I try to appreciate what remains but it is hard and sad sometimes. I'd had plants that attracted pollinators and there had been so many different types, and there had been frogs. Then the EPA got taken over by anti-environment forces and legalized poisons that the farmers sprayed by plane and then the only insect that remained was some wasps, so I appreciated them. I tried to console myself on the loss of all the frogs by appreciating the lack of mosquitoes. But, I think now having sold my place will be better because I won't have to constantly be reminded of all the species that were killed off. Here in Chicago I visited the Shedd Aquarium and got to see some living frogs, it felt good.
As far as the political side, I find it very frightening to hear people who won't discuss positions on issues talk hatefully about others, and it feels hopeless because of all the gerrymandering and the purposeful hate mongering, and the encouragement by politicians of name-calling and just generally uncivilized behavior. So I cope sort-of by having set up recurring donations to support institutions I believe in, but otherwise by reminding myself that I am just a tiny powerless person and keep telling myself that even citizens in Russia and China live their lives (but apparently not so well in North Korea). I do try to attend a demonstration occasionally too.
Oh and I made some organizations beneficiaries on my retirement money, so if I don't spend all my money before I die then I'll be continuing the good fight after I'm gone.
