Thu Oct 6, 02022, 9:30PM UTC
Jill Kubit
DearTomorrow: Envisioning a sustainable future in a time of climate change
On October 6, 02022, Long Now Boston welcomed Jill Kubit, co-founder of DearTomorrow, for an interactive workshop on building a different climate change future. The workshop was held at the Boston Public Library during ‘Climate Day’ of the Cambridge Science Festival.
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Speakers
On October 6, 02022, Long Now Boston welcomed Jill Kubit, co-founder of the nonprofit, DearTomorrow, for an interactive workshop on building a different climate change future. The workshop was held at the Boston Public Library during ‘Climate Day’ of the Cambridge Science Festival.
The Workshop
Jill opened the program by speaking to how we our feelings of being overwhelmed in the face of the climate crisis. While scientific communication is essential, it cannot stand alone in changing minds and motivating action. DearTomorrow is a climate storytelling project that makes climate change more personally relevant by connecting to the values that we all share: love, family, and legacy.
The workshop participants broke into small conversation groups for a guided, three-part exercise that involved writing down their responses to questions that reflect on climate change and the kinds of action that can make a difference. First, they were encouraged to think about the climate crisis and write down feelings, thoughts, and imagery that arose from this exercise. The second phase involved asking participants to imagine writing a letter today to a loved one, perhaps a child, grandchild, or even your future self, to that person living in the year 2050. The task asked you to imagine that person – how old are they, what are they like? – and to imagine them opening the letter. When they look around, they see the beautiful, joyful world that you helped to create. What do they see? What do you hope the world will look like in 2050 for this person you are thinking about? In the final phase, of the activity, participants engage in conversation on climate action, writing down the effective actions that they already taking as well as those that they wish to take in the future.
The workshop concluded by providing participants with a valuable opportunity to share ideas and feelings in a large group on the issues of climate change and climate action, and on the process of envisioning the future. The discussion included stories about how participants have been impacted by climate change and how climate change has affected the lives and future of the people and places that are important to them. This discussion provided important insights on how we all might leave a legacy of a stable and safe climate for future generations.
Conclusion
The DearTomorrow concept opens conversations about equitable access for a better tomorrow, including envisioning a sustainable approach to energy needs of the future, new options for agriculture, changing transportation choices, and flourishing health. Participants are encouraged to save their thoughts and ideas, write a letter, and share it with the DearTomorrow community. These messages can be found at deartomorrow.org and through the organization’s social and other media, community events, and public art installations. The goal is to inspire deep thinking and bold action on climate.