It's not like I'm new to the concept of climate change. It's not like I'm one of those people who doesn't believe it's happening. Admittedly in the past I have, in a way, dismissed it. Not dismissed it like "eh, whatever, it's not going to affect the world" but dismissed it like, "I feel strongly about a lot of social issues but I just can't take on another one right now." Then the brain forced it out.
But recently, it has crept back in. The first time was at a Board retreat for the organization I work for. We began by asking Board members to share the social issue that mattered to them most. I expected "inequity," "racism," "poverty." That was all there but when a Board member who I knew was particularly charged about issues of race and inequality mentioned climate change as the thing that kept her up at night, it caught my attention. She hinted at the idea that climate change was actually going to make all the other issues we care about even worse.
Light went on. She's right. How could I have not thought of this before!? The little idea nugget bounced around in the brain for a few months then Simon and I attended an event about climate change in Portsmouth last week. The speaker was a UNH professor with over 30 years experience as a climate scientist. Among the terrifying data, he said three things that I haven't been able to shake: 1) Climate change is a moral issue, 2) Our most vulnerable populations will be the ones to suffer the most, and 3) Every sector needs to be involved to fix it.
Yes! It makes sense, so much sense. It makes me insanely excited to think about how the arts could play a role in making change. I never dreamed to imagine how dance could move the needle on issues of injustice until I started working at my current job, saw the arts as an important sector in our communities, and realized that of course they should be at the table to force attention onto these critical issues. Plus, artists are inherently creative and something like curbing climate change is going to take not just brainy scientists, but also innovators.
At this point, I have no idea how to actually DO something. But even feeling an awareness and perhaps making other people aware seem key as more and more evidence shows the bad news accelerating. Kids, this could be the actual real live apocalypse I've been waiting for! Ready your rafts!!! No, but in all seriousness, it's all fun and games until the sea level rises above Manhattan....
But seriously in seriousness, this is a big deal and I'm being honest when I say I don't know what to do about it, but I know I'm excited to try even if that means starting with rambling about it on my sad little doggy poetry blog.
Yes! It makes sense, so much sense. It makes me insanely excited to think about how the arts could play a role in making change. I never dreamed to imagine how dance could move the needle on issues of injustice until I started working at my current job, saw the arts as an important sector in our communities, and realized that of course they should be at the table to force attention onto these critical issues. Plus, artists are inherently creative and something like curbing climate change is going to take not just brainy scientists, but also innovators.
At this point, I have no idea how to actually DO something. But even feeling an awareness and perhaps making other people aware seem key as more and more evidence shows the bad news accelerating. Kids, this could be the actual real live apocalypse I've been waiting for! Ready your rafts!!! No, but in all seriousness, it's all fun and games until the sea level rises above Manhattan....
But seriously in seriousness, this is a big deal and I'm being honest when I say I don't know what to do about it, but I know I'm excited to try even if that means starting with rambling about it on my sad little doggy poetry blog.