What Patriarchy Pollutes Matriarchy Mends

"Together, we are a climate citizenry...For this is noble and necessary work, and it is impossible to do it alone" - Kate Knuth

This book was perhaps one of the most relatable and important things I have read for the past year. It resonated and connected in ways that many of the climate writing has not done before. Maybe it was meeting me at a moment where I needed to hear its message, maybe it was the amplification of the many voices in the collection all speaking different words to the same tune, maybe it was the aggressive celebration of joy for what women specifically bring to the climate crisis solutions, or maybe for the first time I didn't feel alone in my thoughts and connections.

Whatever the reason, this collection of essays by women working in all areas of climate activism, interspersed with poems and illustrations worked it's magic on me. The structure of the collection: root, advocate, reframe, reshape, persist, feel, nourish, and rise, helped create a pulse of forward motion even when retracing where things went wrong, how steep the hill is to climb or how difficult the fight. Personally, I think that the writing styles, language, and idea connections was particularly well suited to my own way of thinking. If that is a feminist agenda, so be it. It unashamedly leant into the idea of motherhood being something more than a singular life choice but a part of the power that women can bring to the climate crisis. A way of thinking that is circular and life sustaining not competitive and extractive.

Here are a few the contributions that had the most impact for me.

A Green New Deal for all of Us - Rhiana Gunn-Wright

"Progress came with a price, and the price was us"

This chapter was such a great summary of the importance of advocacy, the specifics of what and where the real change needs to be made, the people responsible and resisting change, and the deep connections climate action has to the economy and social justice. Admittedly, it may be a tough read at the moment because it feels that nationally we have taken such a step backwards from the progress outlined in here as necessary and in motion. But the clarity of it's message helps refocus on how and where to keep pressure on the power that seek to prevent our progress forward.

Wakanda Doesn't Have Suburbs - Kendra Pierre-Louis

"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be very careful what we pretend to be" - Kurt Vonnegut

This was such a surprising piece of writing. As a movie buff, I appreciated its inclusion because culture creation is such an important aspect to societal change. As explored in "The Great Derangement" and "The Ministry for the Future" - the stories we tell as humans are critical to how we see the world we live in. Too often media tells us that climate collapse is inevitable, that it is part of human nature to destroy. This chapter reflects on those stories and also offers hope in the how to change the tune. The analysis of how Wakanda is presented on film as a positive example of living in harmony with nature but also being technologically advanced is fascinating. It is part of the same conversation about the lack of indigenous stories that often focus on living in harmony with nature but in this case makes the assertion that this is an advanced form of society. Tipping the trope on its head.

Read the chapter here

Solutions Underfoot - Jane Zelikova

"Without Earth's exceedingly thing layer of soil, humanity as we know it would not exist"

After reading many writing on climate, both its causes and solutions, I am always thrilled to read something new and fascinating that ties previous knowledge together or in this case opens up new avenues of interest. SOIL!

I learned so much about the importance that dirt plays in carbon capturing, how farming and agriculture progress (like many forms of "progress") has contributed to the decline of this precious tool for a stable planet. But ultimately what this chapter taught me, once again, is the critical idea of ecology connection. That the very nature of nature is critical and we need to let it work its magic.

And finally, my closing thoughts belong to Geneen Maire Haugen who captures perfectly the feelings I have at the moment in time. The perspective matters greatly and I firmly believe that together we can move forward and mend - we have no choice in that!

In our time of disturbance and radical change, we are crossing a threshold, portal, or an unseen bridge from one world to another. It could be said that the bridge is either collapsing beneath us, or being made as we walk together, in the long twilight hours when one civilization gives way to another"

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Next Meeting is Wednesday, April 9th, 7:00-8:30pm