Stick to your knitting, a gentle and crafty way to change the world

It’s not obvious that someone knitting in front of their television could be trying to save the world. But they could be. “Craftivism” – the use of craft for activism – is experiencing a surge. Craftivist Sarah Corbett has recently published a book on the topic, How to be a Craftivist, which will sit in the craftivist library alongside other recent titles such as Protest Knits, Really Cross Stitch, and Crafting the Resistance. Sure, craft is quiet, and repetitive, and it’s often done inside and alone, but it’s proving to be an effective means of campaigning for change.

Knitting nannas celebrate 100 consecutive weeks
of protesting against CSG mining in NSW.

Craftivism has already played a memorable role in protesting US President Trump at Women’s Marches around the world. In reference to the uncouth comment Trump made about “grabbing” women “by the pussy”, protesters handmade and wore “pussy hats” (pink and shaped like cat’s ears). They made a strong visual statement – a sea of pink-clad crowns – to show Trump the collective force of those women he degraded.

Read the comment by Erin Stewart in The Age - “Stick to your knitting, a gentle and crafty way to change the world.”

Geo-engineering ideas to mitigate climate change

Geo-engineering ideas have been, and are proposed as workable solutions to climate change.

An image prortrayig
one of the
 geo-enginneering
ideas.

Advocates of these ideas are not eager to see any of them implemented, but see one of them at least of them as inevitable as the world’s atmosphere continues to be polluted by carbon dioxide.

For many years, most have argued, and agreed, that human habitation was sustainable provided the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere remained at our below 350 parts per million.

A symbolic moment occurred in past week when 400ppm level was passed as the human onslaught continued, unabated.

Various geo-engineering ideas where explored in a recent ABC story – "Five Ways to Save the World".

What is intended is understood, but it is important we understand that the discussion should not be about “saving the world” as irrespective of how we behave, the world itself will be okay, but the species on it are what  need saving.

The discussion is really not about saving the world, rather saving and protecting the conditions that all species or all varieties to survive and prosper.