We’re not yet ready for what’s already happened
+ Drowning, Trees for the rich, Lego magic (#354)
1. We’re not yet ready for what’s already happened
Two weeks ago, people in Switzerland voted against a modest piece of climate legislation — as if we can just wait and see. This week, as a scorching heat wave hit Canada with temperatures of up to 49.7 degrees, I came across a comment: «This moment will be talked about for centuries.» My immediate reaction was: Well, that’s the best case scenario. As I’m trying to understand what is happening here, I discovered this helpful essay. At its core: our inability to grasp discontinuity — the «moment where past experience loses its value as a guide to decision-making about the future.» And it lays out a simple choice: «Disruption now, or even more discontinuity (and then more disruption).» So far, we pretend there’s a third option: to just wait and see. Read it now.
2. Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning
I don’t usually recommend things twice in this newsletter. I’m making an exception here, as knowing this might literally save lives, and only…