Quick Note: Charting a course through discontinuity and crisis.
Quick Note: Charting a course through discontinuity and crisis.
Ruggedize Your Life: The Basics, back by popular demand, July 11th!
This is no longer the crisis most of us grew up trying to prevent.
It’s worse. The uncomfortable truth of our moment is that the planetary crisis is here, and much fiercer than we wanted, and our assumptions about climate politics, action and response must now all be re-thought.
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.
The crisis is here, our society is almost completely unready, and no one else will protect your future for you.
My approach to building a personal climate strategy centers on what I call personal ruggedization. I’ve written extensively about the idea, have consulted and coached on climate foresight and strategy, and (by this point) have had hundreds of conversations with people about their plans to navigate through the 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.
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 in late July.)
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 two Basics classes, and the response has been extraordinary.
Given how many people have said they’re interested, I’m offering one more class, on Thursday, July 11th, 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:
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.
Making good long-term decisions for an unstable future. Planning for future with kids. Why there’s no one formula for everyone.
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, July 11th
11:00 am to 1:00 pm, Pacific Time
Class size is limited.
The class will be held on Zoom, and be recorded, should you be unable for any reason to attend the class live.
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.
COUPON CODE: RYL50
To get your $50 discount, sign up, then enter the above Coupon Code at checkout, and then click “APPLY” to adjust the total.
This code expires after 20 people use it, or on July 9th — whichever comes first.
Hope to see you there!
Also, on a personal note, thank you all for the amazing interest you’ve shown in these classes, and for the great feedback afterwards. I suspected that many people want more tools for building their personal climate strategies, but I’ve been blown away by the enthusiasm and encouragement for these classes. It means a lot to me.