On 12th September 2022, Kimberley Hare of HEART Community Group joined Our Planet Our Future to give two short talks, both designed to invite participants to inquire into question “What’s most Important Now?”
The importance of Adaptation and Mitigation
The first session worked to help prepare us for what is likely to be a very different future. Participants explored the 4R’s of Deep Adaptation:
RESILIENCE
What is it that we most value and how can we keep that? How can we build and sustain our resilience – both inner and outer? What’s MOST important now?
RELINQUISHMENT
What can we give up in order not to make matters worse?
RESTORATION
What can we bring back that has been lost?
RECONCILIATION/RECONNECTION
What can we do to make peace with, love and support others? How can we live with kindness, joy and peace?
Small groups generated ideas under each of the headings, and then shared these with the whole group.
Your Emotional Journey Through Doom and Beyond
The second topic asked participants to explore their feelings and emotional responses to the Climate Emergency and associated predicaments.
The Emotional Journey?
| Denial | 0 | Faith in progress, technology, market, growth, business as usual. “if things were that bad, the government would be in emergency mode…” | It will all be ok. |
| Pre-Doom | 1 | Curious, concerned, confused, weighing the evidence, roller-coaster, waking up | Learning |
| Doom | 2 | Bargaining… we can still fix, solve, transform the predicament, sometimes hopeful, sometimes hopeless | Solutionist |
| Doom | 3 | Angry, frustrated, judgement, shame, blame | Angry Activist |
| Doom | 4 | Sad, overwhelmed, grieving, depressed, anxious, cynical, misanthropic, resigned, maybe apathetic. “Why bother?” | Resigned |
| Post Doom | 5 | Finding some gifts in acceptance, waking up to inevitability; flashes of inspiration and nudges | Early Post Doom |
| 6 | Calm, gratitude, awe, clarity, compassion, love-in-action, facing reality “Telling a story with your life that you’re proud to tell“ | Post Doom Bloom |
You can find out more about HEART Community Group, and sign up for any of their upcoming events at their website.