THE PRIVILEGE OF APATHY// Transforming Eco-Anxiety into Action

Writing about the Amazon Rainforest fire feels important, partially because of how it showed up on my social media.

It seems normal to want someone or something to blame so you can move away from uncomfortable feelings. Especially if it feels too big to hold and you want to turn away. But this is sad.

A lot of the things we think are important are not going to matter if there’s no planet or if everything is dead.

You might feel helpless and have eco anxiety, so you repost something on social media to offset your discomfort and share your urgency. Or you label and point fingers at one person or industry, saying it's their fault, because then it seems solvable. But an environmental crisis like this is not just because of one thing, industry, or person- it’s cumulative, from many decisions over decades.

If you live in a cozy privilege bubble like Ontario, and you're not immediately affected by the climate emergency, it's easy to keep blinders on. When the sky is beautiful with birds chirping and people go about their day like everything is fine, there is an enormous disconnect between what’s in front of you and what's happening in the world or to other people and animals. If you're not suffocating in thick grey smoke, being burned alive like animals (BBC article “What about the animals caught in the Amazon rainforest fire"), or on the receiving end of exploitation and colonization, it can be hard to make the connection when you don’t experience it.

But we're all connected. We’re not separate, and it’s feeling as though we are that creates apathy and disconnect. It’s thinking that because you don’t see it, feel it, or it doesn’t immediately impact you, that action is optional. Part of privilege is the option to decide when to care or take action, and doing so only when it’s convenient or affects you.

What if instead of displacing your feelings or ignoring this because it’s uncomfortable, you go deeper. Move past your apathy, fear, or wanting to place blame, to what's underneath, in your heart. Whether it’s: discomfort, sadness, grief, helplessness, rage, disillusionment. Go there, feel it, and then do something about it.