, and thank you for your kind inclusion of visitors.
I so appreciate the depth you give us in a short time, as well as the scaffolding you let us see — meaning all the things you leave out, and the many conflicting feelings (despair, hope, determination) that swirl when facing what we're dealing with head on.
She's an incredible write and environmental sociologist, whose father also worked at Union Carbide. She's written a number of essays on plastics and is working on a book about them. (This one is from 2019, so of course doesn't have the most recent findings on PFAS.)
Speak to us of the circuit breaker. That thing that flips when I contemplate cleaning my basement...so many things down there need righting that I'm overwhelmed by the size of the job. How do we fight that when it comes to the enormous scale of the environmental problems.
Speak to us of the feeling and being overwhelmed. The point where the gazelle surrenders to the lion.
Speak to us finally of that thing that makes us turn away our heads when wrong is being done. The indifference of the nearby zebras when lion consumes gazelle.
Thanks for your great response Jason and I totally agree and I do have hope. The human tipping point is one to think about as it relates to larger change. I see myself as a teacher in my commitment to an active, chemical free landscape in a suburban setting where I get questions about what I'm doing. One person strolling by asked me if I lived here or worked here, ha, ha. I recently moved from an idyllic 6 acres in MA (you might wonder why), to CT where every day I see more upland forest falling for housing and the increasing issues of building and removing trees , the disruption to the understory and the increasing issues of where all the water goes. It all starts with empathy. Every time I release a butterfly with my grandchildren I know that their feelings for the natural world continue. The work is is one of addition, whole systems as you've described. The timing is crucial. Not sure what I would do without Heather, my thanks to you both!!
Isn’t this absence of morality its own tipping point? If mankind is groomed to no longer care or dumbed down to be unaware how can an understanding of ecological systems ever be understood. Remember how we used to collect tadpoles in grade school and observe the process of them becoming frogs? We need the process of slow learning and observation to “get”our place in all the systems you describe here.
I very much appreciate your speaking to our current lack of philosophically and technologically maturity when it comes to managing the planet, Jason, as well your direction towards PTP’s, those were new to me. Shameful at scale…yes. Much to think on. Thank you, as always, and thank you for your kind inclusion of visitors.
I so appreciate the depth you give us in a short time, as well as the scaffolding you let us see — meaning all the things you leave out, and the many conflicting feelings (despair, hope, determination) that swirl when facing what we're dealing with head on.
"A better world can fall into place as easily as it can fall apart." So, so important to remind people of on a regular basis.
Now and then I like to share this beautiful essay by Rebecca Altman on plastics: https://aeon.co/essays/how-20th-century-synthetics-altered-the-very-fabric-of-us-all
She's an incredible write and environmental sociologist, whose father also worked at Union Carbide. She's written a number of essays on plastics and is working on a book about them. (This one is from 2019, so of course doesn't have the most recent findings on PFAS.)
If I may wax poetic
Speak to us of the circuit breaker. That thing that flips when I contemplate cleaning my basement...so many things down there need righting that I'm overwhelmed by the size of the job. How do we fight that when it comes to the enormous scale of the environmental problems.
Speak to us of the feeling and being overwhelmed. The point where the gazelle surrenders to the lion.
Speak to us finally of that thing that makes us turn away our heads when wrong is being done. The indifference of the nearby zebras when lion consumes gazelle.