Erik Assadourian

But the question remains, will New Yorkers invest that activist energy into cultivating sustainable ways to do more with less, while more equitably redistributing the shrinking pie, or simply force the redirection of goods from other parts of the world that have less power or force of will?

While the polycrisis will emerge differently and at different times in different parts of the world, we will all experience it, so it’s worth reminding ourselves of this and mentally, personally, and communally preparing for it. As well as fighting to help navigate through it with our humanity intact, and our understanding of our dependence on Gaia heightened.

Once we break out of the myth that our minds are separate from our bodies, it becomes apparent that we are the same as all other living beings. We are not special, and therefore do not warrant having mastery over other species or over ‘creation.’

There’s a game you might remember from childhood called Four Square. Four kids stand in a 2×2 grid with one kid yelling out rules on how they can hit the ball—with their hands, feet, only while grunting, etc. If you fail to pass on the ball, you’re out and some other kid takes your spot.

During one week (Monday to Friday) the news ranged from the growing e-waste crisis, to oil companies’ long-term plans to drill, to green bonds for nuclear power. None of it makes sense, except in a culture that puts consumerism and growth ahead of everything else.

So is Gaianism animistic? Considering there are some Gaians that consider Gaia a metaphor, others something more, that question is not possible to answer. For some certainly, for others absolutely not.