Hope for Pandora (and Humanity)

I recently watched Avatar: The Way of The Water and left the theater deeply saddened. As I struggled to comprehend how I cared so intensely about CGI characters, I came across the term “post-‘Avatar’ depression.”

Some articles about the term highlighted those that felt grief that their lives were not anywhere near the idyllic aspects portrayed in Pandora, but I don’t think that interpretation does justice to what is really going on. Instead, I think what people are feeling is the realization that something is amiss in our modern world — something is deeply wrong. While materially, humanity has more than it ever has (life expectancy has tripled over the course of human history), I would argue spiritually we have less than we ever had. In our pursuit of wealth & longevity, we have cast members of our family to the side — the earth and all her other creatures.

I first became aware of this longing within myself when I read The Overstory by Richard Powers. The characters in the story were called to try to save the Redwood forests and commented on our times, saying it is like, “we’re cashing in a billion years of planetary savings bonds and blowing it on assorted bling.”

Watching the devastation caused on Pandora by the humans that had no thought of the life they were destroying struck that same chord. The scene where they are hunting the Tulkun, targeting a mother and her calf, plays out often in our world with whales. While I knew this was happening from watching documentaries such as Seaspiracy and Blackfish, seeing that play out on screen in such detail, albeit through fictional characters, was excruciating.

What was the hardest about the ending of this Avatar movie was it provided little hope — it was like David needing to face Goliath, but you have no sense of that stone that will defeat him. And I sense this is how many feel about the state of our world today — how can we have any hope? While I experience times when it feels insurmountable, I always return to the positive future I see in my mind. The thing is, we need to hold on to that vision while also accepting that we may not see its full manifestation across the globe in our lifetime. Yet, noticing the sparks within ourselves and others is enough to sustain hope. There will still be losses, but we can help to create the tide that will wash them away in the future by getting quiet and searching our hearts for how we are being called to help. Your role doesn’t have to be radical — you don’t need to (and can’t) change the world all on your own. For instance, your role could simply be cultivating a culture of respect for nature and others within your own family. Personally, I am being called to write this article. Recognize those people around you that are being called to do more, and support them. There are sparks all around us, here are just a handful of examples I have come across in my own life:

· Organizations such as Sea Shepherd, CityToSea, and the emergence of the hemp industry.

· Those teaching about the benefits of the Native American cultural reverence for nature.

· The discovery of negotiation, reciprocity & selflessness in forests, written about in a piece in the New York Times Magazine: The Social Life of Forests.

· The movement to use business as a force for good in the world, taking in all stakeholders’ needs — customers, workers, suppliers, communities, investors, and the environment — in decision-making.

· A billionaire freely giving away her wealth.

Young people are increasingly using their family wealth for sustainable investments (those that consider environmental, social, and governance factors in the investment process). This shows that the path to a better world does not need to attempt to legislate greed away but instead will simply involve people freely making better choices. BNY Mellon Wealth Management chief investment officer Leo Grohowski said of their recent survey of individuals with a family net worth over $30 million that “[w]e have seen many of our Next Gen wealth clients approach their investing strategy with a growth-oriented mindset and a profound sensitivity and passion for inclusion of sustainable investing.”

In the fictional world of Pandora, I see the hope for the future in the relationship of Spider, a human, with Kiri, Neteyam, Lo’ak & Tuktirey, who are Na’vi. I see that Colonel Miles Quarich — a character who embodies mindless war — isn’t completely lost when he chooses to save his son instead of fulfilling his mission. I see them getting tired of fighting when they realize all they are doing is causing each other to lose people and things they love in a hastened fashion. I see them realizing that riches do not bring happiness and that there must be something more, a better way to live. The voices of those speaking peace will eventually sound louder than those speaking war. Humans will realize if they are to move to Pandora sustainably, they cannot make the same mistakes they made on Earth. Leaders will be born that feel this deep in their souls, with the courage to challenge the status quo, and they will band together to pave a different way. Children will be taught how to respect nature from when they are young and that it is how we are meant to be, because to be any other way causes a deep sickness in the soul. As humans develop their home on Pandora, it will integrate technology while not harming Eywa. There will be tribes that live more with technology and tribes that live with it less. Tribes made up mostly of Na’vi, tribes made up mostly of humans, and tribes that are completely mixed. But despite their differences, there will be a deep respect amongst all to protect life and innocence so that everyone can enjoy the short time they have with those they love as much as possible.

I will hold on to this vision even if James Cameron doesn’t provide this by the fifth planned Avatar movie in 2028. I will also hold on to this vision for the future of our planet. Hope is alive and well.