What do you need to do your best climate work, and how can we create more of it?
Welcome to our first-ever discussion thread for We Can Fix It subscribers! I’ll be live on Substack in text conversation with the We Can Fix It community starting now, for the next 2 hours— join in by clicking the button below!
Thank you so much everyone for joining today!! I loved the chance to hear from you from all over the world and learn more from you. I'll have to sign off for now, but feel free to keep up the conversation here-- and we'll definitely have another thread soon! Feel free to suggest any topics you'd like to see in the future. Take care!
Love your book Under the Sky We Make!! Could you recommend more reading (climate-specific or even more general, books, essays, anything!) that gives you courage and ideas for climate action?
There's not too much Zen or Buddhism in it, but lots of kind words and encouragement...like put a focus on yourself AND your community, environment, etc.
Thanks Kimberely, although I need to leaver my computer soon. I would need politicians from ALL parties in parliament to agree on an action plan to fix it. Why so difficult?
I liked what you called 'The regeneration mindset' to recognize that we have duties and ties of care with fellow humans and the living world. Having conversations about it on the every day, that our choices matter -political, consumption, production, leisure-
I would like to see real climate change information presented in public schools. District curriculum are political documents that at best green-washed completely. Because of that I created my own for 10 years.
Thanks so much for all you have done. Your book has been critical to helping me start changing my behaviors in significant ways and I've been touting it to everybody who will listen. Three quick (and entirely dissimilar) questions, if you have time. First, (actually this one maybe isn't quick) our moderately left-wing local municipality, Ferndale, Michigan, is working on its sustainability plan for the next 2 decades. From your work in Lund can you recommend any resources that would help us come up with basic principles/baselines for evaluation that we could introduce for helping to figure out what is the most far reaching set of changes that our city electorate will bear. Second, what piece(s) would you recommend that I could forward somebody if I want to give them short taste of your overall thinking in Under the Sky We Make so that they'll consider reading your book. Third, finally, wondering if you've read Kim Stanley Robinson's Ministry for the Future and if so, what you thought. Thanks!
Hi Kimberly, I wonder if you have considered translating your book to other languages? I would love to share the book with my family and friends in Cyprus, but language is a barrier. I understand that greek would not be the most popular option in case you are considering translating the book and I have no clue what kind of resources are needed in translating a book into other languages, but I'm asking anyway :)
Hi Kimberly! I read your book earlier this fall. As you write, we need both systemic and personal changes. But being an academic as you, I find that many in academia still see the climate crisis as a long term issue, not something we have to deal with once. At present, I am trying to get a more active view on climate into our vision at Chalmers
I'm looking for fewer excuses -- both from others and myself. I see a lot of desire to do something different and climate friendly (I've been working in this space in various capacities for 20 years), but *still* get pushback both on action and who's at the table. Some of it's understandable, especially given the systems set up to help ensure our fossil-dependent lives persist, but some of it seems to come from exceptionalism (*I'm* not really the problem) and prioritization of the status quo.
I am also in the US and also struggle with hope. Exploitation of resources and people is written into our systems, and disentangling the fossil fuel industry from our laws and our lives seems impossible. I agree that education and also transparency are needed. Our leaders either don't have plans for moving forward or aren't sharing them, or maybe we as people don't know where in the system to look for the information we need. Trying to find out whether our state pension invests in fossil fuels or what land sales to fossil fuel industries are happening or what laws support exploitation of my neighbors is a massive undertaking for the average time-pressed individual. I'm hoping to try to understand by reading, getting involved in small things, and especially finding local organizations I can support. Since reading Under the Sky we Make, I've found books We Rise, Saving Us, and books by Tallamy to be particularly inspiring.
Hi Kim! I recommended your book to a student today who said “he felt hopeless”. I really appreciated it. I would like to know more about emotions. How do you work with and through emotions, in your daily life, when teaching, or in co-construction?
Hi Kim! I loved your book and I enjoy the newsletter a lot!. Do you recommend any other sources of good climate advice in Spanish? I love your content, but I can't share it with my family unless I personally translate it. Any good references? Gracias!!!
Take time to imagine more. How to join my ongoing work with climate work. More possibility thinking, imagining. How to create more of it? Write every day. Delve into it with my journal. Trust that something good, meaningful will come from it. Creative. And join with others in my local community. I don't need to recreate the wheel. Just pick up where I left off and go with it.
Here in northern Sweden, where the major transition is to be made, knowledge, support and strength are needed to handle the challenges that follow from the major transition to a climate-neutral industry. The regional environmental movement does not have enough non-profit forces and resources to investigate the issues so that they can be an important voice in the transition. Who makes sure that the right priorities for how the energy is to be used are made? In parallel with these energy-consuming establishments for climate-natural industry, we must work with strategies for how we can reduce other energy needs and natural resource utilization. How do we get the power to protect the local environment?
I am dismayed that I can't get the word out about my simple idea that will help us now & teach us going forward. To make a tangible cut in aircraft use. Reduce air travel across the board (except for emergencies) from 7 days a week (constantly) to six days a week. Cuts like this have to be made, and this one will be significant and teach us what to do next. Electric vehicles & solar panels, etc, are not enough. Carbon Capture is not enough, and the oil companies are waiting in the wings to capitalize on it!
Just bought your book and I'm very much looking forward to reading it. Aside from the obvious things like planting trees and picking up garbage, what can service groups (eg. Rotary Clubs, Boy Scouts, etc...) do to help tackle climate change? A list of projects or ideas that community groups can undertake would be great.
If I had only a few minutes (think elevator pitch) to motivate a person to get off their butt and take climate action, what are things to share that you've seen resonate most with people? Am I willing to scare them with the harsh realities of what the future holds? Absolutely!
Eating less meat, do not fly, recycle your garbage etc. are all good things to do but to really achieve a better world I think we need to big investments in solar panels, windmills, isolating houses, energy-efficient machinery etc.
I feel that the problems related to climate resiliency are too immense to be tackled. We just faced (we are still in) a global pandemic and humanity did a poor job of looking out for one another. I'm not sure people can come together to make meaningful changes to address climate change. How can I feel hope? (FYI I'm in the United States.)
Thank you so much everyone for joining today!! I loved the chance to hear from you from all over the world and learn more from you. I'll have to sign off for now, but feel free to keep up the conversation here-- and we'll definitely have another thread soon! Feel free to suggest any topics you'd like to see in the future. Take care!
Love your book Under the Sky We Make!! Could you recommend more reading (climate-specific or even more general, books, essays, anything!) that gives you courage and ideas for climate action?
There's not too much Zen or Buddhism in it, but lots of kind words and encouragement...like put a focus on yourself AND your community, environment, etc.
ps - lovely rain here last night in nor cal
just finished Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet by Thich Nhat Hahn (and one of his followers)
Thanks Kimberely, although I need to leaver my computer soon. I would need politicians from ALL parties in parliament to agree on an action plan to fix it. Why so difficult?
I liked what you called 'The regeneration mindset' to recognize that we have duties and ties of care with fellow humans and the living world. Having conversations about it on the every day, that our choices matter -political, consumption, production, leisure-
Hi everyone! Welcome and jump right in with replies here in the comments, or feel free to introduce yourself if you like!
I would like to see real climate change information presented in public schools. District curriculum are political documents that at best green-washed completely. Because of that I created my own for 10 years.
Thanks so much for all you have done. Your book has been critical to helping me start changing my behaviors in significant ways and I've been touting it to everybody who will listen. Three quick (and entirely dissimilar) questions, if you have time. First, (actually this one maybe isn't quick) our moderately left-wing local municipality, Ferndale, Michigan, is working on its sustainability plan for the next 2 decades. From your work in Lund can you recommend any resources that would help us come up with basic principles/baselines for evaluation that we could introduce for helping to figure out what is the most far reaching set of changes that our city electorate will bear. Second, what piece(s) would you recommend that I could forward somebody if I want to give them short taste of your overall thinking in Under the Sky We Make so that they'll consider reading your book. Third, finally, wondering if you've read Kim Stanley Robinson's Ministry for the Future and if so, what you thought. Thanks!
Hi Kimberly, I wonder if you have considered translating your book to other languages? I would love to share the book with my family and friends in Cyprus, but language is a barrier. I understand that greek would not be the most popular option in case you are considering translating the book and I have no clue what kind of resources are needed in translating a book into other languages, but I'm asking anyway :)
Hi Kimberly! I read your book earlier this fall. As you write, we need both systemic and personal changes. But being an academic as you, I find that many in academia still see the climate crisis as a long term issue, not something we have to deal with once. At present, I am trying to get a more active view on climate into our vision at Chalmers
Our climate change book club (on Zoom) is open for new members. We meet on the 3rd Thursday from 10:30 - noon California Pacific time.
Under the Sky We Make is on the list for 2022.
Send email to Nancy at nft@truher.net for more info. This month is Joy Reeves’ Growing up in the Grassroots - 11/18/20.
I'm looking for fewer excuses -- both from others and myself. I see a lot of desire to do something different and climate friendly (I've been working in this space in various capacities for 20 years), but *still* get pushback both on action and who's at the table. Some of it's understandable, especially given the systems set up to help ensure our fossil-dependent lives persist, but some of it seems to come from exceptionalism (*I'm* not really the problem) and prioritization of the status quo.
I am also in the US and also struggle with hope. Exploitation of resources and people is written into our systems, and disentangling the fossil fuel industry from our laws and our lives seems impossible. I agree that education and also transparency are needed. Our leaders either don't have plans for moving forward or aren't sharing them, or maybe we as people don't know where in the system to look for the information we need. Trying to find out whether our state pension invests in fossil fuels or what land sales to fossil fuel industries are happening or what laws support exploitation of my neighbors is a massive undertaking for the average time-pressed individual. I'm hoping to try to understand by reading, getting involved in small things, and especially finding local organizations I can support. Since reading Under the Sky we Make, I've found books We Rise, Saving Us, and books by Tallamy to be particularly inspiring.
Hi Kim! I recommended your book to a student today who said “he felt hopeless”. I really appreciated it. I would like to know more about emotions. How do you work with and through emotions, in your daily life, when teaching, or in co-construction?
Hi Kim! I loved your book and I enjoy the newsletter a lot!. Do you recommend any other sources of good climate advice in Spanish? I love your content, but I can't share it with my family unless I personally translate it. Any good references? Gracias!!!
Take time to imagine more. How to join my ongoing work with climate work. More possibility thinking, imagining. How to create more of it? Write every day. Delve into it with my journal. Trust that something good, meaningful will come from it. Creative. And join with others in my local community. I don't need to recreate the wheel. Just pick up where I left off and go with it.
Here in northern Sweden, where the major transition is to be made, knowledge, support and strength are needed to handle the challenges that follow from the major transition to a climate-neutral industry. The regional environmental movement does not have enough non-profit forces and resources to investigate the issues so that they can be an important voice in the transition. Who makes sure that the right priorities for how the energy is to be used are made? In parallel with these energy-consuming establishments for climate-natural industry, we must work with strategies for how we can reduce other energy needs and natural resource utilization. How do we get the power to protect the local environment?
I am dismayed that I can't get the word out about my simple idea that will help us now & teach us going forward. To make a tangible cut in aircraft use. Reduce air travel across the board (except for emergencies) from 7 days a week (constantly) to six days a week. Cuts like this have to be made, and this one will be significant and teach us what to do next. Electric vehicles & solar panels, etc, are not enough. Carbon Capture is not enough, and the oil companies are waiting in the wings to capitalize on it!
Just bought your book and I'm very much looking forward to reading it. Aside from the obvious things like planting trees and picking up garbage, what can service groups (eg. Rotary Clubs, Boy Scouts, etc...) do to help tackle climate change? A list of projects or ideas that community groups can undertake would be great.
What are the barriers that stop individuals and businesses taking action?
Many people want to do the right thing but don't know the first steps to take.
Where are the guides that give clear and complete instructions for what to do next.
Could they be broken down into areas like -
Transport
Food
Work
Heat and energy
Stuff
If I had only a few minutes (think elevator pitch) to motivate a person to get off their butt and take climate action, what are things to share that you've seen resonate most with people? Am I willing to scare them with the harsh realities of what the future holds? Absolutely!
Eating less meat, do not fly, recycle your garbage etc. are all good things to do but to really achieve a better world I think we need to big investments in solar panels, windmills, isolating houses, energy-efficient machinery etc.
I feel that the problems related to climate resiliency are too immense to be tackled. We just faced (we are still in) a global pandemic and humanity did a poor job of looking out for one another. I'm not sure people can come together to make meaningful changes to address climate change. How can I feel hope? (FYI I'm in the United States.)