Welcome to The Environmentalist, your column for understanding the natural world. In this edition I will be trying to not lose my mind.
With so much news about violence and suffering in our current world, how could you not feel hopeless and tired? Everyday I open social media and am bombarded with information that makes me feel despair. Just this morning, I learned about the severe forest fires that are happening in Patagonia — one of the many tragedies happening around the world. The article could be about any of them, but honestly, I am struggling as I am sure many of you are, so come with me to try to redirect those negative emotions.
I understand how our push and motivation to protect the environment can be draining and taxing at times, so one way to help redirect negative emotions surging from environmental injustice can be to measure how much one can get involved with the environmental events happening worldwide. With this, I don’t mean the classic “avoid reading the news” — I think that bringing attention to these issues is the most important action we can take — but I think it is important to do it conscientiously. For example, one way to do it can be by asking yourself: what media or news channels are you choosing to pour your attention and energy into? Are you doing it in a healthy way that is not negatively affecting your mental health?
I find that local action can always heal your heart a little bit. Wherever you live, I can assure you there is a place you can volunteer or donate to that directly impacts your community and places close to it. Bonus points if volunteering requires you to be outside more! I understand it may not be easy to leave home in a time of turmoil, but maybe you can work at a soup kitchen or clean up a local public park. Seeing my surroundings change because of the action I take has seriously improved the way that I approach social action, so I recommend trying it out. Changing the world can start by making one person’s day a little brighter.
It’s valid to feel like giving up sometimes, and I get it. When I feel like my effort is in vain, I tell myself: YOU CAN’T LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT! Even if sometimes it’s tiring and can seem awful, I’ll join the group of people standing in the way of greedy corporations any day.
We are living through strange times, so don’t let them overrun your passion and your care for the natural and human world. Stay connected to the ones you love and remember that as the Lorax once said, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.” So, let’s care.
