Let's Take a Breath Together
Because there's no way around it - the devastation of the current times is real.
I’m just going to come out and say it: there’s really no way to stomach what is happening in our country. I woke up to this article this morning - and read it, which then made for an interesting start to the day - and the pain and frustration I feel at watching the carefully laid (albeit, still not sufficient) climate progress of the past few years go up in flames is visceral. (I actually haven’t allowed myself to watch the Zelensky video. I think I’m too embarrassed.)
And yet, there’s something about the dissolution of thousands of jobs in the National Park Service that is even more gutting to me. Is it because it feels extra personal, with grief-ridden individual stories emerging from everywhere? Is it selfishness on my part, the thought of my own trips to national parks being impacted? Maybe it is also the climate impacts of this massive decision, which we will likely see for decades to come. Yes, resistance is happening in beautiful and visual ways. But as we detailed in an earlier episode of the podcast, the impacts of staff reductions in our parks are far-reaching and sometimes unexpected.
This is not even to mention NOAA’s cuts, the leading climate science and forecasting agency, or the Environmental Protection Agency’s uncertainty. And I haven’t even brought in the thousands of folks cut from USAID - which, despite what some may think, will also have large scale climate impacts.
“Wait!” you’re probably saying. “I thought this site was for positive, uplifting news!”
Yes, yes, you’re right. Good point.
Photo credit:
Let’s take that breath now. Sorry, I had to vent first.
Inhale…..
…..Exhale.
Can you smell the pines in that photo? Hear the water, maybe a bird? Same.
Ok.
What we can do (even when we’re feeling like pulling the covers over our heads, aka my current emotion):
Get outside. I was on a call this week with my awesome Footprints cohort and we all agreed that whether we were feeling defeated, angry, frustrated, you name it, getting outside for a walk - even on a city block! - was helpful to reduce the stress levels we were feeling.
Call our reps. Calls to Congress have gone up by 3900% since Trump was elected. That’s insane. People are responding. We can keep putting the pressure on, together.
Share jobs. The outpouring of job resources I’m seeing on sites like LinkedIn is amazing - communities coming together to help those recently terminated. All Hands is another good one for social and environmental impact roles.
Seek out resources. Unthinkable’s resource hub for climate anxiety is a good place to start. Their co-founder Rae was just on the WTCTA podcast a few weeks back.
Visit national parks with more care and empathy. There will be fewer people trying to do the job(s) of many. It’s not their fault that they’re stretched so thin; enter with kindness and patience. Another strategy is visiting lesser-known parks, taking the strain off the heavy hitters like Yosemite (though admittedly I don’t know what staffing will be like at the less-popular locations).
On the same Footprints call, several attendees shared how they were staying offline, trying to ignore the bombardment and shock-value politics happening in DC. “This is exactly what they want - for everyone to freak out.” While I feel it’s hard not to freak out, I see their point. We need to gain our own strength (from the places we derive strength from) to be able to a) be ok ourselves and b) act from a place of abundance, not scarcity.
But man. I feel it too. It’s a lot. I’m here with you.
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