Written in Belgium, January 2025. Global Atmospheric CO2 at completion of essay: 426.02 ppm. While writing, multiple suburbs of LA were burning due to climate change. I’ve never read Mein Kampf . My history teacher, Br. Kevin Paull, did though. He said it was the worst book he’d ever read. And he read a lot of books. Reading Mein Kampf from a critical history point of view is important, even…
Written in Germany, November-December 2024. Global Atmospheric CO2 at completion of essay: 425.88 ppm. While writing, France experienced a November minimum of 27 ℃. monks and politics Monks shouldn’t be political, they say. Like as not, monks who say that have a framed photo of the king and queen elevated near their shrine. Not quite worshiped, exactly. But when they speak of royalty they say…
Late 2024 Global Atmospheric CO2: 423 ppm machines make everything worse so we hide it away we hide it in the future we hide it in other places we bury it underground so we don’t see it and we don’t know it and we don’t care about it but it’s there and somehow it makes everything worse in smashing and in killing in degradation and pollution it all gets worse but it seems better if we don’t look…
Late 2024 Global Atmospheric CO2: 423 ppm “I don’t think I can do it,” you say, peering into the dark shadows of the thick wood. You are lucky to have a companion to guide you under the leaves. You know that; it takes the edge off. But still, you are afraid. Sometimes you almost forget your companion. As you step off the main road and under the darkling leaves, you are entranced by the smell, the…
Late 2024 Global Atmospheric CO2: 422 ppm The glory of our secular materialist age is the acceleration of wealth creation, bringing with it ease, comfort, and opportunity. This material abundance is powered by the burning of fossil fuels, the energy of which is put to work to satisfy human desires using machines engineered according to the tenets of material science. This started with the…
In 2019, I wrote a little article about how, when the media talk about climate change they try to balance things, the good with the bad. But as I pointed out, too often in such articles: bad things are facts; good things are fantasies Things are not getting better. See this recent article in the Guardian . It’s full of sober experts from august institutions saying things like this: “The situation…
“Harbingers” was an ongoing series of articles, stories, and reflections by Bhante Sujato on living in the age of global warming. Then it became a novel. My first novel, The Harbingers , is released. Order a print copy, or read as ebook or online. The Harbingers This book came about after writing several essays in the harbingers series that are posted here. I realized they could fit into the same…
A man walked into a shop. He went up to the counter and said, “I’d like twelve bees, please.” “Certainly, sir,” said the lady behind the counter. “And may I say, an excellent choice.” “It’s for my wife,” he explained. “Well, she’s a lucky woman.” “I … well”, he said. “Not really.” “Oh?” “This is an atonement of sorts.” “An atonement?” “You see, I have not always been like this. I was a bookkeeper.…
For the changemakers This is how it goes. You ask nicely, they say “No.” You ask nicely, they say “No.” You ask nicely, they say “No.” You insist, they say “Well okay. But you should have asked nicely.” I’ve always been someone who feels an inner drive to stand up for what is right. It’s who I am. I don’t feel like it is a particularly virtuous way to be, it just feels normal. I can’t imagine not…
It was a nice day walking through the zoo with my friend and their lovely children. Now, before we start, let me say, I am opposed to keeping animals in captivity. But this was an open-range zoo, cruelty free. We visited the hyenas and the macaws, took in the little marsupial mice and the hippos. Such fun! Then we came to the tiger cage. It was a magnificent beast, a full-grown Siberian tiger, as…
“Harbingers” is an ongoing series of articles, stories, and reflections by Bhante Sujato on living in the age of global warming. My news source of choice, The Guardian , recently published an article by Alexandra Villarreal on the so-called climate “doomers”: Meet the doomers: why some young US voters have given up hope on climate . I have previously critiqued their coverage of climate change ,…
Once two friends were strolling down the street. It was a daily walk they took together. They passed a nice house of yellow brick. One said, “That is a nice house. The brick is yellow; it reminds me of what I believe they call London Stock Brick.” “Yes,” said the other. They kept walking. They came to an empty block, overgrown with weeds. The other said, “Now that’s a nice fairy castle!” The first…
A Buddhist monk’s view of the climate emergency. Table of Contents Global summary Overall The state of the climate Emissions: it’s not just power, cars, and planes Current predictions Current response Effects on nature The animals are dying; except cows, sheep, chickens, and pigs The oceans: heating, rising, and dying The future of water: floods and drought Toxic air and chaotic weather The planet…
“Harbingers” is an ongoing series of articles, stories, and reflections by Bhante Sujato on living in the age of global warming. “Well, at least you get a choice, so fess up.” “Oh my god, don’t!” “But I want to.” Sharon laughed. Her big sister wouldn’t let up. “Who is it to be? Anthony or Scott?” “You know it doesn’t even work like that, right? I mean, just because I choose one of them doesn’t…
“Harbingers” is an ongoing series of articles, stories, and reflections by Bhante Sujato on living in the age of global warming. It feels like the end of all things. It feels like each day is a step in the wrong direction; like we are all lemmings, walking in slow motion to the cliff, fully aware, yet watching detached, unable to correct our course. Ahead of us lies no surprise, no last minute…
“Harbingers” is an ongoing series of articles, stories, and reflections by Bhante Sujato on living in the age of global warming. The little girl crouched at the marsh’s edge. Stick in hand, she scratched at the mud. Not random, by any means: she was very serious and intent on her work. She drew lines, crossed them, joined the corners with circles, and made spirals all around. It made something…
“Harbingers” is an ongoing series of articles, stories, and reflections by Bhante Sujato on living in the age of global warming. Just like the time before, and the time before that: he couldn’t take another step. Then he did. The next step was just too impossible, the deadly weariness in every pore, the overwhelming longing to just sink down and rest. But he did it anyway. And step after step,…
This essay was presented by Bhante Sujato at a plenary session of the Sakyadhita 2019 conference in Leura, NSW. Global warming is an unprecedented threat to the survival of our civilization and culture, indeed our very lives. The aboriginal myth of Gurrangatch and Mirragan tells of a time when the land of the Blue Mountains was shaped in the struggle for life, a struggle marked by both passion and…
“Harbingers” is an ongoing series of articles, stories, and reflections by Bhante Sujato on living in the age of global climate crisis. “Come closer, my sweet. It’s getting chilly,” said Sharon. “Here, the tea’s ready.” “Mmm, ta. Funny, I don’t feel the cold so much these days,” said Leslie, but snuggled closer anyway. The fire was warm and crackling, clean of coal and flame. “Remember that time…
Those among you who accept the probability of the coming climate collapse will know what I’m talking about. Acceptance is a long process, and a hard one. But to speak of it is still taboo: you will be attacked, dismissed, patronised, or at best, greeted with an awkward silence. Your friends will kindly wonder if you have a mental illness. They will, in all seriousness, tell you that they get by by…
“Harbingers” is an ongoing series of articles, stories, and reflections by Bhante Sujato on living in the age of global warming. When reading about the harbingers of the end of the world—climate catastrophe, biodiversity collapse, pollution crisis, and so on—if we listen closely to the language, we start to discern a pattern. With few exceptions, statements on crisis look for a balance: yes things…
“Harbingers” is an ongoing series of articles, stories, and reflections by Bhante Sujato on living in the age of global warming. Stories will be told, you know. As long as there are people, they will share their thoughts, their hopes, their fears. Of what happened this morning, or yesterday. Or last week. And as time trots by, the silly stories, the useless ones, are left by the wayside. Facts dim…
“Harbingers” is an ongoing series of articles, stories, and reflections by Bhante Sujato on living in the age of global warming. Five Hiroshimas per second. That’s how much heat is being absorbed into our oceans. Dozens of thermonuclear bombs since you started reading this. More while you pause to take it in. More while you think, “Do I really want to read this?” A recent article in the journal…