D&F 11-21-21
This weekend is the start of a lovely little birthday holiday. Between books, bikes, and Berry, I’m set. In another time I would’ve taken eleven days and an opportunity to visit Europe, but between COVID and cat-sitting I’m not sure when I’ll get to travel.
On Thursday, over wine, H and I had a lovely chat with J about the rather inevitable end of the world as we know it due to our species’ climate suicide. The question will always arise (for the next ten years or so) what our personal responsibility is towards a disaster largely perpetuated by a handful of companies and complicit officials: should we travel and enjoy our last days, resigned to a final bacchanal jog around the globe? I’m still not sure.
If you’ve wondered, “am I rich?” this is the site for you. Spoiler, you are, in a global sense. This quiz only really highlights the incredible disparity in resources between the global north and south though, while various sad men with rocket companies try to be funny on Twitter. We should certainly be generous and redistribute wealth around the world, but thinking too hard about how we can guilt each other is much less effective than rallying for action and actual comprehensive change.
If the preceding bits have you a little despondent, here are some ways to get involved that don’t require a stealth helicopter. It also helps to live with less and bike around your area. While we’re at it, let’s make roads suit humans and not giant metal death boxes:
Like, look, let’s all slow the fuck down. We’d all be better off if the top speed allowed where humans live was 10-15mph. I wonder what all the car scrap metal will be used for when oil and gas infrastructure is gone?
Time for some laughs, love, and…
Links
- I haven’t bowled in some time:
- This could be orb, but you’re playin'
We laugh so we don’t cry, or accidentally become the Joker.
Closing
Every time I ride my bike I notice something new, and often see friends on the streets nearby. The most uplifting part of the conversation I had with my friends Thursday was about how to build and enjoy a slower community based in the offline world, and supplemented by emails and small group chats. These methods don’t require Omelas to stare into the void of content moderation, and have the scale required to keep our shared humanity in mind. Instead of being overwhelmed or bombarded this last year, I’ve increasingly relied on slower networks, and tried to cultivate very local friendships. If the future is density and human-scale, it’s probably time to practice being human. Thanks for taking a trip through my anxieties this week with me—stay safe, and hug a friend, space cowgirls~