I don't come across many climate change doubters in my world (and by this I specifically mean those who doubt that the earth's atmosphere is warming due to human activity, causing disruption of the life systems in the ecosphere, which will ultimately directly affect us and our children)

What I do come across is political jadedness. People basically feel that they have no power to change the outcome because the powers-that-be have manipulated all chances for a positive political outcome. Big Money will win. This attitude is, of course, self-fulfilling, but it is also comfortable for those who wish to stay disempowered. I am talking about real activists here, the very ones who fought hard to save the old growth forests of the US pacific northwest not very many years ago. These are the tree-sitters I'm talking to. What happened? Is it because it is easier to bond with the physical reality of a gigantic tree than with the concept of fair weather? Is it because of the power of the group mind - to go along with the crowd?

Since not everyone is galvanized about the issue right now, and it is so damn emotionally overwhelming, would-be serious activists are turned off, numbed out? Do we need more than online forums? Do we need inspirational speakers like Judi Bari? If she were still alive, she would certainly be articulating this imminent threat and making the concrete connection to the physical world that we can have real bondedness with.

My six year old son knows about climate change. I don't know how I could look him in the eye when he's grown and the world is falling apart in disaster and tell him then that I was too politically jaded, comfortable in my disenfranchisement, to do whatever I could even if it was fruitless.

How can I get this sentiment across to my friends, some of whom did far more to try to stop clearcutting of the old growth than I ever did? And hell. I am not even sure of a clear direction to take to raise the political will to address our sickening, overconsumptive social insanity. Anyone?

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