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   Derek Caelin is writing a book (derek@social.coop)'s status on Tuesday, 03-Dec-2024 01:46:10 JST Derek Caelin is writing a book

   According to my word search, the answer is *399 times*. A small portion of these were social nicities (“Not another letter you’ve forgotten, I hope, Mr. Butterbur?’") but the majority were desires and anticipations. It's a story about hope!

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     Derek Caelin is writing a book (derek@social.coop)'s status on Monday, 09-Dec-2024 04:51:47 JST Derek Caelin is writing a book

     in reply to

     I feel like I just penned a pretty clear thesis statement:

     The crisis faced by the modern climate movement is comparable to that in the #LordOfTheRings, with a crucial difference. Both we and the characters of the story face an existential crisis: we must act, and come through a great struggle, in order to have hope for a better future. On the other hand, the story characters face a binary future; they must either succeed or ultimately fail...

     alcinnz repeated this.
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     Derek Caelin is writing a book (derek@social.coop)'s status on Monday, 09-Dec-2024 04:52:06 JST Derek Caelin is writing a book

     in reply to

     ...Elrond tells Aragorn that he must “either to rise above the height of all your fathers since the days of Elendil, or to fall into darkness with all that is left of your kin.” For better or for worse, we have degrees of failure with which to content. Every fraction of a degree we can prevent the planet from warming will result in a better possible world; every delay of change will bring commensurate loss of life and make a harder world to survive in.

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     Derek Caelin is writing a book (derek@social.coop)'s status on Monday, 23-Dec-2024 03:19:36 JST Derek Caelin is writing a book

     in reply to

     There's a climate denier argument that has fascinated me recently. It has broad appeal: I've heard it expressed by the incoming Trump Energy Secretary, and by centrist Democrats.

     The theory goes like this. #CarbonEmissions have gone way up since the post WWII era. We've seen warming, but we've also seen dramatic increases in human well-being since economic growth (driven by fossil fuels) has lifted many out of poverty. Therefore, the benefits of fossil fuels outweigh the costs.

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     Derek Caelin is writing a book (derek@social.coop)'s status on Monday, 23-Dec-2024 03:24:39 JST Derek Caelin is writing a book

     in reply to

     Obviously the "things have been a certain way, so I will expect it to continue to be that way" mode of thinking is part of the human condition. Our brains are wired to expect what has happened before to continue to happen. Philosophers at least as far back as David Hume where looking at "The Problem of Induction": https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/induction-problem/

     The thing is, we've gotten pretty good at modeling the #ClimateCrisis, and we know the trendline will not continue, in fact is in the process of breaking.

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     Derek Caelin is writing a book (derek@social.coop)'s status on Monday, 23-Dec-2024 03:28:33 JST Derek Caelin is writing a book

     in reply to

     Just for funsies, think of scenarios where trendlines suddenly stop. I'll go first:
     - I get all the benefits of a speeding car right until it hits the wall
     - A winter snow is mighty enjoyable right up until I get burried
     - The first cookie tastes delicious, the twentieth cookie makes me sick.

     A warming world will not behave like the old world. We're projected to lose 90% of coral reefs with the current level of warming. Tuvalu will go under water. We can model that!

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     Derek Caelin is writing a book (derek@social.coop)'s status on Monday, 23-Dec-2024 03:33:35 JST Derek Caelin is writing a book

     in reply to

     I've tried figuring out how this all relates to my book (see bio!) but honestly, there are not a ton of "deniers" in #thelordoftherings

     Wormtongue tries to convince Theoden not to act, but it's not a good faith argument. He wants Rohan to collapse because he thinks he'll benefit.

     The closest might be Saruman. He thinks the new order under Sauron could be ok? "There is hope that way. Its victory is at hand; and there will be rich reward for those that aided it."

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     Derek Caelin is writing a book (derek@social.coop)'s status on Monday, 23-Dec-2024 06:06:37 JST Derek Caelin is writing a book

     in reply to

     • dynamic_hubzilla

     @dynamic nice, yes, that's a good point.

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     dynamic_hubzilla (dynamic@hub.netzgemeinde.eu)'s status on Monday, 23-Dec-2024 06:06:38 JST dynamic_hubzilla

     in reply to
     @Derek Caelin is writing a book
     
     Doesn't everyone affected by the Ring engage in some kind of denial?  The entire idea that maybe there's a way of preserving the Ring while defeating Sauron seems like a pretty tidy analogy for the idea that maybe we can avoid confronting climate change.
     
     Examples from the book: Isildur, Boromir, Smeagol.
     
     Currently re-reading _The Two Towers_, and just finished "The Black Gate is Closed," where Smeagol says, "Don't take the Precious to Him!  He'll eat us all, if He gets it, eat all the world.  Keep it, nice master, and be kind to Smeagol.  Or go away, to nice places, and give it back to little Smeagol.  Yes, yes, master give it back, eh?  Smeagol will keep it safe; he will do lots of good, especially to nice hobbits."
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     Derek Caelin is writing a book (derek@social.coop)'s status on Tuesday, 24-Dec-2024 02:45:22 JST Derek Caelin is writing a book

     in reply to

     Mapping out responses to the #ClimateCrisis and the, uh, Sauron Crisis in #TheLordOfTheRings

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     Derek Caelin is writing a book (derek@social.coop)'s status on Tuesday, 24-Dec-2024 03:21:34 JST Derek Caelin is writing a book

     in reply to

     Tiny update - the folks I'm particularly interested in are in the "despair zone".

     Joachim repeated this.
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     Derek Caelin is writing a book (derek@social.coop)'s status on Tuesday, 24-Dec-2024 23:34:14 JST Derek Caelin is writing a book

     in reply to

     OK, *this* is an important point. Characters in #TheLordOfTheRings are constantly "despairing", but to despair is not necessarily to give up.

     In the story we see *three* reactions to despair. Frodo, Faramir - in fact, most of the principle cast - each feel a sense of hopelessness at some point, but continue to push forward. Some characters are overwhelmed and do nothing - this is Theoden, when we first meet him. And some actively subvert the heroes - see Denethor and Saruman.

     #bookstodon

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     Derek Caelin is writing a book (derek@social.coop)'s status on Monday, 06-Jan-2025 05:03:38 JST Derek Caelin is writing a book

     in reply to

     Somehow I've reached 30,000 words in my exploration of #TheLordOfTheRings and its lessons for the #ClimateCrisis.

     I spend a big portion of the book looking what characters do when they come to despair. Word 30,000 came as I was exploring Éomer's defiance of the black fleet during the battle for Minas Tirith.

     We may not feel hopeful about the coming years, but even so, we have to keep going.

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     Derek Caelin is writing a book (derek@social.coop)'s status on Monday, 06-Jan-2025 21:52:48 JST Derek Caelin is writing a book

     in reply to

     • dynamic_hubzilla

     @dynamic I responded briefly when I got the message, did you see it?

     I agree that Boromir, Smeagol, Isildur (and to some extent Denethor) don't view the Ring as a threat, while they all understand Sauron is one.

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     dynamic_hubzilla (dynamic@hub.netzgemeinde.eu)'s status on Monday, 06-Jan-2025 21:52:51 JST dynamic_hubzilla

     in reply to
     @Derek Caelin is writing a book
     
     Wanted to check if you had a chance to see my thoughts above about what I see as denialism in LOTR.  Hubzilla/Mastodon federation is a little weird sometimes, and people don't always get notified when they are tagged.
     
     I'd be curious to hear your thoughts!
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     Derek Caelin is writing a book (derek@social.coop)'s status on Saturday, 18-Jan-2025 23:19:26 JST Derek Caelin is writing a book

     in reply to

     “Not all is dark. Take courage, Lord of the Mark; for better help you will not find. No counsel have I to give to those that despair. Yet counsel I could give, and words I could speak to you. Will you hear them?”

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     Derek Caelin is writing a book (derek@social.coop)'s status on Tuesday, 21-Jan-2025 00:25:25 JST Derek Caelin is writing a book

     in reply to

     Generous deed should not be checked by cold counsel.

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     Derek Caelin is writing a book (derek@social.coop)'s status on Tuesday, 21-Jan-2025 00:35:48 JST Derek Caelin is writing a book

     in reply to

     Today I'm writing the section about Sam in the black lands, and how he holds on to hope the longest in what is arguably the darkest road.

     Sam is just... he's just the best, you know? He is utterly, utterly devoted to Frodo. Every part of him to his bones loves Frodo. And he does everything in his power to help him, sacrificing water, food. He carries him on his back up a god damn mountain. He expends the last of his strength and will to get him to his goal.

     #LordOfTheRings

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     Derek Caelin is writing a book (derek@social.coop)'s status on Tuesday, 21-Jan-2025 01:16:30 JST Derek Caelin is writing a book

     in reply to

     This book is ultimately about hope, despair, and action in the climate crisis, but I'll be damned if I can't talk about how Sam is the GOAT. It's my book! I can do what I want!

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     Derek Caelin is writing a book (derek@social.coop)'s status on Tuesday, 21-Jan-2025 03:09:16 JST Derek Caelin is writing a book

     in reply to

     • dynamic_hubzilla

     @dynamic There's a great passage in "The Letters of J.R.R.Tolkkien" about this.

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     dynamic_hubzilla (dynamic@hub.netzgemeinde.eu)'s status on Tuesday, 21-Jan-2025 03:09:19 JST dynamic_hubzilla

     in reply to
     @Derek Caelin is writing a book
     
     In my current re-read of LOTR, I keep tripping over how good Sam is to Frodo juxtaposed with how unnecessarily cruel he is to Gollum.  I think there's an uncomfortable hanging question about how things might have gone differently if Sam had taken cues from Frodo on how to behave toward Gollum.
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     Derek Caelin is writing a book (derek@social.coop)'s status on Wednesday, 29-Jan-2025 13:33:38 JST Derek Caelin is writing a book

     in reply to

     "Come, come! We are all friends here, or should be; for the laughter of Mordor will be our only reward if we quarrel."

     My reaction when I see all the lefties here fighting each other. 😮💨