10/04/21: Pessimism about the future
TLDR
Update: a lot, some maybe TMI
Listening: Vox Conversations: Do we need a more radical climate movement?
End Notes: You can contact me at jadettman@gmail.com
THE UPDATE
It’s been eventful couple of weeks.
I started the new job. So far, it’s all been settling in and figuring out boundaries and duties. It looks like it’s going to be a fair amount of paperwork and organizing student workers, like you would cats. It gets me out of the house.
My first week with the new job, one of our cats, Jolene, went into heart failure. It was sudden and we had to make a painful decision that I’m still second-guessing myself on (though it’s been lessening). Her absence has left a hole in our hearts. She was a sweet, particular creature.
Following on from that (same week), I had my first colonoscopy. The procedure itself went swimmingly: I fell asleep and woke up back in my room. The prep for the procedure the day before was awful and I’m so glad that they told me I wouldn’t have to do it again for another ten years.
In that context, this last week has been very calm. I worked, I came home, and I’m still figuring out the balance between chores at home and getting things done around my work schedule.
Worst part of the new job: I have to wear shoes much more frequently than I have for the last fifteen months. I really liked not wearing shoes all the time.
Though, Friday, I was feeling pretty pessimistic about the fate of the human species, specifically in the context of climate change. The people most responsible for this situation, wealthy industrialists, aren’t going to willing change the system that is making them wealthy without government intervention but most the people we elect to the government are captured by the wealthy who either fund their election campaigns or influence them through lobbying. It’s not a system designed to work for everyone.
LISTENING
In line with my pessimism, this week I listed to an episode of Vox Conversations in which host Sean Illing spoke with Andreas Malm about his book, How to Blow Up a Pipeline and Malm’s assertion that social change always requires extreme action to make those in power pay attention and bring about that change. In specific, he argues that people in the climate movement need to start destroying or damaging equipment that emits carbon pollution to disrupt the fossil fuel industry and make it less profitable to continue. It was a very interesting conversation (they usual are) and I recommend giving it a listen.
Do we need a more radical climate movement? Andreas Malm’s How to Blow Up a Pipeline makes the case. - Vox
Author Andreas Malm on the failures of climate activism and the need for escalation.
END NOTES
If you’d like to send me some feedback or discuss one of the topics I’ve talked about here (or even a different topic), email me at jadettman@gmail.com
Also, if you know anyone that would be interested in the newsletter, please forward it along!