Climate Change: Riverside Community

Sheep at the Riverside Community dairy farm and intentional community; the evidence of dairy farming on the landscape in Waikito, New Zealand.


navigating climate change requires collaboration at a colossal level and speed,
not typical of Western communities

naturally there's tension between those who want to turn to rapid change and those who see the benefit in slower processes

at the Riverside Community this meant a debate over using quick-fixes such as non-native species introduction (e.g. dung beetles),
a rapid change rather than a slow move away from the current scale of dairy farming over time

it is a very representative example of the tensions seen all around the world today

another example that comes to mind is the push to convert the energy grid to "green energy" rather than phasing out of the lifestyles that require intensive amounts of energy in the first place

it's the Western society of quick-fixes and a fixation with technology that got the world in its climate mess in the first place

now, the world does really need a quick-fix for this mess on a massive scale

how does the world overcome a society of rapid destruction and quick-fixes in a short amount of time?

there are some more slowly-developed knowledges that can be drawn upon if Western society is willing to steps outside of its own constructs and systems

drawn upon as a quick-fix, but with the idea that these solutions only work if they become long term,
as a paradigm shift

I don't see this being implemented by Western institutions,
I see it being carried out by those on the ground that are a part of a local community

like at Riverside, when it comes to doing certain things that would normally require years of meetings and incremental approvals,
perhaps it's time to take action and ask for forgiveness later