A Balm for Global Stress Syndrome

You guys may be beginning to know me as the shrink who has to work with herself about the global stress I feel when facing the inevitable consequences of climate change and energy/resource depletion. These effects will eventually force us into an unimaginable life style change if we don't begin to act now. I writhe in my own frustration knowing that we could minimize the coming meltdown by just joining together with others to envision a new way of living.

I wail in public places feeling the social shame of being seen as the stereotypical prophet of doom. I'm trying to raise the consciousness of those who don't immediately turn away from my audacious display of social impropriety. I have to beat my chest and cry out to what gods there may be just to activate and sustain my own hope for an acceptable future. Couldn't we at least attempt to insure the most positive outcome possible now that we are past the tipping point? This is my plea...

But then when I have to deal with all the lies and disinformation promulgated by those at the Heartland Institute and other hired hands of the cult-like climate change deniers, I tend to get swallowed up in that black hole A Siegel talks about in A Black Hole of Denial . Or at least I feel its giant sucking mouth if I languor in limbo around its event horizon for very long. (I want to reference also Denial-A-Palooza by desmogblog as both these diaries prompted this post.)

AAAruuugh! Phew!

You see what I mean? I get myself all worked up and have nowhere to go with it except into my own personal meltdown. So here's a little something to help me 'n' you to stamp out some of that angst and turn some of the helpless rage we feel into productive action! Even when we know we have no control over damning circumstances and may not even be able to save ourselves, we have to keep forging ahead and fighting the good fight. Right?

Stop Global Warming Cold from Yes! Magazine for Positive Futures

and

Shai Agassi's Electric Car Acid Test from Business Week (Feb. 4).

I highly recommend this Yes Magazine issue. It is upbeat, but not overly optimistic. No proselytizing of pollyana cure alls, it is a good representation of reasonable approaches made by people willing to get in there and get their hands dirty. People who are willing to do more than "talk the talk". Bill McKibben and others describe their climate solutions for a post-carbon world and report on their current activities towards implementing them. The Business Week story is just one that caught my eye in the chiropractor's office yesterday. Even though we haven't determined how we're going to get sustainable sources of electricity, the fact that this guy is actually getting somewhere in the manufacture of new electric cars and has a service plan to keep them conveniently recharged was inspiring to me.

And I need all the inspiration I can get--how about you?