Sessions on Climate Change, and Becoming More Aware
Where I live, in Fryslân, the Netherlands, we had the warmest month of December ever. It was like spring had already started. In January the weather went to the other extreme, and many of us were unable to leave the house for several days. It was too dangerous to travel. Everything was covered with ice. Most young people had lots of fun ice-skating on the streets. Many elders and disabled people struggled with getting food and help. After a day, the highways did get salted, but walkways and small streets stayed dangerously slippery. New layers of ice kept falling out of the sky. There were many damaged cars and many people with broken bones. All schools were closed, and farmers had to throw out milk because no truck was able to get to their farms and drive the milk to the dairy factories. Parts of our economy went down fast. Later the temperature rose again, and some days in January had the highest temperature ever.
How many sessions do we as RCers spend on climate change? Probably not as many as we need to. I have discharged on fear for the future and how deeply sad I feel about all the suffering of humans, other species, and nature on our planet.
It has been key that my counselor has been sad with me and at the same time hopeful about life and what we can make happen if we focus on setting things right in the world. Being able to cry hard in the loving arms of a dear friend has helped me to face where we are and to have more attention in general.
Do you bring climate change to sessions? And if you do, what re-evaluations does it bring?
In what ways is becoming more aware helping you in your care-of-the-environment leadership?
Please write and help us all think more widely about how we can help RCers new to care-of-the-environment work make use of our experience and tools more quickly.
Fryslân, the Netherlands
Reprinted from the RC e-mail discussion list for leaders in the care of the environment
(Present Time 183, April 2016)