When I’m not obsessing about environmental issues I work in the world of health and yoga, with a big focus on self-massage for connective tissue (a.k.a. fascia). Up until recently, when we did dissections in the medical community, fascia was something we cut up and threw away. We didn’t think it was important. But in 2015 Dr. David Carr Locke and Dr. Petras Benias realized that the connective tissue is actually far more complex and interesting than we’d ever realized, and in fact behaves as an organ in the body, which has since been renamed the “interstitium.” The connective tissue network has a number of really important roles:
It provides structural support and scaffolding for cells and the matrix that surrounds them
It allows the transportation of nutrients, oxygen and hormones and other essential molecules between blood vessels and cells.
It helps remove waste products produced by cells
It allows immune cells to travel to reach sites of infection or injury
It helps regulate fluid balance and pressure systems within the body (to prevent swelling and dehydration)
It allows for communication between cells by carrying “signal molecules” like neurotransmitters, growth factors and cytokines
It helps in temperature regulation
It provides mechanical support and protection against physical stresses
The interstitium was hiding in plain sight. We didn’t see it merely because our ways of looking at the body were much more oriented towards taking things apart and drilling down microscopically to ever-tinier phenomena than in understanding how the tissues work together. We were looking at the parts but missing the whole. It’s a classic case of not seeing the forest for the trees.
So what does this have to do with anything? I recently had a eureka moment when reading an article about “interstitium as metaphor” by Jennifer Brandel in Orion Magazine. In her article, “Invisible Landscapes” she argues that “the interstitium is a conceptual skeleton key, unlocking a more sophisticated, accurate way of seeing everything in the environment.”
In other words, we need to move from a world view that isolates, divides, and separates to a view of the world of systems, interdependence, relationships and ecology. Rather than staying within our silos of expertise or politics or economics, what if we could see the connections, the dependencies, the complexity of the natural and social systems we depend on for life? And how do we do this work in a system that often doesn’t recognize this perspective, or reward it. How do we make the invisible visible?
Within the world of environmental activism, and SCGC in particular, how can we do a better job of connecting people, building relationships, matching volunteers to work that resonates with their talents, sharing expertise between members, decreasing duplication, and increasing the flow of information from the community to the community? (We are chipping away at this, watch the newsletter for details).
One of the reasons I joined SCGC (when I don’t even live in Simcoe) is that I was looking for a community of environmentalists to join, and I couldn’t find one where I live. Clicktivism and social media weren’t cutting it for me, and honestly, I’m not sure they do much beyond preaching to the converted. Research indicates that the majority of people would like to do something about climate change and environmental degradation, but we feel that we’re isolated in this. We over-estimate how politicized and risky these conversations are and we stay silent.
What I was looking for was a safe space to have these discussions, to talk about environmental grief, frustration, and overwhelm and what could be done locally to help solve these problems. Social media doesn’t do this in my experience. Unfortunately, for the most part it functions like echo chambers for entrenched views that are impermeable to change or modification. In fact, I would argue that social media often just feeds isolation and eats up the time that we otherwise could be investing in real life friendships and collegiality. It’s useful for sharing information (although even that is debatable since anything that takes longer than a few seconds gets passed over) but it seldom brings us into genuine connectedness with anyone we’re not already close to (with some exceptions, like private member-based groups).
That is why I really believe in discussion groups, litter clean up days, potlucks, picnics and information sessions. They don’t necessarily have big impacts, but they have impacts in terms of the interstitium, the connective tissue, of the environmental movement. Planting a dozen trees won’t stop climate change, but it will allow me to meet people who are willing to help, to learn, to propose ideas, to educate, to be friends—and building relationships takes time. It’s an investment. It’s harder than hitting the “like” button on Insta, but also exponentially better for our mental health and productivity.
Jennifer Brandel sees a role for the “Interstitionary,” the person who forges connections between insights, information, people, resources, sectors and projects. She argues that this work is often invisible and unrecognized in our culture and our economy (just as the importance of our connective tissue has been overlooked for decades). But it’s crucial work if we are going to have any impact on the multiple crises we are facing. We all know people who are doing this work, but perhaps having a name for it will help us to value and promote it. It’s time to appreciate the power of relationships, and the people who work so hard to create them, even if that doesn’t look productive or important from the viewpoint of economics or status.
Weekly News Digest - “The Blowhole”
In case you haven’t had a chance to read up on the implications of the latest assault on environmental protection in Ontario The Narwhal has published a useful summary: https://thenarwhal.ca/ontario-get-it-done-act-explainer/
And this article on the state of wetlands in Canada by the David Suzuki Foundation was published yesterday.
A good news story (maybe not as current as it should be, but any good environmental news is worth sharing): As a music lover I am always impressed when successful artists take on important environmental issues. A few years back the South African artist known as “The Kiffness” spoke up against seismic blasting on Africa’s wild coast with a reimagined version of John Lennon’s Imagine. On Dec 28, 2021 the high court in Makhanda ordered Shell to cease and desist. When enough people speak up, and use whatever talents they’ve been given, great things can happen. (And frankly, I just can’t get enough of The Kiffness).
And did you know that Climate Fiction is “a thing” these days. Several specialty magazines have published special editions, including Anthropocene Magazine. They argue that the imaginative capabilities of literature are important as we try to chart our paths forward. Check out The Climate Parables: Reporting from the Future.
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Like what we talk about and want to engage with our coalition more? Check us out on social media or drop us a line if you’d like to volunteer: info@simcoecountygreenbelt.ca