Environmentalists Anonymous-Day 9
6/14/23
“Fish kills are common in the warmer months, like summer time. But oceans at large are heating up because of human-caused climate change.
“Water can only hold so much oxygen at certain temperatures, and certainly we know that seawater temperatures are rising,” Clair said. “It is concerning and something that needs to be monitored.”“
Source: NPR
“Right now, hundreds of wildfires are burning in Canada. Wind has blown the smoke over cities, from Ottawa to New York City and beyond.”
Source: NPR
“”Undoubtedly, this was an atypical event,” President Miguel Diaz-Canel said during a videoconference with provincial authorities late Monday, adding: “This has to do directly with climate change.”
The president said flooding in some places reached levels not seen in 30 years, while residents of some areas reported levels never before seen.
The floods came after months of severe drought in Cuba’s east.”
Source: CNW
Today we did a type of ekphrastic work, responding to climate change related images (vs works of art) in the news this week. How do we find the time in our lives to really assess and process the fundamental environmental changes that are happening? How do we find ways to respond in our daily actions?
Choose one (or all three) of these images and write a paragraph or poem in response. This could describe what is happening in the scene or be a thought or memory that is inspired/triggered by this image. Don’t think too much about it, just start writing!
To share, I brought my newest copy of Orion Magazine. This has been such an inspiring publication to me over the years and I appreciate how they continue to keep taking a new approach to environmental writing as well as highlighting new voices and perspectives on ecology and place. This issue if focused on fairy tales oriented around the climate crisis and it is really fascinating.
As a second writing prompt we tried to start writing our own fairy tales related to the climate change images above.
What is a fairy tale?
Fairy Tales are stories involving fantastic forces, usually good versus evil, most originating in folklore, mythology, and legend. They feature fantasy beings like dragons, dwarfs, fairies and talking animals. They aren’t just for kids. In fact, many are complex morality tales; some are graphic or morbid, and shouldn’t be read to children at all. (https://americanliterature.com/fairy-tales-guide/)
How can this form inform or educate about issues related to environmental degradation, extinction, or exploitation of resources?
Our next in-person meeting is June 28th from 12-1 pm at Village Books. All are welcome.
Environmentalist Anonymous meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesday at Village Books from 12-1 pm. This is free and open to the public. I will email a synopsis of our gathering and post on my Substack page, Her Deepest Ecologies, for easier access (no subscription required to see writing group updates).
