Building a Personal Climate Strategy
As requested, I'm offering one more Ruggedize Your Life: The Basics class on September 26th.
The uncomfortable truth: if you don’t have a strategy for managing the impacts climate chaos and discontinuity in your own life, you probably haven’t really got a plan for the future.
The planetary crisis is here, now, and much fiercer than we hoped. Our assumptions about climate politics, action and response must now all be re-thought. That crisis is the context in which every major life decision we make will play out.
We still need to do everything we can to limit global heating and ecological collapse. Yet even as we limit the extent of further destruction, we now know we’ll be living through an unprecedented upheaval in every natural system around us.
We need to take bold measures to ready our communities, infrastructure and economy for those ecological disasters worsening around us. Yet, even as we try to adapt to new realities, we now know that what we’ll be able to save is limited, and the losses will be catastrophic in the most exposed places.
We need to come together to help one another, as millions navigate these disorienting impacts. Yet, even as we fight for better plans and policies, we now know the hard reality that none of us can depend on others coming to our rescue, and that each of us has to develop our own strategy for living through the coming decades of planetary crisis. As climate adaptation professor Jesse Keenan says, “You’re on your own.”
The crisis is here, our society is still almost completely unready, and no one else will protect your future for you.
I have decades of experience writing and advising on climate foresight and strategy. My approach to building a personal climate strategy — to readying ourselves for a discontinuous future — centers on what I call personal ruggedization. I’ve researched and written extensively about this idea, have consulted with leading scientists and experts, and have had hundreds of conversations with people who are developing their plans to navigate through the climate crisis. I’ve learned some things.
A few times a year, I teach what I’ve learned in an intensive seminar, A Crash Course in Personal Ruggedization.1
The Crash Course delivers a set of comprehensive classes, includes readings and discussion sessions, and aims to give participants a strong foundation for making smart choices in discontinuous times. It’s been very well-received. It offers a lot of value, and is priced accordingly. (It will be offered again beginning October 17th.)
The Crash Course, though, is a serious commitment. A bunch of you have asked if I could offer an introductory class that delivers a quick overview of the most important considerations in personal climate strategies, but requires less of a commitment of time and money.
That’s what lead me to create a new one-session, two-hour class.
Ruggedize Your Life: the Basics walks you through the top-level concerns and strategies for choosing a solid place to build a new life, ready for hard futures.
I’ve done three Basics classes so far, and the response has been extraordinary.
Given how many more people have said they’re interested, I’m offering one more reduced-cost class, on Thursday, September 26th, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, Pacific time.
The class will be held on Zoom, with a recording sent out the week after for those who cannot attend live.
It quickly covers:
Making good long-term decisions for an unstable future. Planning for future with kids. Why every personal climate strategy will be unique — there’s no one formula for everyone.
How bad might the planetary crisis get? Why is location so critical to good outcomes in the coming decades? Why does timing matter so much?
Brief explanations of key concepts: Discontinuity. Brittleness. Relative safety. Ruggedization. Climate bottlenecks.
The three general criteria that best measure the strengths and weaknesses of places. An example of how to use these tools. An overview of U.S. regions’ pros and cons.
A few useful tips for pursuing personal ruggedization on a budget.
Afterwards, participants receive a follow-up email with the class recording.
Ruggedize Your Life: The Basics
Thursday, September 26th
11:00 am to 1:00 pm, Pacific Time
Class size is limited.
DEEPER DISCOUNTS
Knowing that some who would benefit from this class will find even this deeply reduced price a challenge right now, we’ve created a special code for an additional $50 off. Think of it as a sliding scale: if you need it, by all means use it. There are only 20 places at this rate, and it's first come, first served. Honor system.
To get your $50 discount, sign up, then enter the Coupon Code RYL50OFF at checkout, and then click “APPLY” to adjust the total.
Hope to see you there!
Alex
I’ll be offering my six-week crash course for the sixth time, beginning October 17th. More details soon.