Whoops - There's a Bat in The Room!
A call to climate action
I can’t tell you the distressing feeling of waking up to wings fluttering above your head. The first night I realized there was a bat in my room, I panicked. Knowing I had to get out without interfering with this wild animal, I jumped to the floor, comforter over my head, and crawled to the door for an escape.
Nature interrupting sleep in the Massachusetts countryside isn’t new. Foxes howling at night, mosquitos teasing you invisibly, or happy frogs who sing through the night (who can blame them?) are to be expected. However, this was next level. Yes, I was scared.
“Honey, there’s something in my room!” I whispered to my husband who was asleep in the next room. “No there isn’t,” he responded sleepily, just come to bed with me. “No, I’m serious, you have to come check it,” I responded, “I’m pretty sure it’s a bat!”
The second time it happened my ears were trained and I was on the floor in seconds. But I didn’t have the energy to deal with it right then so I just closed the door and crawled into bed with my husband.* But there was a bat in the house and when we saw it flying across the dining room the following night, the entire family got into action. It wasn’t easy, but we were determined to aid its escape before closing our eyes for the night.**
After about two hours of searching (how do they hide so well?) and opening every escape route we could think of, we were finally able to help it outside. The bat was happy, so were we, and we all went to bed soundly.
But something had changed - I was now aware of the possibilities of bats - and the next day as I stood outside at dusk and looked at them flying across the yard, something hit me. Seeing them from a safe distance like this, I wasn’t bothered at all, I even liked them. Bats are cool, I’ve always thought so! However, when you wake up in the middle of the night and realize they’re in the room with you, things get uncomfortable very fast.
*For anyone who finds this weird, we’re currently staying with my mother-in-law while in transition to our next home, and with smaller beds than we’re used to, we stay in different rooms - because we can!
**Bats are wild creatures that may bite, and some have rabies. It’s not advised to sleep with one inside.
Climate Change
Naturally, as I stand there, my thoughts go to climate change, because I couldn’t help but see the resemblance. For most of us, climate change is like bats flying in the sky at dusk. We can see they’re there but it doesn’t bring us discomfort enough to get to action. We understand they can get into the house (they can crawl through holes the size of a half-dollar coin) and that if they did, it would be a problem. However, the odds of you searching the house of these potentially existing holes are very small and not something you’ll prioritize if you don’t have to.
You also probably won’t go to bed thinking “Let’s be ready to open the windows tonight, just in case a bat has gotten in.” Unless - that is - it’s already happened before, and the chance of you being on alert is significantly higher!
My point is that unless climate change has directly affected you and your family (from a wildfire, flooding, ruined crops, or other scary and life-altering events) the chances of you recognizing the seriousness of the matter are low.
All of this is normal!
You don’t attend to threats that could potentially, possibly be in the future when you most definitely have other things to worry about right now. That is just how our brains our wired and how we have survived the world for so long. However, with climate change, we can’t afford to wait until things get dire. For us to have an actual chance of a livable future, we need to take action now.
We have to learn how to notice the bat in the room, even before it’s there.
SO HOW DO WE DO THIS?!
I’m so glad you asked! I happen to be running the most exciting collaboration this summer together with The Week, a program for activating climate awareness and positive change in the community around you. This is your chance to put yourself in the seat as a true climate leader and foster a community that may live on for years to come!
You can learn all about the program here or if you’re already ready to sign up - click this link
Important to know:
It’s free from start to end
All material is provided to you, all you have to do is gather a group and a place to meet.
You choose what week(s) this summer you’d like to do it and if you want to, we climate leaders will meet in August and discuss how it went!
Let’s recognize the seriousness of our times and how important it is that we get excited, ready, and curious to embrace positive change. I know you already know it, this is your chance to get friends, family, and colleagues on board!
Tune in…
… to my podcast interview with Alexis Normand, the CEO of Greenly, to learn my approach to optimism and why I find it so important for schools, organizations, and society in our work to reverse global warming and co-create a better, healthier and sustainable world.
