My writings - and those of others.
Self Portrait
What will life look like when later in this century researchers look back on 2021?
I was interested in contrasting my current life as a single elderly woman living alone in the past few days with that of one of my oldest friends. I was able to renew contact via email with her daughter and hoped that we could connect via technology during the current lockdown. This is not easy, she said, because her mother’s hearing is challenged, even with hearing aids, and her sight because of macular degeneration. Personal visits are best and her children are frequent visitors – but since she lives in another city, that is not an option for me right now.
There are similarities, but key differences for which I have every reason to be grateful. I also wear hearing aids but they allow me to hear well. My optometrist can see tiny beginnings of macular degeneration, but taking a supplemental vitamin is currently preventing an increase showing in the sophisticated optimal scan. I am also reasonably mobile so long as I do gentle exercise regularly. My friend is confined to a wheelchair.
But I can also see how changes in technology make my current life not only tolerable but extremely rich during lockdown.
Books – As a child I could walk to the local public library and sometimes read a picture book on its steps and then returned it right away. I still enjoy hard cover books and am currently reading Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste, a provocative and deeply troubling portrayal of a humanly constructed system of superiority with profound implications.
Much – even most of my reading, of course is now online – via a laptop, a tablet and a phone. I first turned on a desktop in 1984 to use office software, but computing is now just part of living. Reading books happens through Kindle or Libby, the public library app, and that can include both print and audio books. My morning starts with online newspapers, New York Times, Washington Post , the Ontario edition of Canada’s Globe and Mail – and sometimes the aggregated Apple News. I still have a paper subscription to the New Yorker but I can read a library version of The Economist. These give me some balance between progressive and conservative views about current issues.
Then there are online newsletters. I first picked up the initial edition of the magazine Fast Company in an airport when I was still working, and I liked its approach to innovation. I still do. There are eclectic ones like Brain Pickings, Maria Popova’s weekly aggregations of famous writings and wonderful illustrations from children’s books that she finds in public libraries - and Aeon, an Australian newsletter with wide reaching topics. I also scan most many of the environmental newsletters referenced under the resource section of this site.
As a former resident, I’m somewhat of an American news junkie and dive in an out of CNN and PBS – as well as the Canadian channels, CBC and CTV. These can all be accessed both live and after the fact through recordings. I might turn later to Prime or Brit Box for a series of two.
There is still the telephone. I pick up less and less to avoid the robocalls – but I can see whether it’s a son calling from Hong Kong or another one who wants to borrow my car which is an easier one for his teen age son to practice driving between online lessons - or a friend wishing me a happy birthday. Less welcome is a call from a colleague who has clearly traveled down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories. All I can do is remind him of the caring person I have known in the past – but I doubt if I have changed his view.
And I realize that in the week that the only live face to face conversations I have had is a brief one with the son and grandson picking up the car keys – and the concierge when I picked up a food box. A couple of Zoom meetings lasted much longer and provided views of welcome faces. And I’m back taking art lessons on Zoom where the gifted instructor can receive our works in progress and make suggestions for improvement, The six learners share their work and we admire one another’s creations and learn. My twice monthly piano lesson on Zoom also provide good instruction and learning.
This is a pretty rich environment where I am lucky to be alive and experience. One of the things that has struck me in writing this. While I have social media accounts, I feel almost no need to access them at this point. What that means is that I’m not part of the world totally immersed in lack of truth. And the challenge for others and for me is – how to I change that from where I sit now?
Never Underestimate - Science Moms
I was originally made aware of the importance of climate scientist Kathryn Hayhoe through the University of Toronto’s School of the Environment lecture series in 2019 where they claimed this outstanding woman as one of their own. A Canadian by birth. Hayhoe began her studies here before becoming the Political Science Endowed Professor in Public Policy and Public Law in the Department of Political Science, a director of the Climate Center, and an associate in the Public Health program of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Texas Tech University.
But never underestimate the power of a woman – and a mom – and also a scientist. She has brought the three together as the lead in a new initiative to help us guide the next generation in the important area of climate change. After meeting a young mother frightened about the world of the future for her child, Hayhoe realized they had a common situation and concern. Her approach is creative – channel fears into action. Talk to your family and friends about it – but even more importantly, become an advocate in the places where you have agency – local schools, local governments, churches and local agencies and other levels of government.
Hayhoe recruited five other prominent women scientists and a funding body to begin a ten million dollar educational project designed to educate and empower mothers – grandmothers like me can also join in. It will pay for advertisements featuring the women scientists that will run nationally and follow with ads focusing on states in the US where climate change is already showing significant effect. It’s a long term project that is expected to last for five years and you can read about it here. Its website site includes helpful resources and starts the process with outlining myths and facts.
In a “half the sky” framework, moms matter to politicians and advertisers. Both can tap into their existing concern for climate change. What this project gives them is some straightforward ways to act. Moreover, they will have confidence in the leadership of woman scientists providing them with talking points and the ability to debunk common myths. Among them:
Climate change isn’t settled science.
Climate change is a natural phenomenon.
Climate change is way off in the distant future.
It might get bad but we can handle it.
There is still time to address it (but not too much).
You might check your own response to these statements and see if you are clear on the facts. Next you can view the resources – some for moms and some to share with their children as well as TED talks. There is a sign up sheet for Americans and a similar one for Canadians and other parts of the world would be useful.
The final reminder is that individual small steps are important – but significant action involves government legislation. We have to have the right information and we have to urge those in positions of power to act on it in important and positive ways. Exploring these materials is a really worthwhile way to spend some time during our current lock down.
Epiphany
Some quotations:
Save me, Oh Lord – for the waters have risen above my neck ( Psalm 69.1)
From Wikipedia: An epiphany (from the ancient Greek ἐπιφάνεια, epiphanea, "manifestation, striking appearance") is an experience of a sudden and striking realization. . . Epiphanies are relatively rare occurrences and generally follow a process of significant thought about a problem. Often they are triggered by a new and key piece of information, but importantly, a depth of prior knowledge is required to allow the leap of understanding.
And also this:
Western churches generally celebrate the Visit of the Magi as the revelation of the Incarnation of the infant Christ, and commemorate the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6.
Some news stories were hard to find on television on Wednesday. US Congress was no longer dominated by a single party. Covid 19 hospitalizaed cases and deaths reached the highest numbers ever. There was nothing about Epiphany as a celebration of the visit of the Wise Men until a message announcing a link to a live streamed service at my parish church came via email. I left CNN to attend it online. With the strains of Gregorian Chant, sung by single alternating voices complying with the rules of public health and an engaging homily, and the noting of the passing of two friends – one far too early from cancer and the other probably only from advanced age - it was a moment of Kairos in a world of Chaos.
*I lived for three years in Manhattan in the early 60s. My eldest son came into the world as an American by birth. It is a country I have admired and loved ever since my first visit as a young child. I have been totally mystified by its support of a president who seemed to have no qualifications for office and gained notoriety as a reality TV celebrity who in real life cheated on wives, businesses, banks and taxes. As someone who had inherited milions he was an unlikely saviour of people who felt left out and disadvantaged, but were eager to become his disciples. But like everyone else I fell captive to news in print and social media that was all Trump all the Time. His ability to capture out our attention Trumped all.
I’m not complicit in marching, vandalizing or believing conspiracy theories. But if there is a personal epiphany, it is in realizing how much attention I gave to this person. I read of a refusal of a sitting president to concede his loss in an election and his many attempts to contest it in the courts with baseless or non-existent claims. I thought that press accounts of correction were enough. I thought that resignations of colleagues was enough. I thought that invitations to protest by a sitting president to overthrow the government were disgraceful, but that law enforcement and curfews were enough. I thought that even though some politicians wanted to engage in spurious theatre without risking the outcome - and a chairman adhering to the constitution was enough. I was wrong.
While those who were making those claims, thugs were invading and desecrating the Capitol, urged on to violence by the defeated president, his family members and their cohort. It appears to have been a wake-up call for some members of congress to have a similar epiphany – a sudden realization of what they have supported and how close they came to death – perhaps their own – but certainly that of democracy.
What happens to a man or woman who runs for office with a view to making the world a better place and then loses any sense of what it true - just to stay in power? What young person is going to undertake a position of office to risk being spit upon, called unspeakable names or even murdered? How do you deal with someone using a Bible as a prop after tear gassing peaceful protesters - and then goes on to love thugs and domestic terrorists?
I’m not suggesting that hanging out at an online church service is the answer. Religions of all kinds have much to answer for. But however we find it, the sense of decency and sacredness of places and institutions has to be part of reality however one can find it.
And I’m not about to join those condemning the leader of the senate and the vice president and others for finally doing the right thing as too little too late. Sometimes epiphanies take a lifetime – including my own. What makes the difference is a distinction between habits – some chosen, but more often learned and assumed unconsciously – and practice, which involves choices. I along with others have choices to make – in terms of time and energy and focus and determine what I value. It’s a new day.
Positives among the negatives
It’s good to see the end of a year that brought suffering, death and destruction to order, work and the democratic process. In the midst of these it is also good to see some things that had a positive effect on the environment and a chance to change the way we think and live in Canada. We have a new start today.
A model for climate change
When we realize the threat we are under, we are not afraid to take action. Unlike our neighbours to the south, we took responsibility for others generally by following the leadership of public health and adjusting quickly. We could do this in nearly all cases by understanding that this was a collaborative effort that in no way infringed upon our rights. What if we could apply the same energy and commitment to climate change?
People rediscovered the value of personal action.
Early in March I was asked if I still had my sewing machine. I couldn’t remember how long since I owned one and it seemed like two decades. But two people I know made masks for family and friends and donated them to others. It relieved the initial shortages that needed to go to front line workers. It also created a world of interesting design and pattern. What if we rediscovered our respect for craftmanship and rewarded it appropriately?
Governments gave away money
We didn’t hear about welfare bums and single moms misusing public funds. More of us were among the needy – restaurant owners and staff, musicians, actors and others whose lives were often precarious. We didn’t realize how much we valued their services until they were gone from our lives. The whole idea of a guaranteed income gained weight. What if we could implement it, drawing on our recent experience?
Trees are planted in a new way
We have known that destroying trees is madness. In a country that already has many covering its footprint, we still try to plant more. College students have gone into remote areas for years to do so during the summer but it is hard work with limited productivity. But a company is now producing drones that can plant seedlings at speeds surpassing any human effort. Technological development often harms the environment What if it could focus more fully on improving it?
We have rediscovered the inner city
Some of our streets have bike lanes now better protected from adjacent traffic lanes and more bike kiosks have appeared. I’m lucky enough to live in the fifteen minute walk to everything – grocery markets, drugstores, bookstore, bank, restaurants for dining outdoors or takeout, medical centres and services for eye glasses and hearing aids. Roadway lanes in good weather have been narrowed to allow for pavement seating and while traffic has to continue, there is less of it. I’ve filled the gas tank of my car exactly three times last year. What if we saved these features to benefit the environment?
Working from home has some advantages
The dogs are very happy about it – the cats, perhaps less so. While parents have been challenged to work from home and cope with children who compete for attention and have work challenges of their own, neither work nor schooling has faded entirely. What if we reflected on the strengths and limitations of both workplaces and built some of the advantages into future life?
Inequities have been laid bare
Warehousing the most vulnerable, underpaying those who care for them, crowded housing and neighborhoods = all these increase vulnerability. We know they exist but we have been able to ignore them. For those who are more fortunate – what if we resolve to take on one aspect of inequity to act upon in 2021 even in the smallest of ways?
New Books a New Era
A new administration in the US has meant that new roadmaps are being developed - and not a moment too soon. Visit Yale Climate Connections writer Michael Svoboda to learn more about these new books that will help us all move forward. You can find reviews of the books here.