A letter to the faculty of my school on the eve of the global climate strike:
Though it usually feels like I’m doing way too little for the environmental movement, I’m committed to a future that works for all life.
The past couple weeks at school, with regard to the climate strike today, have been messy. Since [a couple students] presented to the school about the strike a couple weeks ago, to some extent we have all wondered what’s happening, how much we should assist/guide the students, and how to best support the climate movement in general. We’ve probably voiced or at least had judgments about the students, how they’re handling it, about each other, about school admin, about ourselves, and about the movement itself.
In 50 years, they won’t care how awkward or messy this planning may have felt. They won’t care whether we went to DC or Baltimore or stayed on campus. They won’t care whether we wanted to help or not, whether we really meant it or not, or how many people showed up to march.
In 50 years, they’ll care whether they have clean air, clean water, healthy food, healthy relationships, and a stable society. They’ll care whether ecosystems have the chance to live or die on their own.
No matter how messy this planning has been or how awkward or thrilling or satisfying or scary or frustrated or meh our experience at Friday's climate strike may be, it’s worth it. Building a world that works is worth all those feelings, and it’s going be messy. Revolutions are messy.
As eco-activist Derrick Jensen wrote, “Nothing matters but that we stop this culture from killing the planet.”
Thank you for participating in this movement, however you’ve chosen to join it on Friday.
P.S. I recommend that you read this excerpt from activist Derrick Jensen’s essay, “You Choose.” And I also recommend Greta Thunberg's TEDx talk, which kicked off our school movement a couple weeks ago.
Though it usually feels like I’m doing way too little for the environmental movement, I’m committed to a future that works for all life.
The past couple weeks at school, with regard to the climate strike today, have been messy. Since [a couple students] presented to the school about the strike a couple weeks ago, to some extent we have all wondered what’s happening, how much we should assist/guide the students, and how to best support the climate movement in general. We’ve probably voiced or at least had judgments about the students, how they’re handling it, about each other, about school admin, about ourselves, and about the movement itself.
In 50 years, they won’t care how awkward or messy this planning may have felt. They won’t care whether we went to DC or Baltimore or stayed on campus. They won’t care whether we wanted to help or not, whether we really meant it or not, or how many people showed up to march.
In 50 years, they’ll care whether they have clean air, clean water, healthy food, healthy relationships, and a stable society. They’ll care whether ecosystems have the chance to live or die on their own.
No matter how messy this planning has been or how awkward or thrilling or satisfying or scary or frustrated or meh our experience at Friday's climate strike may be, it’s worth it. Building a world that works is worth all those feelings, and it’s going be messy. Revolutions are messy.
As eco-activist Derrick Jensen wrote, “Nothing matters but that we stop this culture from killing the planet.”
Thank you for participating in this movement, however you’ve chosen to join it on Friday.
P.S. I recommend that you read this excerpt from activist Derrick Jensen’s essay, “You Choose.” And I also recommend Greta Thunberg's TEDx talk, which kicked off our school movement a couple weeks ago.
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