Appearances of environmental catastrophe are becoming more frequent, crueler and, at times (for me) it seems insurmountable. From the water crisis in Jackson, MS, to the current floods in Pakistan, as many of you are aware, the way we live cannot continue. Consumption in all areas of our lives especially in the American context is extremely harmful to the Earth, (especially to those in the Global South.) This was one of the reasons in part, I joined the CSA, to develop different methods of reducing my consumption.
In many ways I think I've failed,
my palate of what my family eats is not used to some of the
ingredients we receive, so things go to waste. And I always feel
insanely guilty. But, I am challenging myself to be kinder. And realize
this is my first foray into the mindset, thus I will have my starts and
stops.
To return back to some of the
environmental crises we are currently facing, it is not as
insurmountable as my large corporations and the various news outlets
present it as. This is what I choose to believe. To even try to resist,
the greater mass consumption that our society is built around is a win.
Although it is small; small acts can build up into something greater.
And
what I want to share with anyone who reads this is we have to stay
rooted in the present of what an individual is capable of with the
resources available to them, but also to be imaginative and work towards
a better future. And in that thinking, there will always be paradoxes
and moments where you contradict yourself, but the work still has to be
done. It's not an or nothing mindset. You fail today and try again
tomorrow.
For moments, where it really does get
to me, I try to tap into the fictional or nonfictional people who have
tried, succeeded, failed, or at least sparked a fire in me and in other
movements. Writers and organizers like Fannie Lou Hammer and Leah
Penniman remind me that the environmental struggle did not start,
yesterday and there is a shared history to learn upon. Fictional works
by Ursula K. Le Guin, Octavia Butler, Hayao Miyazaki, and other
Solarpunk authors share my fears and yet somehow imagine something else
despite our present.
Are there ways you feel that you could be more imaginative in how you think of the future?
I would also like to ask if any of you are able, to please look into helping those in Jackson and Pakistan who are facing a struggle too large to ignore. Thank you.
*****
Interested in learning more about the Norwood CSA? Check out our Info Page: https://norwoodfoodcoop.blogspot.com/2021/10/how-to-join-norwood-csa.html
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