7 Comments

I loved everything about this essay. Very moving. Joanna Macy is a national treasure. And that Lockerbie story - I remember when it happened, but never knew how the residents responded. Marvelous.

Expand full comment

Thank you, Julie! This was my favorite Hopecology post to write. There was some kind of magical alchemy with the land and people in Scotland. I'm so glad it turned into something to share.

Expand full comment

I love the highland cows!

Expand full comment

Me too, so much! :)

Expand full comment

“The people and the land are as interwoven as Harris Tweed.”

YES! Your loving descriptions of the people living on Mull and Skye are spot on. Thank you for letting me dwell once again in those majestic peopled landscapes.

The paper To the Future: An Ecology of Love, Hope, and Action should be titled, The Once and Future Ecology of Love, Hope, and Action.

The troubles began when we moved away from love, hope, and action for ecosystems.

Science is an ongoing process of observing, questioning, recording, and communicating.

Science is love. It’s understanding and paying deep attention.

Hope is to find a pathway forward, sighting a light in the darkness to strive for.

“Hope is a survival trait, and without it, we perish,” says Jane Goodall.

Action is the most challenging part. Acting without understanding the terrain and finding a way forward is futile.

We have upset the balance of nature and changed the climate. We can restore biodiversity and climate by returning our attention to the peopled-places we love and hopefully figuring out how to act for the betterment of ecosystems and the water cycle.

For example, Hope for Right Whales

https://robmoir469011.substack.com/p/hope-for-right-whales

Expand full comment

Thanks, Rob, and I appreciate your corroboration of my experiences on Mull and Skye. The reframe of science as love is an important one. As your right whales post points to, it's not enough to have the data. It's what we do with the data that really matters.

Expand full comment
Comment deleted
Oct 19, 2023
Comment deleted
Expand full comment

Thank you, Kirie! I always appreciate your reflections.

Expand full comment