Hunger Strike Day 13, retrospectives and reflections

PSDB Climate Justice Fast hunger striker Anna Keenan takes some time to reflect about where she has been for her last three birthdays, aspects of the UNFCCC process, COP 14 in Poznan, Poland, 350.org, the rise in civil disobedience and climate camps, the future of the movement and where it needs to go at COP 15 and beyond.

Note that climate Trolls Canada and Harper get special mention:

“I am myself and what is around me. If I do not save it, it shall not save me.” … Gassett

Keep informed on how the Fast and Fasters are doing by subscribing to the CJF youtube channel and the CJF Blog.

Hungry for Climate Justice

Our rolling solidarity Fast (series of short fasts passed from person to person) has picked the name “Hungry for Climate Justice“, here’s how it has been going:

Krishna Nov 16/17

Day 1 thoughts:

After one day without food, i don’t have any cravings but i do have a headache. Must remember to drink water, while we still have it plentiful and free.

I am wondering how much else the people fasting since Nov.6 have had to give up. For example, it takes a fair bit of calories to do my job, walking all day and fixing things. If i quit eating for even 3 days, i would likely become
unproductive and have to take time off. What about writing or going out for meetings or entertainment?

Perhaps this isnt helpful, but a question is bothering me: What if all the people concerned about human-made climate change decided to join the indefinite fast? Wonderful for solidarity. On the other hand, if none of the demands are met and all the hunger strikers die, what have we accomplished? I guess i am looking to identify the nature of the power in this action.

When Donna Dilman went on hunger strike against the uranium mining in Algonquin land (aka part of Ontario), it seemed to galvanize supporters of the cause to lobby the government all at once. Polls have shown that most people are in favour of action to slow climate change by the government and by other people, so maybe this is a way to get people to speak up now.

Day 2 thoughts:

Well the headache is gone so maybe that was due to withdrawal from caffeinated beverages. My stomach felt a bit bunched up today but the absence of food still isnt very sharp; my body is not telling me: eat, eat NOW.

It makes me realize that i could probably get by on a lot less food normally. I hear that dieting makes your metabolism more efficient so i think i’ll try it. Good for the budget, good for the planet.

I got a note from my dad that it was unseasonably hot in India, hotter than he recalls it ever being in his 74 years, and he now believes in global warming. Anecdotal of course, but another tiny coral on the reef of knowledge.

I havent made much progress on answering my big question, but i was inspired by the Gandhi quote on Mike’s page. The fast (even 48h) does have immediate benefits in terms of deepening commitment and understanding for myself as i try to explain what i’m doing to others. I was also inspired to start the recorded course on nonviolence at UCBerkeley.

I hope to have a better idea how to proceed when i’m done.

—-

“I guess i am looking to identify the nature of the power in this action.”

That issue is being at least partially addressed in a series of companion posts that look at the dynamics of political action, the first to be posted shortly.

Canberra Day 11

Peter Nov 14/15

In green terms I grew up taking skin diving lessons at the local pool and joining a local trail club. I watched a lot of nature TV as a kid. I have helped found the green party of Canada in the early 1980’s and still do volunteer in electoral politics. I have never owned a car and have bike or bus and I live 5 minutes walk to my workplace in the government where I use my mathematics education every day at work.

It has been interesting. I have a large amount of veggies in a Greek Leek stew ready for me at midnight and some ice cream. Probably a mistake to run out to the grocery store near the end. It seems the last three hours will be the hardest. Yes I know some are nine days into this now. I am impressed.

Peter has been blogging his Fast @ virtual-green-party-member-debate

Jess Nov 12/13

I would be lying if I said I didn’t think about food during my two day
fast. I thought about it. A lot. In my typically unproductive fashion,
rather than find things to keep my mind occupied, I spent the first day
listing all of the foods I would eat when the fast was over. It was a
long list.

But I wasn’t expecting to think about the water. In the publicity surrounding the Climate Justice Fast, there is extensive discussion about
the effects of climate change on global hunger, particularly in developing
countries. But over two days of consuming nothing but water, I became
increasingly aware of how easy it was to walk to my kitchen and fill my
glass with clean, safe water.

Only 2.5 percent of the water on our planet is drinkable water.
Two-thirds of the human body is composed of water. A person can survive
for quite a while without food, but can only live without water for about
a week.

Over one billion people do not have access to clean water.

Climate change is going to have a profound effect on our food, but it’s
going to have an even greater effect on our water, salt and freshwater
both. And while I am fortunate to have access to clean drinking water,
our planet’s water systems, too, are already being destabilized by climate
change. And that is going to mean even greater suffering for those people
who are already struggling to survive.

I was amazed at how hard it was to voluntarily go without food for two
days. I cannot imagine what it would feel like to have that be my daily
reality.

But even more, fasting made me think about the water.

see also Jess’s Blog The Thing About Climate Change

If you’d like to Fast in solidarity as part of a rolling Fast group just leave a comment on this post. You can also register a solidarity Fast of whatever length, you can do so at the CJF site.

Past CJF Posts

• Days of doubts and fears
• The Climate Justice Fast Six
• Climate Justice Fast, ripples and waves
• Climate Justice Fast – Change is now!
• Climate Justice Fast is to be … indefinite
• Climate Justice Fast begins Nov 6th, how will you be helping?

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“Since 1982, spring in East Asia (defined here as the eastern third of China and the Korean Peninsula) has been warming at a rate of one degree Fahrenheit per decade.” Earth Gauge

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