Thanks Jeff, you're too kind. I liked the concept but messed up the execution a little. And thank you for sharing your analysis piece. The threat of war amid building tensions is a precarious situation for the world to be in. Fingers crossed we come out the other side of the US election with a leader that won't fan the flames.
Ugh, I am here for the rage and confusion. I understand it's getting nearly impossible to get homeowner's insurance anywhere in the state of California regardless of coastal location due to large insurers pulling out of the state completely. It's like Nero fiddling while Rome burned. I don't get it. And you are 100% correct about the lack of will and progress and reasons for global inaction, yet the culture of consumption and "I can't make a difference" only fuels (no pun intended there) and compounds the problems. If everybody takes whatever steps they can, it WILL help. I especially grieve for the animals who suffer due to our stupidity as the species who unfortunately got so big for its breeches it developed a way to destroy the planet in more than one way.
On another note, I had no idea that you are a talented visual artist as well as a literary one. Keep up the great work, and weird on, my friend! And thank you masses for the shout out! I appreciate you.💜
People sure struggle with change. I think it will take a few more disasters to change habits here, and I don't think those days are far off.
As for the art scribbles, thanks, but I don't know about talent, I just enjoy doing them. I don't spend much time on them, normally about the same time it would take to find a stock image that would suit the story.
Part of the problem, I think, is that we are the product of a (fairly) stable climate. Our entire civilisation is predicated on predictable rainfall, stable temperatures, static coastlines. That's mostly what we've had.
The tiny – I mean, like really miniscule – wobbles we've had in the 12k years since we domesticated wild grasses and started to live in permanent settlements have been sufficient to slaughter millions and bring down empires … but still we persist in thinking things will carry on as they were. Maybe we need to propitiate the gods by sacrificing a virgin or two, or buying a Tesla.
Hence also the atavistic drive to settle in an elevated (defensible) position next to water and to signal status through ostentatious displays of wealth. It's always worked in the past.
Gosh, well, I can't bring myself around to buying a Tesla from Elon, so I'll have to go with sacrificing virgins. But to which god? Haha.
You're right, environmental change can be hard for most to observe. Storms, drought, cyclical weather patterns, and climate change to a degree, are normal, which makes it hard for those not following the data to determine if it was just a freak storm or instigated by human behaviour. Couple that with humans generally being uncomfortable with changing our habits and an economy that doesn't want us to change our habits, and we end up with everyone maintaining the status-quo. Many Australians seems to be stuck on the idea that climate change equals drought. Of course, it's not, but it's the only thing that I've observed that really gets Australians to change their behaviour on a mass scale.
And we build on floodplains, then complain that the reservoirs aren't big enough, the dam walls aren't high enough, and the levees aren't high enough, when it floods, as it inevitably will. As the Waifs say: "I learn the hard way, if I learn at all."
Insurance. That's the only think, I suspect, that will get Aussies to change. Although it's already terrifying, how many of us don't have it, so maybe not …
A local council tried to open a dialogue about planning and sea level rise a few years ago and got a very hostile response from home owners – in an area which will be under water at high tide with much less than a metre of sea level rise. House prices are a rock upon which many a political initiative has foundered, aren't they?
Alia your drawing, A swimming pool beneath the Sea, is a little masterpiece.
Thanks Jeff, you're too kind. I liked the concept but messed up the execution a little. And thank you for sharing your analysis piece. The threat of war amid building tensions is a precarious situation for the world to be in. Fingers crossed we come out the other side of the US election with a leader that won't fan the flames.
Ugh, I am here for the rage and confusion. I understand it's getting nearly impossible to get homeowner's insurance anywhere in the state of California regardless of coastal location due to large insurers pulling out of the state completely. It's like Nero fiddling while Rome burned. I don't get it. And you are 100% correct about the lack of will and progress and reasons for global inaction, yet the culture of consumption and "I can't make a difference" only fuels (no pun intended there) and compounds the problems. If everybody takes whatever steps they can, it WILL help. I especially grieve for the animals who suffer due to our stupidity as the species who unfortunately got so big for its breeches it developed a way to destroy the planet in more than one way.
On another note, I had no idea that you are a talented visual artist as well as a literary one. Keep up the great work, and weird on, my friend! And thank you masses for the shout out! I appreciate you.💜
People sure struggle with change. I think it will take a few more disasters to change habits here, and I don't think those days are far off.
As for the art scribbles, thanks, but I don't know about talent, I just enjoy doing them. I don't spend much time on them, normally about the same time it would take to find a stock image that would suit the story.
Oh, trust me, that is talent! Nice skill to have. :-)
Thank you Kate, you're too kind :)
Thanks for this excellent analysis, Alia.
Part of the problem, I think, is that we are the product of a (fairly) stable climate. Our entire civilisation is predicated on predictable rainfall, stable temperatures, static coastlines. That's mostly what we've had.
The tiny – I mean, like really miniscule – wobbles we've had in the 12k years since we domesticated wild grasses and started to live in permanent settlements have been sufficient to slaughter millions and bring down empires … but still we persist in thinking things will carry on as they were. Maybe we need to propitiate the gods by sacrificing a virgin or two, or buying a Tesla.
Hence also the atavistic drive to settle in an elevated (defensible) position next to water and to signal status through ostentatious displays of wealth. It's always worked in the past.
Gosh, well, I can't bring myself around to buying a Tesla from Elon, so I'll have to go with sacrificing virgins. But to which god? Haha.
You're right, environmental change can be hard for most to observe. Storms, drought, cyclical weather patterns, and climate change to a degree, are normal, which makes it hard for those not following the data to determine if it was just a freak storm or instigated by human behaviour. Couple that with humans generally being uncomfortable with changing our habits and an economy that doesn't want us to change our habits, and we end up with everyone maintaining the status-quo. Many Australians seems to be stuck on the idea that climate change equals drought. Of course, it's not, but it's the only thing that I've observed that really gets Australians to change their behaviour on a mass scale.
And we build on floodplains, then complain that the reservoirs aren't big enough, the dam walls aren't high enough, and the levees aren't high enough, when it floods, as it inevitably will. As the Waifs say: "I learn the hard way, if I learn at all."
Insurance. That's the only think, I suspect, that will get Aussies to change. Although it's already terrifying, how many of us don't have it, so maybe not …
A local council tried to open a dialogue about planning and sea level rise a few years ago and got a very hostile response from home owners – in an area which will be under water at high tide with much less than a metre of sea level rise. House prices are a rock upon which many a political initiative has foundered, aren't they?
Absolutely, everything needs to be cheaper, except house prices :)