On Environmental Powerlessness

When confronted with so many examples of deterioration in our ecosystems, "not thinking about it because I can't do anything about it" is a common response.  Acid rain, deforestation, extinction of species, sullying of habitats, you name it - there's enough environmental despair to go around.

Teacher and Scholar Joanna Macy has some interesting thoughts on this "just ignore it" reaction:

Logically, this is a non sequitur: it confuses what can be thought with what can be done.  When forces are seen as so vast that they cannot be consciously contemplated or seriously discussed, we are doubly victimized; we are impeded in thought as well as action.