In my post yesterday, I talked about “The Irony of Ian”. I completed a draft of my book to lighten impact on the environment just as hurricane Ian hit the area of Florida where our family has a home. The image above was created as I thought about the connections happening between people and planet. Today, I’ll build on that post and touch briefly on the heartache that extends far past the natural disaster and the hope that I see for the future.
Heartache
I’ve been thinking all day about the long tail of an event like a hurricane or wildfire. The long tail are the days, weeks, months, and years that follow a devastating natural disaster. The cameras are there before, during, and after. News stations highlight what to expect, the situation during, and the destruction immediately after. Interviews happen, people are displaced, and aid comes from other parts of the country. Then, the stories stop. We don’t know the ending. We don’t know what happens in those long months and years as people strive to reclaim something that resembles “normal”.
In the early days, they miss basic necessities – food, water, fuel, and electricity. There is an appreciation for these things in a way they were taken for granted just a few days ago. Once the basics are restored, you go through all the stages of grief – sometimes more than once. You try to get just one area of your space “back to normal”. You learn things about insurance you never want to know – apparently all damage has to be classified as wind or water to determine who pays. You can’t find contractors because everyone needs them and you aren’t sure you can do the work on your own. Even if you can, getting the supplies is a whole different challenge.
I sit tonight like many others impacted by Hurricane Ian – not knowing for sure exactly what I’m facing. The outside of the house looks great, but what lies behind those walls? Is the space just like I left it? Is everything water soaked and mold starting to creep in? I have no idea. The wait is a weight on my shoulders that feels overwhelming. There is nothing positive about this. I remember every detail of the last time – the smell, the dampness, the sadness. I don’t want to go back to that.
Hope
To stop the cycle of climate change, I know it will take a LOT of innovation and different approaches by large companies. We will need to think differently and not do things we’ve always done. We can change this, but we need to do it together.
The book I’m writing is a piece. Other recently released books like The Carbon Almanac and One Green Thing are educating and creating a movement to reduce climate change. Companies are made up of everyday people just like you and I. I’m diving in to do what I can with this book and my efforts at my job. Together we can make a difference. What are you doing today? What could you do? What difference do you want to make?
Don’t wait. Start by Starting.