Hold Onto Wonder

LISTENING: "I know that the sun will swallow the only Earth we will ever have"
FEELING: committed
SEEING: the minutes on my watch run out

How often do we stop to think about the meaning behind the words we say? How often do you find yourself in wonder? How much of life have we closed ourselves off to? How much admiration or astonishment do we hold back?

I'm thinking of this today because the world is soaking in disappointment. At COP28, the world's premier climate conference, President Joe Biden didn't even make an appearance. Instead, he's pushing his peers in Congress to pass another $10 billion in military aid to Israel. Back at COP, governments are disagreeing over a few words related to the future of fossil fuels: phase out or phase down? Meanwhile, a new analysis by my homies at Drilled shows just how much money the fossil fuel sector is forking over to respected media institutions.

So, yeah, I've been feeling disillusioned by, well, everyone.

In an effort to rewire my own brain, I wanted to remind you all of how important it is we hold onto wonder—that euphoric feeling when we see a blue jay on our balcony or a singer put our emotions into rhythm.

How wonderful would it be to experience something new? For a new politician or political process that could amaze us? Not because of some awful thing they did—but because of something good?

Welcome to Possibilities, a creative climate newsletter on the possibilities that lie where crisis meets community. I’m Yessenia Funes, and I hope you hold onto your own wonder.

I'll be in Seattle this week for an event with Patagonia called "Not Mars: Tools To Save Our Home Planet." I'll be hosting the event where activists will speak about the work they're doing to protect Earth. And, man, I'm always in awe of organizers and movement leaders—the folks who work day and night to find solutions and strive for change.

They don't waste time pouting over the disappointments. They use that as fuel for their next action. I find much of my wonder not in nature but in my interviews and reporting. How wonderful would it be to reimagine the COP process? How wonderful would it be if wealthy nations actually paid reparations to the countries now suffering from climate impacts?

The people with these ideas are full of wonder—they have to be to do their work. Imagination and mystery and possibility sit at the heart of wonder.

Where do you find your wonder? Don't lose it. It's different than hope, which ebbs and flows throughout periods of our life. Wonder, though? Once you let go of the marvel of the world, I worry you'll miss it forever. Indeed, too many people have. 🌀

Rest in Power

While we can't say for certain that climate change led to these specific weather events (we need attribution studies for that), we do know that the Earth's rising temperatures are already creating more disasters like these.

At least two people are dead in the Pacific Northwest state after severe rains Wednesday caused rivers and creeks to overflow.

On Tuesday, Cyclone Michaung landed in India, ending the lives of at least 17 people.

Flooding triggered by terrible rains over the weekend in the eastern Africa region has killed some 63 people in Tanzania.

Currently Reading

Before reading this critical piece from Grist, I had no idea that the UNFCCC recognized Palestine as an independent party. Hear from Palestinians on the ground at COP28.

A gender inequality climate package from CNN: "When we look at who's affected worse, who's on the frontlines of the climate crisis, it's primarily women — women in poor and vulnerable countries."

The long-term ripple effects from hurricanes can last years. This investigation from The Washington Post sheds light on how lifespans have shrunk in Puerto Rico since Hurricane Maria. In honor of the Post's union strike happening today, please don't read this one until tomorrow!

I'm always in shock when I see how much money the fossil fuel industry is giving highly respected media institutions like The New York Times. This analysis from Drilled and DeSmog, published in partnership with The Nation and The Intercept, is jaw-dropping.

Are you one of those people thinking about skipping parenthood because of the climate crisis? I spoke to The Cut about how I grew past my own fears.

Beyoncé is on the brain: This controversial piece by Vulture is all I'm seeing on my feed these days (beyond COP drama).

Poetry

I'm sharing a 2021 poem by Mahmoud Bakir, a Palestinian refugee who died earlier this year attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.

Tell the sea after the news of my death
that I wasn’t that thirsty to fill my lungs with his water
that I am only an extremely exhausted man
who suffered all his life long from poverty
who work all day long
to pursue a dignified life for his children

I wanted to flee like all poor people
I went to you, sea
to pull me out of the darkness
to take me to a brighter trajectory
You misunderstood me, sea
I told you that I wasn’t thirsty

See you next week. xx

- Yessenia