It’s been a funny couple of weeks for me and, sadly, somewhat absent from Moomins. I really really could have done with them to be honest.
Today’s blog is a bit of a deviation from the norm – but I felt I had to open up about this somewhere and, I promise, I will tie it into the Moomins for those of you only here for the Jansson content.
My week has had it’s real highs: I’ve been cycling to and from work on a beautiful bicycle my Dad got me (thank you Dad!) and swimming lots. I’ve enjoyed both – cycling makes me feel better about not using fossil fuels and swimming kind of just forces me to chill out and focus on moving my body in a nice wee half hour burst (I can’t promise my mind doesn’t wander, but I do get a nice dose of bliss every time I get a lane to myself).
Other than that – and work of course – I’ve spent a lot of time worrying about the planet. For a while I was very guilty of dodging as much news as I could about climate change because it gave me The Fear. I define The Fear as: heart beating too quickly, shaking hands, panic, tearfulness and not being able to sleep. I don’t even really watch apocalyptic films or TV shows (except, recently, “Years and Years” because Russell T. Davies is a genius).
Well, I decided I had to face everything on and get as informed as I can because it was still going to be scary if I didn’t do anything about it. I was already fairly green: I don’t drive, I use Bulb for my energy (they only use sustainable and renewal energy for all their electricity and gas), I recycle, I don’t buy plastic cups, bottles or those straws we’re all supposed to hate so vehemently (sidenote: climate change is not just straws people!).
I eat vegetarian a few evenings and lunches a week and every breakfast. I do fly fairly once or twice a year for holidays, work trips or visiting family – probably my main contributor – but I helped set up a Green Team at my job and have been looking into offsetting my flights through donations.
But recently, I’ve doubled down. I’ve become a paying member of Greenpeace and volunteer for them political lobbyists (basically a lot of writing letters and meeting MPs!). I’ve signed countless petitions against pollution, plastic, oil, fracking and shared them on social media with (begging) posts as much as I think my friends can bear.
I’ve calculated my carbon footprint and have made myself a wee chart of everything I need to work on to make sure I’m minimising it as much as physically possible.
I’ve spent my spare moments researching what I, as an individual, can do to cause systematic change and lean on governments and large organisations. I feel I have nearly no time and have dropped to do so much to do this but yet:
The Fear.
I’m not sleeping well guys.
And here, zooming in on a fabulous segway, is where the Moomins come in.
As you’ve gathered from the existence of this blog, I think no matter what quandary I’m struggling with the Moomins can normally enlighten me and point me in the right direction. When I couldn’t sleep at night, I wondered what the Moomins could teach me about climate change…
In 1939, Tove Jansson began work on the Moomin novels, beginning with “The Moomins and the Great Flood” and “Comet in Moominland” (published 1945-1946). Jansson later recreated this in 1947-1948 as her first comic strip, “Moomintroll and the End of the World”, as a present for a close friend.
‘Tove’s anxiety and grief are embedded in the first two books – she was depressed during the war.’
Boel Westin, Stockholm University (qtd. “Love, War and the Moomins“, Mark Bosworth, BBC News 2014)
As you may have guessed, both face worldwide disasters of apocalyptic consequences. Both have also been read as Jansson’s way of coping with World War II. As a bit of background: for three months from the 30th November 1939 until the 13th March 1940, the Winter War took place in Eastern Finland after the USSR invaded.
Tove Jansson was incredibly critical of war and especially Hitler and Stalin. She worked for some time as a satirical cartoonist “Garm”, where she famously depicted Hitler as a baby. This was during a time where Finland cooperated with Nazi Germany.
‘Her illustrations for the covers of the wartime Garm magazine were courageous for the time in which they appeared – she wasn’t to know how the world would turn out. Hitler and Stalin appear as preposterous little figures, self-important and comic. She was proud to lampoon them both.
Melanie McDonagh, “A Chance to See the Moomins’ Creator for the Genius She Really Was“, The Spectator 2017
This is important to know because in “Comet in Moominland”, the comet – from which the Moomins all hide away – has been seen as an allegory for living under the threat of nuclear weapons. The Moomins abandoning their home mirrored people leaving their homes for fear of those bombs.
Whilst the Moomins are fantastical and unique little creatures, it’s important to remember how closely they mirrored Jansson’s own life and experiences. As her own niece Sophie said:
‘…if you read the Moomin books there are many things that are, to me, completely normal and to other people are completely fantastical. But in Finland that’s what you do when you are on the islands. That’s what they did and it’s what we’ve always done.’
Sophia Jansson
Tove Jansson took that age-old advice to write what you know, and out of it turned the terror of World War II into a reflection on the apocalyptic fear we still feel. What I am now calling: The Fear. The thing keeping me up at night.
The conclusion of “Comet in Moominland” is that the characters all hide in the cave from the comet, waking in the morning to discover they’ve been lucky enough for the comet to have missed earth.
I can only wish the same for us – but, honestly, I don’t know. In the mean-time. To stave off The Fear, here’s some small things for you to try:
- Look into renewable energy for your home (it’s often cheaper too!)
- Cycle, walk or take the bus to work.
- Wash your clothes in colder water and only use a tumble dryer when you have to.
- Try eating more meat-free meals (inspiration awaits…)
- Learn more about upcycling and remaking (link for my Edinburgh pals!)
- Whilst we’re on that note… recycle! Especially your food waste.
- Look into local groups: Greenpeace or Extinction Rebellion are a great place to start if you’re looking to get involved in non-violent protesting.
- Ask your MP to support the campaign for Plastic Free Rivers!
- If you fly – offset your flights by donating to carbon neutral projects.
- TELL YOUR STORY!
Tell your story through art, music, song, dance, a chat around the water cooler or a blog about the Moomins. Simply talking to other people about climate change and what you’re doing helps encourage other people to get involved and do what they can to stop it (if you want some inspiring stories about the big and small acts we can all do – check out “CliMates” podcast).
Patrons at a US cafe who were told that 30% of Americans had started eating less meat were twice as likely to order a meatless lunch.
An online survey showed that of the respondents who know someone who had given up flying because of climate change, half of them said they flew less as a result.
Community organisers trying to get people to install solar panels were 62% more successful in their efforts if they had panels in their house too.
“Ten Simple Ways to Act on Climate Change“, Diego Arguedas Ortiz (BBC)
So there’s your homework! Go forth and do what you can to save the world. Until then, sending you all the love and rage I can muster.
Moomin Writer 