by Mark Haubner
Don’t look for VUCA on a map of the universe — it’s not ‘out there,’ it’s ‘in here’ (pointing to my head).
Sure, some of the Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity are apparent in the world lately, but it’s our perception of and response to these things that really matter when we close our eyes at night.
Mitigation, Adaptation, Regeneration
Can you define the things you can prevent in the world? That list for me is really short — whether the price of eggs or the direction a hurricane, the things over which I have control are easily named: call a friend, buy food at a local farmstand, run my appliances after 10 p.m., take out great books from the library.
Getting used to things (adaptation) is also in our control in that we don’t simply resign ourselves to adverse conditions but do the best we can with what we’ve got.
As my grandmother used to say, “You play the cards you’re dealt.” Egg prices up? Pancakes are the hot ticket in our house this month. Tomatoes in the grocery store taste like Styrofoam? Time to grow our own heirloom plants in the backyard. Cheap clothes falling apart after a second washing? Head to the second-hand shop or a clothing swap or take your favorite sweater to a Repair Café!
The most exciting option is that of regeneration — whether of our garden or our reading list, we can learn by observing, on this planet, how life regenerates life. Air, soil, water, plants, food, animals and humans are all part of the many cycles of nitrogen and carbon, and, most importantly, water, on this planet. How we interrupt or interrelate with all of these is up to us.
Decentralization
Our grocery stores are only as full as trucks can fill them. We saw supply chain disruptions during Covid, but it makes me wonder if anyone made plans to counter these disruptions on a decentralized basis should we see conditions like these again. Are our grocery chain managers in dialogue with one another in preparation for an uncertain future? Could we be canning excess food crops at the end of the season to carry us through a difficult winter?
Bioregionalism
We are surrounded by and connected through water. If you look at a map of the bioregions of the United States or the watersheds (you can find this quickly in an image search in your favorite web browser) you would see Long Island easily as an Eastern Broadleaf Forest ecoregion, but would have to drill down pretty hard to see the Peconic Bioregion: it is small, personal and unique and as such, should be cherished and protected.
I remember decades ago hearing from the local wineries that our bioregion was perfect because of our ‘microclimate.’ As a bit of information, or even a precursor to future discussions, the more damage we do to our soil, water and Broadleaf Forests (wooded lots), the more we adversely impact our small water cycle, which defines and creates our unique microclimate. Pay heed: our best-informed decisions on land use are critical to our future.
Local Self-Reliance
Could we consider holding areas or cooperative buying efforts to stockpile the essentials? Would a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) model work for other consumer goods or perishables? Have you brought your items in need of mending or repair to a Repair Café in either Greenport or Riverhead? Or maybe you would consider bringing your repair skills as a Repair Coach to the next one in our region? (Coming May 3 to Greenport’s Floyd Memorial Library —visit NFEC1.org for details). How many trades and skillsets are we giving to our children? Self-reliance implies self-sufficiency, but this concept also works at a community scale in which everyone benefits.
Interdependent Communities
There are all sorts of groups with which we align—in our values, our visions, our day-to-day activities. Being a part of just one provides a connection with other people (remember being isolated during Covid?), gives us a chance to vent about the goings-on in the world and to share recipes and food with others. It makes the range of ages in your circle not just 5 years wide, but 60 years in depth, where there are children and working adults and elders all a part of the gatherings so critical to our physical, psychological and emotional welfare. In a word: healthy and well-balanced.
I started this column with the thoughts of VUCA swirling in my head, and by the end of this writing, I reminded myself that we already have the tools and attitudes we need to weather whatever storms may come our way — not by ourselves or for ourselves, but with others and for others in cooperation, or symbiosis, just as the planet describes.
Sleep well.
Editor’s Note: Talk with Mark about VUCA and our local environment at Gardening for Change, a panel discussion on Earth Day, April 22 at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalists of Southold. Find Out More.
Mark Haubner has been recycling newspaper since 1965, and not seeing his example being followed by everyone on the planet, started learning Science Communication in earnest about six years ago. He got a Certificate in Sustainability and Behavior Change from the University of California at San Diego (the daily commute was grueling) and now writes Community Based Social Marketing programs for the various nonprofits with which he is involved.
Climate Local Now is a partnership between the East End Beacon and two leaders of a grass-roots group inspired by the science of Project Drawdown to advance local climate solutions.
