In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s people started talking about global warming due to man made effects. In fact Susie’s former educational business made an audio recording of scientists speaking of the effects of a 2-degree increase in global temperatures and how that would adversely affect life on earth. Scientists spoke then about how we had 50 years to make substantial changes to avert a significant shift in our environmental conditions.

Every decade since the warning has stayed the same, each time with 10 years less to implement a fundamental shift. Now once again come the predictions and mumblings that we really only have 10 years before the effects become irreversible. We are not just talking about a slightly inconvenient increase in temperature and wind strength, what we are ultimately speaking of is those things and more, like water that is drinkable and air that has enough oxygen to allow us to breath. To understand this is to understand we are all in this together and the next generation will judge us for how we now live.

We believe we are writing another chapter in the saga of Nero fiddling while Rome burns. Our absorption in such nonsense as Brexit or wall building or insulting races amongst a myriad of other self-interests flies in the face of the awareness and consciousness we need to transcend these very real challenges of our survival and the diversity that is essential to it. We need to make this shift not in thought but at a much deeper level of our core awareness. To fully comprehend and experience, not just as an idea, the relationship between what we breathe in and out and what a tree breathes in and out would raise us to a very different perspective and therefore the possibility of intelligent action.

David Attenborough has called for radical change to combat climate change. Many people are scared when they hear the word radical, fearing it heralds anarchy or destruction, but the origins of the word are from the Latin ‘radix’ which means ‘root’. So being radical is to return to the root or returning to our origins to then build a better system. We must also remember that a problem cannot be solved from the level it was created at, so it is not for us to look to our politicians or the fossil fuel industry or other parties invested in the current situation for they do not have the awareness or the consciousness to do it. The call now is to return to our roots as a species, to what is important to us as a whole, recognising our interdependence on all else.

This must start with us for now is the time to be radical and change at a deep level, and also to give ourselves in service as much as we can while giving up our self-interests. We know this goes against the instinct of many of us who so crave our individual “freedoms” which are not true freedom just a flight from the sacrifice and fusion of our childhoods.

Denial is not going to help; minor adjustments will not cut it. For now is the time to be radical and face the fear of such change. What makes it easier is community, becoming like-minded while retaining a massive sense of humour because that will certainly help while you are a long way up shit creek with a very, very small paddle!  And remember there will not be another decade!

With love,