Category Archives: Climate Change

The Gift of Life

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After talking about death and how to cope with it for an entire quarter, I would say I am still just as scared about dying and the thought of death as I was prior to this class. However, I would say that I have a better understanding of how that fear motivates me as a member of a certain society to act in a certain way. Terror Management Theory was a concept that I struggled to come to terms with as someone who likes to see myself motivated by life, not death, but working through it with our class has made me appreciate my time and place on this earth in a different light.

            Working with my action project group to showcase people’s opinions about death and how they could be rationalized or explained by the work of Ernest Becker and related to experiments done in Worm at the Core on Terror Management Theory was a very grounding experience. We got to work with the material we spent so much time discussing in class while we debated economic impacts of globalization on climate change and the influence of sacrifice and gift giving on our relationships with facing death. It felt like creating a small piece of information about the enormous concepts of life and death that we covered all quarter.

The Gift of Life – a painting by Aditi Jha

            Absorbing information about what to do as an activist in the face of climate change was just as difficult as facing the idea of death multiple times a week. I felt like we spent so much time talk about the irreversible damage that human pollution has caused to the environment during a time when I personally have never felt more connected to earth. It forced me to reevaluate if I was appreciating my position as a human existing as part of the earth system and giving back to it, because loving to hike and ski isn’t saving it even if it makes me appreciate it. It was seeing the albatrosses, learning the meaning of Anthropocene, and discussing the effects of the Bolt Creek fire on Seattle when we had the worst air quality in the world.

            Even though I am one person, this quarter has helped me understand the gift of existing as a person on this planet for the short time that I am.

Preparedness vs Readiness

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Contemplating death has historically been a depressing activity associated with the finality of life. It’s difficult to think about death, while simultaneously holding onto the idea that we are still full of life. To create a healthy relationship with death, it’s important to understand the difference between being prepared and being ready to die. 

Preparing involves organizing your life so that those you care about can continue to live without you: getting assets in order, planning events following your passing, thinking about a future without you. Being ready is different, and it’s doubtful anyone is ever ready. There is always a life left to live. 

Understanding that you are going to die, and making preparations for it does not mean that you have nothing left to give the world – the opposite is true. Being prepared opens up the space for action where death anxiety would normally reside. Watching Albatross was the catalyst for my comparison of readiness versus preparedness. I’ve always been horrified by the rate at which we produce plastics, which was why I chose the Beyond Plastics group to work with for our action project.

Our group partnered with Zero Waste Washington – an organization that works to make trash obsolete. From this project, I learned the most from my group mates. Our task was to create a social media presence for a bill, but none of us had the skills needed for such a project. However, we were able to lean on each other to fill the holes in our abilities. Our finished product wasn’t perfect, but it was significantly better than what we would have accomplished individually. I learned that even if you don’t have the tools, a group can still create something great by supporting each other. If we are going to succeed in bettering the Earth, we have to come together, accept that we are not ready for death, and combine our strengths to find the solutions that will benefit us.

From this class, I have understood what it means to prepare for death, but more importantly, what it means to be ready to live. There are obstacles facing us, but when we come together and accept that we aren’t done living, that we aren’t ready to give up on helping the planet, we can find the answers to the problems before us, and leave the Earth a better place when our time eventually comes.

An albatross from the film Albatross to remind us what we have done, but more importantly, what we can do

Progress

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The world is in a constant state of forward momentum. Whether it be the technological advancements that allow us to connect with others across the globe instantly or the social progress that allows the LGBTQ+ community to marry those they love. This momentum is far from a steady path, yet with every passing generation and year, societal values are ever changing.

Terror management theory interacts with this tug-of-war for progress in two primary ways. First, it serves as a backbone to why so many are reluctant to accept change, suggesting that people seek familiarity in community and norms when they feel under threat, feeding into discriminatory and conservative values, which in turn keep the flame of agitation alive, forming a feedback loop. Secondly, terror management theory also poses the opposite, that when people feel secure, they are willing to explore new cultural positions. This explains the wave of social progress seen following the industrial revolution. People are wealthier across the board, they have greater access to services and goods that enable this sense of security, ultimately allowing them to broaden their horizons and subscribe to progressive movements such as suffrage and racial equality.

While progress of the mind may be a constant, it faces a hurdle in the actual institution of policy. Those in power are generally those who face the greatest perceived threat to change, being some of the most wealthy and in the ruling demographic. This applies to national governance, but as I learned through my action project work with the UW chapter of the Institution Climate Action coalition, almost every legacy institution feels under threat and relies upon conservatism to maintain feelings of power. In the instance of UW and the ICA, we see a reliance on dirty money from fossil fuel companies.

These systemic layers of power are the primary reason why so many people feel powerless to institute change, and given that those in power are the last to adopt change, it feels like our society is much further behind than it should be.These feelings of powerless were present in our action project as much of the coalitions actions were easily brushed off. While this powerlessness is potent and hard to emotionally overcome, the most important pieces of social progress of modern history have all been led and supported by people without this institutional power, but are still able to stress the importance of progress and achieve their goals.

Final Blog Post: Solving the collective action problem

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Collaboration Is a Key Skill. So Why Aren't We Teaching It?

My paper is about solving the collective-action problem that inhibits humanity from creating sustainable communities. I highlight five major key points.

  1. We must understand the insecurities created by fear of death.
  • Worm at the core gives examples of how insecurities lead to violent tendencies and self-destructive behavior
  1. TDM is essential for creating strong communities that are necessary for fostering sustainable habits
  • Worm at the core gives solid evidence that explains individuals with strong bonds are more likely to collaborate.
  • Strong communities mean that individual values and goals become group goals
  • People are more likely to live selflessly, this means giving back to the community in a sustainable way. Recycling, Reusing, etc
  1. We need to cultivate a culture that promotes sustainability
  • Cultures are a set of informal rules and norms, often times they are more influential 
  • Culture can spread awareness
  1. Sacrifice is needed for change
  • Self-sacrifice must be ingrained in a sustainable culture
  • Litfin mentions that a sustained cycle of life and death must involve sacrafice
  • The planets life-force functions on the earths organisms taking but also being able to give back
  • For example, planting three trees after cutting down three trees
  1. Solving the collective action problem
  • The tipping point (motivating the moderate voter)
  • Pressuring key legislature
  • Organizing a movement
  • Public accountability
  • Incentivizing the public

 

Although I don’t mention it very much in the paper, my project, beyond plastics, is about creating legislation that incentivizes people to recycle, reuse and reduce. It’s also very important to note that the legislation Beyond Plastics is trying to pass is intended to be the groundwork for future sustainable practices. But I think the most important part of the project is getting people to collaborate. To answer the question of solving the collective action problem, we can look at our group projects. The assignment is structured where individual goals are aligned with group goals, thus incentivizing individuals to work together toward a common goal. This is a selective incentive that is critical to understanding my paper. The paper is structured as follows, understanding how we can optimize individuals into a group activity and optimize groups efficiently and get more people involved in the group. 

My conclusion is this: Our deaths have meaning through our actions and the sacrifices we make. Our histories are built upon the collective contributions of every individual who has ever lived. Group action is crucial to progress, but individual action is the first step.

Creating My Own “Skin” In This Weird Game

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A bird house hung on a tree in the quad

For years now, I’ve felt disconnected from the world around me. The hyper-individualization of the climate crisis led to internalized guilt, shame, and frustration, which manifested into defensive, nihilistic-like apathy. I knew composting one cup wouldn’t change the rate at which the oceans were heating, so why bother? I didn’t feel like I had agency, and more than that, I felt I didn’t have “skin in the game.” This is a concept taken from Britt Wray’s book, “Generation Dread” which has continued to resonate with me. I kept questioning: if we don’t feel that we have “skin” in the game, what inspires us to dream of and fight for a better future? 

Two deer eating grass I spotted on a drive.

Among many other lessons, this course taught me that while we may not be able to stop death, we do have agency and with it, the power to create our own “skin.” We have pathways towards managing death anxiety (TMT), we have resources to help us move forward (“Active Hope”), and most impactful (and cliche) of all, we have each other to help solve this problem. We inherited the sins of our progenitors, and while it’s unfair, we have to be the ones to fix them. I won’t lie that this is a daunting task, but it is powerful to realize that we are an agentic collective. While my action project felt disjointed, limiting, and generally not generative, it did help me recognize that despite a lot of outward apathy, all of my peers were dreaming of a better future, we were just worried our hopes would lead to disappointment. Moreover, the group project reminded me of group agency (our ability to do something together, even if it felt semi insignificant) and our shared purpose.

An owl in the tree spotted on my daily walk.

It’s also powerful to recognize that I have individual agency, that doesn’t detract from, but strengthens collective action. This was most inspired by systems thinking, which has allowed me to develop a greater understanding of the world’s complex integration systems and the importance of purpose. I have realized that to be part of collective solutions, I have to create my own purpose first. So, I began that process this quarter. I spent time everyday creating my own “skin” by taking photos of things that reminded me of why I had an incentive to continue fighting, hoping, and dreaming of a better future, which has been incredibly empowering. For the first time, I not only feel connected to the world, but able to do something to ensure its future – both by myself and collectively. 

Death Anxiety as a Barrier to Climate Action

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Death acceptance is a valuable tool for building a more sustainable future. If humans overcome death anxiety, prioritizing natural systems and far out goals for the future become easier. This is because environmental movements often deal with long time frames and forward-thinking. Terror Management Theory suggests that humans intrinsically avoid death reminders. How can we think about climate change without envisioning a world in which we don’t exist? Thinking critically about sustainability means thinking beyond our own lifespans. 

In daily life, humans don’t often choose to think outside of our 100 years. Even though, geologically, 100 years is practically insignificant, our lifespan feels long and monumental. To think beyond 100 years is to perceive mortality. Humans disregard sustainability because it forces them to contemplate their own mortality. To live for the future is to acknowledge that you are acting to benefit a future that does not include you. Sustainability is hard because we don’t want to think about that. 

My experiences during our group’s action project directly counters this fear of mortality. By having conversations with people I normally wouldn’t speak to about death, as interviews for our video project, I opened the conversation to denial of death, personal beliefs, and our collective fears of the idea of not existing one day. What initially seemed like a rough conversation quickly began to ease my uncertainty and helped me form stronger bonds with the people I interviewed. 

While death anxiety may encourage us to limit our thinking in terms of sustainability, conversations about death give us room to process our emotions without falling into the false belief that we’re alone in our thinking. As we learned through Terror Management Theory and in this course, humans seem to internalize fears of death in similar ways. Discussing death directly addresses the elephant in the room. I found that after having a conversation about death, rather than spiraling in my mind, I was less adverse to thinking about large-scale worldly issues, like climate change. 

Death conversations increase humanity’s tolerance to mortality as a whole–a state we must reach to survive. We are mortal beings. Denying this drives us to ignore a future without us. Throughout history people even like to feel like they’re “building a better future” for next generations. To accept death is to open conversations about planet Earth in the coming centuries and prioritize protecting our natural resources for future generations. 

What Did I Learn This Quarter?

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While my action project experience in this class could have been better, I am able to recognize the valuable lessons I learned from it – primarily about the importance of having a group leader. If we had one person taking charge, I think we could have gotten a lot more done. Regardless, I am proud of how we came together in the end to create engaging and informative content, despite our busy schedules.

In the context of our class, I found that our project, promoting the passage of legislation aimed to revolutionize plastic recycling in Washington, perfectly represents political ecology. We live in a system where we elect individuals to make environmental policy decisions on our behalf, and this recycling bill relies on them to pass it. I don’t want to say that my group’s action project was worthless (because I think there is a lot of value in public education), but we should acknowledge that a social media campaign will likely have a limited impact on the decisions made in Olympia.

Honestly, that is the reality of political ecology in the Anthropocene.

As far as the other action projects, WashPIRG’s Save the Orcas campaign was what finally allowed me to understand what our class was about. I could see that, like my group’s, theirs hinged on the actions of legislators, and that Senator Cantwell’s refusal to support breaching the dams might be motivated in some way by her fear of dying. Relatedly, the Ernest Becker group was contributing to the study of conceptions of death, which is beneficial in helping us to predict whether future environmental reforms might be possible in the face of climate disaster, given that Terror Management Theory explains our actions in response to death reminders. As this group mentioned in class, they were frustrated at the constraints they were given by the people in power over them, which is exactly what the ICA is for. This last group’s action project was directly investigating the political ecology of UW in the Anthropocene and trying to get our Board of Regents to follow through on their fossil fuel divestment commitments, again relying on people in power.

All in all, while it wasn’t my own group’s action project that led to me discovering the true meaning of our class, it was the action projects of our class in general that helped me to understand what it means to survive the political ecology of death in the Anthropocene.

How then shall I live?

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My major takeaway from this course regards how I want to proceed with living my life.

We have learned that death anxiety rules our lives and decisions, and that we cope through various forms of terror management. This constant fear drives our species to war, industrialization, colonization, exploitation, and now to the brink of a planetary climate disaster.

One of our contemplative practices asked us to consider three mindsets. Where 1) the world is generally getting worse, 2) the world is generally getting better, and 3) the world is how it is. I find the 3rd mindset to be the most realistic and empowering. In this view, we see the world as it is without sugarcoating it or focusing purely on evils. In this view, humanity has agency. We can sit back and continue our trajectory toward a terrible future, or we can choose to collaborate, innovate, and save our species from collapse.

With this mindset of agency, I am struck by the question: “how then shall I live?”

I need to start with my forms of terror management. Before this course, my management consisted of spree online shopping to fill a non-existent gap in my life and constant distractions because silence allowed intrusive thoughts to run rampant. These are unsustainable strategies.

Professor Jem Bendall in his video about Deep Adaptation asks viewers to cherish what they have. To enjoy life in the short time that we have it. Though I talk about why I dislike Bendall’s perspective in another blog post, I have come to accept this concept when taken alongside the strategies presented in Active Hope, the relief and fulfillment of volunteer work like my action project for WashPIRG’s Save the Orcas, and the hope that humanity still has agency to change.

Image Credit: Syracuse Peace Council

To answer the question “how then shall I live?,” I must adjust my terror management. Rather than needlessly consuming, I can focus on being grateful for what I already have. Rather than constantly distracting myself, I can spend more meaningful time with friends and family to feel reassured that I have people I care about who also care about me. I can take part in local efforts that better my community and environment. I can make changes like being better about recycling and using my purchasing power to favor local, sustainable businesses. I can choose to live with hope.

There are easily implementable things I can do to live a more conscientious and sustainable life without drastically changing my lifestyle. I don’t know if this is enough, but I hope that between collective individual action, death anxiety harnessed by corporate inventors to find technological solutions, and global politicians trying to one-up each other, we will find a way to persist as a species.

Fear Within our Anthropocence and How We Can Over Come It

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My biggest takeaway about the political ecology of death in the Anthropocene is that people are ruled by fear. Political leaders, religious leaders, everyday people, and everyone in between has some amount of fear in their lives. Fear of our death, fear of failure, fand ear of how our world is being run.

This poem by Shakespeare speaks of fear:

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50428/song-fear-no-more-the-heat-o-the-sun-

Fear does not have to be a negative influence. Letting fear control you allows for it to have power over you. But, acknowledging this fear creates a new opportunity. An opportunity for love, desire, hope, and a life full of adventure.

The Worm at the Core states “Why not depart from life as a sated guest from a feast” (Solomon) and I agree. Why not take our life for everything it has to offer. Living in the depths of despair does nothing for for anyone. This class has shown me that yes, our world is dark, has several demoralizing issues, and needs some fixing-but the beautiful thing is that we have the power to change this. We can be the light in our own world.

My action project was built around WashPirg’s Save the Orca Campaign with the goal of breaching the Lower Snake River Dam to allow more salmon to be available for the Orca’s to feed on. This is a passion project, and as I reference in my paper all passion projects are a way of coping with death anxiety. Passion projects to me are a positive way of working through personal death anxiety on some level. Being a part of something greater than oneself is an incredible feeling, and to me gives the feeling of hope.

Hope is stronger than fear, but when paired together can create opportunities to better our world

Shakespeare’s poem talks about how we will all come to rest as dust eventually (Shakespeare), and The Worm at the Core talks about how we are no more valuable to this Earth than a lizard or a potato from a biological perspective (Solomon), so then what is the point of being riddled with anxiety. This ay be a blindly optimistic point of view, but with how things are currently going… What do we have to lose by giving our best effort to enact change?