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to sleep, perchance, to dream (escapism)
to sleep, perchance, to dream (escapism)
By Cassondra Mundell
In my dreams, I’m far away from here
I’m not anchored down to my bed
To my floor, to my room,
To my apartment, to my city
To my state, to my corrupt country
In my dreams, I’m flying
The sky busted and blue
Is replaced by midnight black
And I am turning, rotating, orbiting
Beyond Earth’s carbon dioxide-filled sphere
I am a Serene Selene, floating
With the world at my feet
In my dreams, I’m weightless
There are no judgements among the stars
No crying, no scars,
No gravity to bring me down
And someone else will solve the world’s problems
Someone who isn’t me
In my dreams, I’m not the hero
I’ve never seen a hero like me in a sci-fi
So why should I start now?
I’m sure Elon Musk will figure something out
(Rat)
Or the government will
(Useless)
But in my dreams, I’m no hero
Because I don’t have to be...
In my dreams, I’m small
Too small to carry the world’s problems
A Clark Kent sans the Superman,
A Nobody without worry
And Venus, goddess of love,
Holds me safe in her large, manicured hands...
Because she knows that people want too much of me;
Because people want too much
The alarm buzzes, and I’m
Yanked down to my bed
To my floor, to my room,
To my apartment, to my city
To my state, to my corrupt country
My eyes flutter open
My fingers silence the alarm
With a sigh, I am here
Back inside the atmosphere
And the globe still warming
I shut my eyes tight
Although I know I shouldn’t show a trace of doubt
I pull back my bedcovers
And try to fall back asleep (good night)
cry wolf wolf cry
cry wolf wolf cry
By Ilse Roark
"Small Dots" and "I Am Sorry"
"Small Dots" and "I Am Sorry"
By Emily Miller
Small Dots Welcome to the life in locations that are ceasing to exist! I’m talking about the lands of the Marshall Islands, Maldives, Tuvalu and Kiribati: Small dots on the map that are often misread or forgotten about. Do you see them? Here, they experience all that climate change has to offer From rising seas to typhoons, their homes are becoming lagoons. There’s no hiding behind large buildings and infrastructure. Their problems are all around them. Water, the hidden gem of life, is doing more harm than good. It could destroy many centuries of memories. The small dots on the map are the accessories of the world. They’re the lab rats being hurled into the battle of climate change: The strange phenomenon constantly estranging parts of our motherland. Grand emissions of carbon have been released into the air, causing the sun to share more of her glorious hair. You may not see it, but the land you have been occupying your whole life is changing: the lush greenery and brush are being starved and charred by the powerful forces you cannot discard. Hurricanes and monsoons are becoming harpoons that tear away life all day and night. Many aspects of our daily life release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. From the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas, Can you see how temperatures have surpassed the max? The sun is acting like an axe: attacking polar ice caps and forcing them into the ocean. No wonder there is all this commotion. Without reducing our carbon emissions, You can say bye to the places of great weather conditions. The small dots on the map are not giving up. They’re actively fighting and trying to pull through So that generations to come will see their point of view. We have the ability to right our wrongs and do better So that places like Louisiana, New York, and Florida Do not become those forgotten small dots.
I Am Sorry To the people of the lands of the Marshall Islands, Maldives, Tuvalu, and Kiribati, I am sorry. I took the environment for granted And wasted countless amounts of food, water, light, and gas For my personal gain. I am sorry for causing your pain As your domains are being whisked away by climate change. For years, you have been trying to tell me about what is to come, But I did not listen. I took your many warnings like a grain of salt, Saying that this problem is not my fault. It took me a while to admit to my wrongdoings, But I am here now and will do anything to right those wrongs Because I want our children and future generations To be able to experience the beauty of our motherland. Therefore, it is with my sincerest apologies That I commit to you by making it my mission To reduce carbon emissions So that your traditions, acquisitions, and ambitions are not lost forever. There is still time to decrease the beast of climate change. You have my word that I will work all day and night To make our world alright. So that others will be able to experience the Earth’s delight.
Flagstaff Times
Flagstaff Times
By Samantha Doring
Nonnegotiable: A Poem
Nonnegotiable: A Poem
By Daniel Barker
Climate Change and the Nature of Time, Reality, and Weather - A collection of poems
Climate Change and the Nature of Time, Reality, and Weather - A collection of poems
By Kellam Nassar
Virtual Island
The tide rolls in
The tide rolls out
On a specific schedule
On the virtual island
The sand is clear
The sand is filled with life
The water a striking blue
On the virtual island
There is no danger
There is no fear
No worries about the quality of life
On the virtual island
Of course, there is rain
Of course, there is snow
But no risk of flooding
On the virtual island
There is no climate change
There is no rising tide
But we are in the real world and are not living
On the virtual island
In the Ground
It waits in the ground, a relic of an age
Sitting inside the ice, trapped in a cage
It was once a disease that infected many
But now deep in the ground, it’s still but antsy
The ground is heating, losing its grip
Making its layers of cover, drip, drip, drip
The creature sits, biding its time
As permafrost melts, it begins its climb
The Clock Ticks On
The clock ticks on
On our day to day lives
Lives spent growing and learning
Learning about what we have to do
The clock ticks on
On as we try to solve the other problems
Problems that we have created
Created to help ourselves and not the Earth
The clock ticks on
On and on and on
On to a conclusion that we have predicted
Predicted to end in tragedy for many around the world
The clock ticks on
On towards a conclusion that many have denied
Denied because it was inconvenient or it hurt the bottom line
The line has been crossed, with no more ticking left to stop
Animals
A rising sea threatening the land they live on
No food to be found in the burned-out forest
Imagine you have no idea what is happening around you
Mothers having to search farther and wider for food
Acidification changing the food balance and changing their homes
Lives that caused no problems, but are suffering the consequences
Stuck on this planet with us and our creation
Weather World
Rising heat infects
The concrete keeps it around
It will not leave us
More storms reaching all
Bringing death and destruction
With untold losses
The water rises
Above the old city streets
Burying the past
It’s not just weather
That brings heat water storm frost
The climate is changing
Jean Charles
Jean Charles
By Ted Martinez
1.
Indicator Species: An indicator species is an organism whose presence, absence or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition. Indicator species can signal a change in the biological condition of a particular ecosystem, and thus may be used as a proxy to diagnose the health of an ecosystem.
2.
Invasive species: An invasive species is an organism that causes ecological or economic harm in a new environment where it is not native. Invasive species can harm both the natural resources in an ecosystem as well as threaten human use of these resources
3.
I had an hour and a half drive to Isle de Jean Charles from New Orleans to think about my actions and the reason for this trip. I was ditching out on a conference I was supposed to be attending in New Orleans like a teenager skipping class after 5th period. I rented a car on a whim and drove out of New Orleans on I-10 past the Super Dome thinking, what in hell am I doing. I followed google maps passed swamps and small towns. I arrived at a draw bridge that was out. Closed for repairs.
4.
I was traveling to a little spit of land in the Gulf of Mexico, and island to be exact. Isle de Jean Charles used to be 2,000 acres but was now reduced to 300. The land was not sinking, it had not been bulldozed by developers for condos. In fact, the land is a rather undesirable piece of property from a real-estate development perspective. Warming oceans expand water molecules and cause incremental sea level rise. Add in unprecedented, never before seen melting of glaciers in Greenland, calving of glaciers in west Antarctica, a crack a mile deep and 13 miles long, that might let loose the biggest glacier ever seen with human eyes. Turns out centimeters of sea level rise do mater. It matters to the people of Isle de Jean Charles when their land is reduced by 98 %, 300 homes now down to 40. And yes, it is their land, or was. The people of isle de Jean Charles are a band of Biloxi-Chitamatcha-Choctaw. Native Americans, decedents of the first inhabitants of this continent.
5.
The people of Isle de Jean Charles are being called the first climate refugees of the United States. The federal government has already purchased land to relocate the people of Isle de Jean Charles. Soon the island will be unhabitable and uninhabited. The people will be moved, relocated, resettled.
6.
As I drove I had uncomfortable realizations about ecological concepts. Uncomfortable because I had always applied ecology to plants, animals, and ecosystems. Now I was applying them to people. Was I driving to see the first ever human indicator species? Indicator Species Definition: ”an organism whose presence, absence or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition. Indicator species can signal a change in the biological condition of a particular ecosystem, and thus may be used as a proxy to diagnose the health of an ecosystem.” If the biological conditions have changed due to climate change such that the habitat, Isle de Jean Charles, is longer suited for people, the Biloxi-Chitamatcha-Choctaw, their presence and abundance is declining, that is an indicator, and thus a proxy for ecosystem decline. Humans as indictor species.
7.
Forget the images of starving polar bears you’ve seen, or of dying coral reefs. We are way past that now. Humans are the new poster child of climate change.
8.
While driving more ecological thoughts become uncomfortable when applied to humans. Invasive species: An invasive species is an organism that causes ecological or economic harm in a new environment where it is not native. Invasive species can harm both the natural resources in an ecosystem as well as threaten human use of these resources.
Island Road: The only road in and out of Isle de Jean Charles
On the way to Jean Charles
Isle de Jean Charles
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