Why (we as) climate activists stand with refugees
“A culture that places so little value on human beings, that it allows them to be thrown to the waves, is also going to allow poor people’s countries to disappear beneath the waves because that is a threat to today’s profits.”
— Naomi Klein
Hundreds of thousands of people are making their way to Europe these weeks, fleeing from violence, often being met by violence again upon crossing our borders; sometimes – increasingly – met with love and compassion (as well as the occasional bottle of water, toy, or blanket).
You have probably heard the story: climate change, unchecked, drives extreme weather events and resource scarcity, exacerbating conflict and socio-economic dynamics. Case in point: Syria. While the causes of the Syrian conflict are primarily political, some recent research suggests that a prolonged drought just before the 2011 uprising may have played a role in the ongoing civil war (although this should be seen as only one contributing factor). Read more
Thelogian Thomas Berry wrote, “The era we are leaving behind, was when the earth was at its “most lyrical,” when songbirds, flowering plants, and the great families of mammals flourished.” With so much loss of song, color, life, and culture, there was a lot to offer on alters of remembrance this year.
“What if confronting the climate crisis is the best chance we’ll ever get to build a better world?” This is Naomi Klein’s question that she asks in her book This Changes Everything. This quote is the driving theme behind the film adaptation of the same name which had a sold-out showing at the Hollywood Theater in Portland on October 12th.
