Seeds for Thought: an Ecopsychology Blog

I can no longer read ...

... articles about the environment.  I stopped a while back, realizing I was cringing throughout the reading, that I was left with discouragement I didn't want to deal with.  All I could think of was "eco-fatigue", "eco-nagging", .... phrases that are not very inspiring.

I stopped reading the venerable David Suzuki; I stopped reading Cameron Smith of the Toronto Star on Saturday mornings although in the past I wouldn't have missed one of his articles; I stopped reading various blogs -- all things I used to enjoy, all things that used to inspire me.  I have even stopped reading environmental newsletters .. have even unsubscribed to several I received on-line.

i hate shoes

The Independent annoys me by having excellent articles about the environment interpersed with injunctions to keep consuming, for example a weekly 50 Best series of things to buy. Last week it was shoes, illustrated with the usual 8 inch spike heels and I was so enraged I removed the front cover before I could bear to read it. There's something about high heels that epitomises everything I loathe and despise about fashion and postfeminism. I experience them as if they were actually grinding my face, rubbing my nose in it ha ha we hate you you hideous hairy old thing.

I was talking to my lovely feminist niece about Sex in the City, which she likes, though understands why I don't. But it's changed hasn't it?  Episode one poured scorn on men who had sex with models, a couple of series later and Carrie was teetering down the catwalk.

well they got women on TV but I still ain't satisfied
cos cooptation's all I see and I still ain't satisfied
they call me Mzzzzz, they sell me blue jeans
call it women's lib, they make it sound obscene..
(red star singers, back in the 60s)

Beware all your hopes and dreams and best ideas they will try and sell back to you.

material girls  in the Guardian on the new golddiggers says it well

does it matter? Yes, they are still thrashing about trying to keep us stupid and unhappy and buying buying buying.

Meanwhile back in the real material world no one wants to worry their pretty little head about..
  Climate chaos is inevitable. We can only avert oblivion