things that concern us
I was going to make the subject of this “things that concern me” but the fact of the matter is that this concerns all of us.
Every crisis has its time in media, and right now #climatechange is having theirs. And I am so happy but I also couldn’t be angrier. I am newly hopeful after feeling defeated for so long. I feel guilty. I am a sweating glacier of mixed emotions as I think about all the times in my life I’ve felt as passionate about the environment as Greta and all the times I’ve felt as detached from the issues as, well I guess, the average American.
My journey with environmental protection started as a middle-schooler panicked with the usage of triclosan in the house, turned into a stubborn Food Inc-preaching teenager. Then, as a college student with newfound freedom in a vegetarian-friendly city, I adopted a mostly meatless diet. I decided to major in earth sciences and labored in a paleoclimate lab studying environmental change. But somewhere along the way — and this is terrifying to realize — I became apathetic.
It sometimes feels like the only way I could live a truly environmentally-sustainable lifestyle would be if I moved to an isolated, solar-powered, vegan commune. I guess that doesn’t sound too bad but I have a fear of ending up in a cult, so there’s that. I also love cheese, technology, and my friends too much.
I can try to do my personal best to help the planet, but I would be deluding myself if I believed that my personal best will offset the generations before me who didn’t try their best or everyone in my generation who simply don’t give a shit.
More recently, I’ve redefined what I consider as “my personal best”. While individual carbon footprint is important, so are the echos of the voice and the power of the vote. I want to beat my personal best on all accounts and hope you can as well.
As said in HEATED (a super informative climate newsletter I’m obsessed with):
It is not your fault that the planet is burning. Your air conditioner, your hamburger, your gas-powered car—these aren’t the reasons we only have about a decade to prevent irreversible climate catastrophe.
No; the majority of the blame for the climate emergency lies at the foot of the greedy; the cowardly; the power-hungry; the apathetic. And that’s why I created this newsletter: to expose and explain the forces behind past and present inaction on the most existential threat of our time.
Clasped Hands by Blithe Field
and "what's going to happen with us?" / I don’t really know
World on Fire by Louis The Child, Ashe
Keep takin' time, takin' your time / But there's no time left
The Seed by Aurora
this Youtube video is everything
Happy listening,
Angela
All previous weeks’ songs in this playlist: