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Several years ago we left NYC for a small old New England town not far from where I grew up. Our neighbors have victory gardens, chickens, goats, bees, and/or fruit trees. We insulated our home, got solar panels, started a garden and a cellar, and built up a backlog of firewood. We eat more fresh local food and spend more time working outside, building relationships with neighbors, and working on community projects. I still pay attention to global events, vote, minimize my "carbon footprint", march, and all the stuff that feels morally necessary. But when that's all I was doing I felt pessimistic because I felt like none that actually made a dent in the world's problems. Since then I've found it more useful to focus attention on local problems. For example, hosting refugees, helping at the food bank, teaching repair or technology classes, supporting locally-owned farms and businesses, motivating friends and neighbors to get around town by foot or bike, advocating for low-income housing in your neighborhood, that sort of thing. Climate change will not end civilization. But it'll cause a lot of misery. So if you're already fulfilling whatever moral obligation you feel you need to do at the global level then maybe consider finding a resilient community, putting down roots, and figuring out what you can do to help your neighbors. |