This is for those who have finished reading “EAT THE MOON: A CLIMATIC LOVE STORY TO SAVE THE WORLD” and who’re thinking, “Okay, you got my attention…now what?!? How can we come back from the brink?”
Well, the great news is that lots of people are looking at our climate emergency issue and are writing about it, like Katherine Hayhoe, Bill McKibbons, Naomi Klein and Lawrence Wollersheim. I suggest following Colton Miller’s lead and looking up “climate change solutions”. Then, and this is the important part, follow through on as many actions as you can, integrating the answers into your life. Like Zia LeMay, I believe It’s going to take lots and lots of little changes, with some big ones thrown in for good measure. What needs to be done in small, rural towns may vary slightly from the changes needed to be made in suburbs and cities; what wealthy families can do will be different from what poor people can do. What matters is readying yourself and accepting the need for a Radical Conversion to Sustainable Solutions in all its myriad forms.
However, I can give practical advice from my own life and expertise. For the past twenty years, I’ve worked on healing both personally and professionally. It occurred to me as I was writing “EAT THE MOON” that with so little time to act, it would be beneficial if people could improve Physically, Mentally, Emotionally, Spiritually and Sexually, and if we did, then everything else would get better as a result. Since our negative choices are killing us, then ergo, we need to make more positive ones. It also occurred to me, If we don’t do it now, then when? So, don’t wait. Healing comes in many forms. Look for healers, read, implement, improve. Ease suffering and recover from trauma. It will make us all stronger and can help us heal the planet.
Thank you for reading. I hope you liked it, and I’m grateful if you share it with others. Please write me at portiadsykes@outlook and tell me what you thought; your opinion and point of view matter. (Book reviews are also welcomed.) While I was writing, I often played Devil’s Advocate with myself, knowing full well some of my choices could stir up debate. Now is precisely the time for difficult discussions, and for respecting various points of view, so don’t be too surprised if I see the other side of things and even agree with some criticism. For instance, while it’s true that intentional communities have positive climate change impacts, not everyone should pack up and move to a commune. In most cases, it’s best that we “fix the problems where we’re planted”, as a Navajo man pointed out to me.
Now is a time to strive, thrive and survive. I look forward to our journey together.
Portia D. Sykes 