The five stages of grief eerily mirror the way our society has responded to the climate crises.

Denial - Anger - Bargaining - Depression - Acceptance

These images are an illustration of what that progression looks like for us in Miami, a city widely recognized as ground-zero for sea level rise.

We’re on track for 3°C of warming which will trigger a rise in sea levels that could take much of Miami with it by 2060. I’ll be 66 years old.

The time for bargaining has long passed and many activists are feeling the defeat of depression, but I think we can embrace acceptance. We can mourn the lost places, ecosystems, and biodiversity while fighting for all we can save. The odds are not in our favor but we urge world leaders to accept the challenge. Accept nature into the economic equation, accept indigenous wisdom into policy making. Accept that a safe planet is the ultimate bottom line.