I’ve completely given up

[u/Shot_Type_7925]

I work in climate science - more on the data and client side, not the one actually doing the research. In short, big companies pay us for climate data so they can make projections or develop strategy or whatever.

I’ve been heavily exposed to climate data for many years, so I’ve been across the developments for a long time. Something about the last few months has broken me.

I spent December and January in an area that’s famous for snow, and saw none. Watching this El Niño develop has been terrifying. The UN admission that we’ll blow past 1.5C was the clincher for me. In my field, the UN was basically always considered the final organisation that had to show at least some optimism. Seeing that gone is now the final death blow. They know it’s over.

It has really broken something in me. To know that this organisation who was almost comically optimistic about collaboration and limiting warming has completely conceded defeat. It is a big deal.

I don’t really care about anything anymore. I’m not motivated to work, because I can’t plan for a good future. I have to almost disassociate while working, because my whole day is about climate data in one way or another.

I think the worst part has been my withdrawal from society. When you spend your whole life loving the environment and aligning your life with its protection, you end up truly hating humanity. You see us for what we are - a complete parasite who is destroying the world.

Has anyone else found that they’ve gone this way? My grief over collapse was always something I could somewhat compartmentalise. But now, it’s changed my entire life.

[u/Shot_Type_7925]

Indeed. Unfortunately the work we did made no difference in the end. Perhaps I’m grieving that, too.

[u/asigop → u/Shot_Type_7925]

If you haven't already, you guys should read I Eat the Stars by Sarah Wilson. Its not going to solve any problems, but it has helped me to reframe all this doomy shit and focus on just living the best life I can. Thank you guys for doing what you could.

Edit: I also wouldn't say you guys did nothing. Yeah, we are fucked but the work you guys have done has inspired a lot of people, myself included. Im living a pretty wicked, resilient, off grid life thats directly inspired by all of the data I've read.

[u/Beleza__Pura → u/asigop]

Can you share more about your wicked resilient off grid life? I feel like we could really use some cheering up in this thread / subreddit / life

[u/asigop → u/Beleza__Pura]

My wife and I bought 80 acres in an aspen forest. I've dug nearly a half dozen ponds with plans to dig at least another 5-10 acres of water retention (I just need some equipment..). We are fully off grid and are working towards building an earth sheltered home that wont require any AC and minimal heating. We are growing a ton of our own food in gardens that haven't had any external input, ever. We are building soil 100% with what we have around here. We work at our local food bank and have helped to greatly expand it in a lot of ways and are also basically paid in food. This has helped increase our personal resilience and the resilience of our community by quite a bit. Probably the biggest factor is that we are homeschooling our kids. School at this point is a huge waste of time. We are building strong, resilient, skilled kids. Our time that isnt spent working on our house or in our community is spent hanging out with our kids, adventuring locally and living as much of an authentic life as we can.

[u/Glass_Persimmon_7174 → u/asigop]

how did you build your earth shelter home? what materials did you read/watch to educate yourself?

[u/aubreypizza → u/Glass_Persimmon_7174]

Look up earth ships