Let’s call this the end of the beginning rather than the beginning of the end. A message about wisdom and time from Shambhavi Sarasvati at Kindred 108. We're all kindred here.
Shambhavi: Thank you for this heart rendering! I'm reminded of the practice of "tranquility in disturbance" which results from seeing that "everything is in destruction... everything is in construction" according to an awakened Chan master. May I please offer one critique of your thinking, with love and respect? This statement is inaccurate, if not entirely wrong: "We’ve set in motion a juggernaut of climate destruction that cannot be stopped in one or even several lifetimes." And it serves to support the feeling of powerlessness that climate trauma feeds off.
I'm a long-time dharma practitioner and climate psychologist who, as a life-long environmental lawyer, has followed the science closely since the ozone hole opened up. What I share in my writing and advocacy is that we GROSSLY underestimate Gaia's recuperative powers, both at sea and on land. And the science is there for actually reversing global warming in the next 25 years -- IF WE REALLY WANTED TO! Utilizing climate keystone species to recover grasslands, kelp forests, mangroves, and forestlands at scale, along with regenerative agriculture and altering our diets to eliminate factory farmed animals, are clear answers, and the science of the half-Earth proposal shows that we could even do this while in the process of phasing out fossil fuels and STILL reverse CO2 levels in the atmosphere dramatically by 2050 (but yes, the oceans will continue to rise, no doubt). What stops us? Our dissociation in the face of climate trauma, mostly. Which is why it is so critical to make sure people know THIS IS A CHOICE, not something we are powerless to do anything about. That is simply not something you want to tell victims of trauma, and Shambhavi - we are all both perpetrators and victims of climate/biospheric trauma. Just know there is a way out of it. We are not as powerless as we think, and Gaia is a much more powerful ally than we give Her credit for. Thank you for your practice and your engagement with this Svaha world!
Hi Tham and welcome to Kindred 108! It's great to have such a climate-informed friend here. And thank you for your comment. A few things. You're right, it is a bitter pill that climate change cannot be reversed for perhaps generations. And I have to remember how discouraging that is to many people. I've always taken a long view -- just because something takes a long time and lots of effort doesn't mean we are powerless or shouldn't do it. Spiritual practice is a case in point. My understanding is that we can stop global warming in a generation, but that the actual *reversal* of climate change will indeed take a few generations. And that's if we do everything perfectly.
The "stop emitting" analysis is very scientific-materialist in orientation. It sees Earth as a kind of test tube. More important is "start restoring" ecosystem functions, which sees Earth as both an ally and a living organism. Here's an article that illustrates that approach, in contrast to the one you cite (note in particular the One Earth Climate Model illustration): https://www.newsweek.com/global-deal-nature-earth-biodiversity-1401087
Your most powerful piece yet. Grateful for you and your very compassionate words
Happy Solstice Shambhavi ❤️ #mayallbeingsbefree
I see it in people feeding each other meals. I see it in holding a grieving friends hand.
Sigh. The glimpses bring such a sweet feeling of sustenance.
Shambhavi: Thank you for this heart rendering! I'm reminded of the practice of "tranquility in disturbance" which results from seeing that "everything is in destruction... everything is in construction" according to an awakened Chan master. May I please offer one critique of your thinking, with love and respect? This statement is inaccurate, if not entirely wrong: "We’ve set in motion a juggernaut of climate destruction that cannot be stopped in one or even several lifetimes." And it serves to support the feeling of powerlessness that climate trauma feeds off.
I'm a long-time dharma practitioner and climate psychologist who, as a life-long environmental lawyer, has followed the science closely since the ozone hole opened up. What I share in my writing and advocacy is that we GROSSLY underestimate Gaia's recuperative powers, both at sea and on land. And the science is there for actually reversing global warming in the next 25 years -- IF WE REALLY WANTED TO! Utilizing climate keystone species to recover grasslands, kelp forests, mangroves, and forestlands at scale, along with regenerative agriculture and altering our diets to eliminate factory farmed animals, are clear answers, and the science of the half-Earth proposal shows that we could even do this while in the process of phasing out fossil fuels and STILL reverse CO2 levels in the atmosphere dramatically by 2050 (but yes, the oceans will continue to rise, no doubt). What stops us? Our dissociation in the face of climate trauma, mostly. Which is why it is so critical to make sure people know THIS IS A CHOICE, not something we are powerless to do anything about. That is simply not something you want to tell victims of trauma, and Shambhavi - we are all both perpetrators and victims of climate/biospheric trauma. Just know there is a way out of it. We are not as powerless as we think, and Gaia is a much more powerful ally than we give Her credit for. Thank you for your practice and your engagement with this Svaha world!
Hi Tham and welcome to Kindred 108! It's great to have such a climate-informed friend here. And thank you for your comment. A few things. You're right, it is a bitter pill that climate change cannot be reversed for perhaps generations. And I have to remember how discouraging that is to many people. I've always taken a long view -- just because something takes a long time and lots of effort doesn't mean we are powerless or shouldn't do it. Spiritual practice is a case in point. My understanding is that we can stop global warming in a generation, but that the actual *reversal* of climate change will indeed take a few generations. And that's if we do everything perfectly.
Here's an article. https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/how-long-will-it-take-temperatures-stop-rising-or-return-normal-if-we-stop-emitting.
The "stop emitting" analysis is very scientific-materialist in orientation. It sees Earth as a kind of test tube. More important is "start restoring" ecosystem functions, which sees Earth as both an ally and a living organism. Here's an article that illustrates that approach, in contrast to the one you cite (note in particular the One Earth Climate Model illustration): https://www.newsweek.com/global-deal-nature-earth-biodiversity-1401087
Okay! Lets do it 💪🏽🏋🏽♂️.
Back atcha, Liam. xoxo Shambhavi