Dear Reader,
In an inspiring interview at the Findhorn Climate and Consciousness Conference, Christiana Figueres, the woman who oversaw the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate, called for a new spirit of “stubborn optimism.” Nothing is ever accomplished from a defeatist position, she reminds us. “Optimism is not the result of success, it is the starting point of success.”
Figueres is also the convener of Mission 2020, a global initiative that seeks to ensure the world bends the curve on greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. This year and next is our critical opportunity to turn the corner on land degradation and climate change.
(image) Ten Themes. These ideas emerged from the study as ‘strongly connected or essential’ to building lasting change in closer alignment with the needs of humanity and the Earth.
Five years ago, in a landmark study, Kosmos described a growing ‘global transformation movement’ consisting of many smaller movements: climate justice, ecocide law, species protection and conservancy, indigenous solidarity, sacred ecology, transition towns and ecovillages, and many more. We predicted that each of these movements would organically develop self-awareness of the greater whole. And now many of these tributaries are merging, surging together as one great river.
There are signs everywhere of breakthrough, rather than breakdown. Carbon dioxide emissions decreasing in 22 countries despite growing economic activity, (albeit overall emissions are up); Pakistan’s planting 1 billion trees in its northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhaw; and countries including France, India and the Netherlands laying out ambitious plans to eliminate fossil fuel-powered automobiles.
We are entering a phase of deep communion with the Earth – a connection long-obscured in the over-developed world. And many of us are resolving to adopt a more local, organic, plant-based diet, aware that this is key if we wish to keep global temperature increase below 2 degrees and feed a growing population at the same time.
These are positive, hopeful signs of transformation. For nearly twenty years, Kosmos has been at the vanguard, advancing a new cosmology, ancient insights, and fresh narratives for the coming times. Many of you have been there, each step of the way with us – thank you. It’s exhilarating to feel the Great Tide turning, and to know we each have our role to play in these epic times.
The Summer edition of Kosmos arrives June 21: All My Relations | Plants, Animals and Minerals. Read features by Bill Twist, Belen Paez, Pamela Boyce Simms, Sam Lee, Martin Winiecki, and many more.
Radiant Peace,
R. Fabian, for Kosmos
Why the next 12 years could be the making of us
By Rob Hopkins, via his blog and Reconnect magazine
“The point I want to make in this short piece is that the concept of a climate emergency should fill our hearts with great optimism and possibility. We have 11 years now to reverse the direction of travel, to cut our emissions in half, and be well on the path to zero emissions. It is an extraordinarily big ask, but it is possible. Just. And if we manage it, it will be a social, cultural, economic, political transformation which is almost without precedent.”
Faith communities and the UN Climate Action Summit 2019
By Christiana Figueres, via the UN and Church Times
“As we head towards the first big “Paris heartbeat” in 2020, when governments must come back with bigger, bolder commitments, the faith community again has a critical part to play in bringing stakeholders together to support governments.
It has been extremely encouraging to see that, since Paris, the faith community has been continually stepping up its own action efforts in this space — and, in particular, its leadership in the movement to disinvest from fossil fuels.
