Monday, 3 July 2023

Narrative shmarrative.

 
It's horrible seeing our natural world so stressed, struggling under the pressures of rampant abuses and accelerating erratic change. I've always felt a deep connection to nature. I've been an environmentalist all my adult life, an activist on many occasions too, and grasp the reality of the magnitude of the crises facing us; because lets be honest the climate crisis isn't the end of the world, the world has survived far worse and will inevitably endure this too. No, it's the potential end of us or more precisely it's the end of this iteration of us; humanity may endure but it wont be like this.

So, I'm no denier. But, man, the current climate narratives leave me cold. Why? Primarily because they're all bollocks. Some purposely failing to address the foundational problem of our consumption/behavioural habits, in favour of the idea that 'growing' a 'green economy' where we essentially carry on our destructive behaviours through virtuous 'green' means will save us; a comforting fantasy for the privileged classes. A fantasy that's for the birds. Scrutinize the detail and none of it adds up. And what does the future look like for the growing body of marginalized  disenfranchised folk who aren't privileged with agency and opportunity? It looks at best to me quite like green feudalism and opportunity apartheid; the dystopian societies of scifi novels made manifest. Fuck that. Or you've the wailing doomers with their worst case scenarios, where there's no averting our extinction, we're the walking dead. I don't think fatalism is a motivator; unless the response you desire is 'well fuck it then'. Neither green techno-unicorn-ism or death cult narratives move us towards the change we need to make. I'm bored of hearing them. We need to acknowledge that wide ranging climatic and social change is now baked in; though if we get our heads out of our arses, there's a hope that strategies for our managed decline and survival could be achieved. I wonder though if we've really the desire or stomach for the change required. If the current narratives can't convince me as one who's already on board, how are they going to convince the uninterested, the sceptic or worse the denier?

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