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Matthew & Kata

On Climate Anxiety

Following on from the above, it may be interesting to see the broader picture.  Few (rational) people will doubt that we are experiencing climate change in real time - I believe it is accurate to talk about a climate emergency, not because I think we should panic - actually the good reaction is the opposite of panic - This emergency is a long emergency - we are just starting to really see the effects (though this has been predicted for a long time - 40 or 50 years).  In the face of a long emergency we need a good plan - a good strategy - for our farm, for our business, and for us as individual, and collective human beings.  "Climate anxiety" is a phrase which is becoming more common, and some research is being done on this.  An unhealthy (unhelpful) response to climate anxiety is denial - to try to feel better about things by blocking out the reality of the situation.  This is just "papering over the cracks", which inevitably will re-appear.  Some experts in this field think it is more helpful to talk of "climate mourning" - that there is a sadness, even panic around the loss of a pristine natural world.  We have to accept this, but like with the mourning process we experience with the death of a close family member or friend, it is now understood, that there are specific phases it is healthy to go through: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance - probably there is no total avoidance of any of these phases - we need to work through them, but to reach a healthy realignment, we need to accept - but accepting does not mean resignation!  For accepting death or climate change, the most powerful tool to take us forward in life is to get active - to become the active agent of our own lives. Get out, get onto the streets, meet people, volunteer, do stuff we believe should and can make a difference.  One of the best possible ways to re-direct the climate emergency to a brighter future is to a) buy organic, seasonal, local food, to promote seasonal organic food, to grow seasonal organic food, to plant lots of trees, prefer cycling over driving etc - the possibilities are endless!

First week of September. Source: own photo


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