Overview

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Sympathy for Miss Waters explores a relationship between two friends that has soured, mirroring the souring of the relationship between humans and the natural world. Because let’s be honest: most of us are out of touch with our ecosystems. Governments still prioritize and allow activities that push greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, and promote ways of living that are harmful to local environments and communities. Our relationships to our surroundings have become distorted. 

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The ways we can be out of touch with our environment filter into pretty much every area of life. In the play, this includes how land is valued. Despite the very real climate consequences for coastal properties, housing markets have yet to adjust their pricing. Waterfront properties in the U.S, for example, remain very coveted and expensive. Sympathy for Miss Waters highlights the absurdity of this, while also asking what it will take to heal our relationship with our environment and the oceanic world. 

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Opening the Discussion

Whether you are hosting a private or public event, consider allowing the audience a few moments to reflect on what they have heard and to quietly organize their thoughts before beginning a discussion. You may provide a general prompt (see examples below) that may support their thinking:

• What are three words to describe your impressions of the play? 
• What insights did it provide (in relation to climate change)? 
• What parts surprised you or moved you? 

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Consider spending a few minutes (3-5 mins) discussing some of the responses to these questions, before transitioning to the discussion prompts below. 

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Discussion Prompts

• Imagine you had to explain water to an alien species from a gaseous planet, how would you describe it? What is water? 
• What is your relationship to water? What is your community’s relationship to water? 
• Do you live near the coast? If so, in what ways do you think sea-level rise and climate change will transform your community in the next 20 years? 
• How differently does coastal sea-level rise affect low-income communities and wealthy communities? 
• What can we do to restore our relationships with local ecosystems?

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Resources

To learn more about this issue, check out these resources below:

• In Chile, some fishing communities created “marine refuge” areas to protect oceans and marine ecosystems from climate change and nearshore pollution. Read more here!
• Want to know more about the science behind sea-level rise? This Guardian article provides a great summary. 
• Learn more about how sea-level rise affects coastal communities by checking out Urban Ocean Lab.
• What major cities around the world are at risk of ‘sinking’ by 2100 due to sea-level rise? Find out here. 
• Climate Adaptation Platform features global case studies of how communities prepare and adapt for climate impacts, including sea-level rise. Here is a case study of coastal adaptation in South America. 
• This academic study explores the relationship between climate change and real estate prices.
• This Yale study demonstrates how U.S coastal property values remain unaffected by climate change. 

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Take Action

If you live on the coast, don’t wait for your local officials to adopt plans to address sea-level rise! Host discussions with your community using this toolkit.

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Don’t live on the coast? Help protect coastal communities by urging governments to plan for a just transition from the fossil fuel industry. 

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Want to do more? Consider donating to these climate organizations or supporting their campaigns. 

• Wilderness Committee
• Dogwood BC
• 350.org

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