While I understand the desparation that led to this, I cannot forgive the selfishness - so unlike him - in this - his final act.
So he, who knows so much and has so much history and knowledge, is so dedicated and has a network, and contacts and expertise ... can give himself up to such despair and leave the rest of us to continue without his help.
One less good guy. One less vote. One more example of giving up - not persevering - which is the only way we will win.
Trump and Pruitt won this one - exactly what they want.
56
Selfish? Are you kidding? He obviously was *trying* to do good through his death too. You might disagree with his strategy, but this is a man who gave most of his working (and dying) adult life to helping others. I fear that many have a presumption that the calculus must intrinsically work in favor of life: there are unquestionably situations, and one can arguably include certain environmental scenarios, where serious sacrifices are in order. He has certainly made an impact through this death too, and he had been suffering more than many of us who read our entitlements from the status quo. Let’s not heap insults on someone who was more committed to others than many of us.
13
This wasn’t a glorious death. Fanaticism is fanaticism after all. It was an entirely selfish act - just think how it affected the members of the public who found his remains and the emergency responders who had to deal with the scene. Please: celebrate the life by all means, but not the nihilism that underscored the death.
18
His suicide wasn't nihilism. Nihilists believe the game is over. Buckel, contrariwise, believed his self-immolation was the single most effective way to galvanize people into taking the threat of environmental collapse more seriously and do something about it.
10
If you think this was the most effective way to galvanise people around a cause, you can’t actually be reading all those comments you’re replying to here. It may galvanise a handful of fanatics (both for and against his causes) but it will otherwise have no effect on his causes one way or another. It will, however, have had a seriously destructive effect on the people who found his burned corpse that morning.
5
This is devastating and incredibly sad. As a therapist, I believe this has less to do with composting and more to do with Buckel’s peace of mind. Hopefully he will Rest In Peace, and his family will find some comfort.
24
If he were heterosexual this would have been printed only as freak news in a tabloid. The NYT has an agenda that will turn an act of insanity into a great deed worthy of acclaim. Social engineering is now normalizing insanity.
11
You're way off on this one. Not a single detail in the article points to insanity: not in the way Buckel lawyered, not in the way he ran his facility, not in the way he perpared for his assistant to run it after his death. This line from the article explains the attention devoted to the suicide of this highly idealistic, despairing man: "perhaps the first one [self-immolation] anywhere in the name of climate change." That's a pretty big and very newsworthy deal!
18
I see his sexuality as wholly irrelevant to the larger issues.
19
This unfortunate event has precious little to do with climate change and everything to do with mental health. Condolences to loved ones.
115
Setting yourself on fire over something that doesn't exist.
It doesn't get any crazier than that.
10
You may want to look into the scientific findings published by NASA and NOAA scientists on climate change and its causes. The United States Navy is very concerned about sea level rise and how it will affect their ability to defend this country in the future. The great majority of scientists agree that the main driver of the climate change we are seeing now is caused by the burning of fossil fuel. 194 of the 196 countries on this earth have signed on to the Paris climate accord. The information is out there for anybody who wants to know the truth.
If you know better then NASA, NOAA, and the great majority of scientists in the world then please, do us all a favor and post your proof here in the comments section. Sooner is better.
58
Climate denial is very crazy. Increasingly we are besieged by climate events that destroying the planet. This administration has no investment in protecting our air, water and land. They see only opportunities to use any opportunity to take our resources and enrich themselves.
9
@Meritocracy: whether someone believes in climate change or NOT....this is about the horrific suicide in a very public and violent manner, by a man who was clearly severely depressed. To take this as legitimate "protest" really undermines the causes you speak about.
1
This man was obviously mentally ill. Whatever good he may have done in his lifetime has been overshadowed by this horrific, selfish act. He wasted everything. He must have had big demons. So sad.
7
No mentally healthy person sets himself on fire to make point of climate change. In fact, no sane person sets himself on fire at all!
He may have had wonderful passions about the environment, but taking them to this degree is clearly a mental health issues. I'm terribly sorry for those he left behind - suicide is horrible for families, and it's forever - but this was a troubled man and giving him coverage in the NYTimes does not somehow make what he did "noble" or "honorable". It was a suicide done in a particularly gruesome manner. When the media publicizes this, along with his strong feelings about the environment, it turns the act into something else that is seen by some as a "positive action". At that point, it encourages those tittering on the brink, to take that last step. We don't need more self-immolation. And another family does not need to endure this.
115
This boddhisatva's self-immolation has NOTHING to do with his mental health! This type of protest is practiced often by monks in response to China's treatment of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetans. This man's suicide was highly symbolic, meaningful and compassionate.
The "mental health" issue here is Trump and Pruitt, whose greedy, vicious behavior is causing irreparable damage to our democracy and environment.
Mr. Buckel clearly practiced the Buddhist concept of Right Mind, Right Speech and Right Action.
29
Is it not enough for us to contemplate the pain he experienced burning to death, the searing flames frying the muscle tissue under the thin layer of fat, and the skin, the nerves, just all at once crackling while he writhed until knocked out by lack of oxygen?
This is the pain he suffered in silence alive. This is the anguish that caused him unbearable existence. This excruciating death was only made possible by what he felt every day, and it was one day when he felt like he could take it no more.
Say what you want about this man's mental state, what you will about his sense of judgement, he knew what he was doing. He had the courage of his convictions none of us can ever hope to approximate, and it must be that he knew his loved ones would understand in direct proportion to the terrifying sadness they would feel.
You may think he is selfish, I think he died for our sins.
105
I agree. Particularly with your third and fourth paragraphs.
7
" He had the courage of his convictions none of us can ever hope to approximate."
If setting oneself on fire, and burning oneself to death is sign of "courage of convictions none of use can ever hope to approximate", as you seem to believe, for reasons best known to you, then I hope that"none of us can ever hope to approximate the courage of his convictions. "
12
You may think he is selfish, I think he died for our sins.
---
A neighbor did the same thing. Carrie was severely depressed. Res ispa.
5
What drove him to kill himself? ...he was mentality ill. ...obviously.
27
Thank you for your considered opinion, Dr Armchair Psychiatrist.
7
He burned fossil fuels to protest their overuse—it just doesn’t make sense. Obviously he was ill. I pass that spot every day and each time I think about how futile and stupid this stranger’s final gesture was.
18
Nice contribution to global warming!
4
He was obviously a mentally ill and deranged leftist. There bare many of them out there. It does no service to people like this to Monday morning quarterback in an effort to rationalize what is clearly irrational behavior. He is dead. Time to move on. No deeper meaning. Sorry.
10
Were the Vietnamese monks who self-immolated to protest Diem mantally deranged? Every detail about this guy's professional life as described in the article belies your insulting description. He was smart, he was idealistic, and he was meticulous about making a difference in this world. He doubtless believed giving his life in this manner would do more to combat climate change than continuing to run a highly successful composting facility.
29
Empathy deficit. Read: https://nyti.ms/2H3auIE
19
Did, did he buy carbon offset credits for the gasoline he used, because if not I find this very problematic.
4
If he wanted to make his suicide a protest that might change policy or at least help to create a more effective national debate, why didn't he do it in Washington DC on predawn National Mall or outside EPA? How many people beyond NYC or readers of the NYT have heard of his suicide, let alone his concerns?
16
It sounds like he was incredibly organized and devoted to logistics and thoughtful action. I wonder if the black plastic bag was for his own remains.
10
Although I do not know them, my heart goes out to Mr. Buckel’s family, and his friends. They must be experiencing tremendous pain at the loss of this lovely man, who gave so much to so many, and who himself was in such terrible pain.
36
I am disappointed with professionals who begin their comments by saying "As a doctor..."
As a doctor or therapist, you should know that you can't know anything without examining the patient who, in this case, is deceased. And so to render any kind of professional professional opinion is ridiculous. And to imply that a medical degree makes one smarter than anyone else is, at best, egotistical, particularly when opining on a person whom one hasn't examined or even met.
27
Around this age, it is possible to experience a diminishment in inhibition. Good for some bad for others.
1
Plenty of comments here about his death but what is more relevant is the way he had conducted his life. He seems to have been a man who had the courage to live by his convictions.
How many of us can lay claim to have made the slightest effort to live by what we believe in?
A true hero in how he lived ! More newsworthy than Presidents, Dictators, Politicians, Royalty, Sports and Movie stars put together!
NYT, perhaps you should dedicate more coverage to such unsung heroes?
64
So sad for this terrible loss. I hope those who loved Mr. Buckel will continue to find inspiration from his work and caring.
31
I am grateful to Annie Correal for her sensitive reporting on the life and death of David Buckel. It seems irrelevant for me to comment on why he took his life. What does seem relevant for me is that through this portrait, David emerges as beautiful, quirky and - most important - a human being who allowed himself to feel deeply about the complexities of our world. On that count, I consider him my brother. My own reflection will continue to focus on how to allow myself to feel deeply about the world I intimately share with others and to courageously offer my expressions of love and compassion.
Thank you again to the reporter for allowing David to be a mystery, as ultimately we all are.
55
Mr. Buckel may have been motivated by the newly released film, “First Reformed,” in which an environmentalist kills himself over ongoing planetary destruction. Yes, governments and corporations and the people who run them kill many people literally and figuratively.
R.I.P. David Buckel.
11
The news of Mr. Buckel death is intriguing. Without labeling someone who committed suicide as insane, there are other perspectives to understand such action.
Most religions condemn suicide as a sin, based on their belief in Creation. Their reasoning: to destroy one's life created by God, a one-time existence, is an unforgivable act, the direct road to hell. There are other believers who interpret a willful act of suicide in the name of holy war as an heroic act, a path to paradise and God's rewards in afterlife. They terrorize citizens and create misery. Then there are infamous suicidal cults throughout history, several were found in USA.
Buddhism also holds a negative view of suicide because it leads to more suffering, though not a sin. As non-believers, Buddhists understand suicidal tendency as one type of craving that leads to suffering. Craving is a product of a delusional mind. (Pali word for craving is taṇhā.) Craving has three types: craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, and craving for non-existence. The second type is associated with the belief in eternal life. The third type is associated with nihilism, holding negative view of the world, found in a smaller number of people. This might explain why some people kill themselves. Food for thought.
8
I think this story has resonated with NY Times readers because we are so overloaded with news that leaves us despairing. So many people I know – against their usual inclinations – are starting to limit their news consumption to avoid some of the Trump toxicity that envelopes us. I saw David Buckel’s suicide as a cautionary tale.
I’m working on either looking for “happy news” or extracting the positive out of any story. From today’s paper: British austerity, the murky politics of Malaysia, Saudi Arabia cracking down on feminists, the Supreme Court decision on the Arkansas abortion law, and any story featuring Trump or his administration or associates, keep us informed but are all so disheartening.
But there is hope: The Stacey Abrams article, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s after-school outreach, Starbucks’ racial bias training. Even the sad story of opioid addiction in Tennessee took a quick sojourn to neighboring Kentucky where ACA enabled Medicaid expansion made substance-abuse treatment services available, and stand in contrast to Tennessee. In search of “happy news” and in hopes of building a repertoire of what Democrats stand for (and not the pundit lament that we’re just anti-Trump) I would love to read an article about Kentucky’s efforts on a range of health issues.
27
I have totally stopped watching news on tv. (Not a good idea I know). But it is the only way to survive this madman of a president.
17
It seems a tautology to say, "He had to be mentally ill to do this therefore he's mentally ill and that explains everything."
Mental illness tends to manifest in all aspects of a person's life and it tends to be somewhat disruptive to extremely disruptive. It's difficult to hide form ones' loved ones. From what I've read, this man led a stable, successful, structured life and no one seemed to believe he was ill. To label it simply as mental illness seems overly simplistic. I do believe he felt deep despair and hopelessness, but those things are not--in themselves--mental illness.
I believe he made a clear choice to do this. It seemed rational to him even though it does not seem rational to the vast majority of us. But that doesn't make him mentally ill.
35
If killing another isn't always murder (for instance when a soldier kills an enemy, or capital punishment, or manslaughter), then why should killing oneself always be considered suicide? This man expressed care, devotion, compassion and bravery not just in his life, but in his death. Whether his final act was right or wrong, neurotic or sane, he did not commit suicide.
9
To those who say it didn't matter in these comments, I say, if not, why did you comment?
[Ask not] for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.
13
Psychotic break or over-involvement with religion (am I being redundant here?). In any event, sad and startling that an impressive guy could do that.
2
Or simple deep deep despair.
15
I have to agree with the views of some in this forum that Mr. Buckel’s death served no greater purpose if in fact that was his intent. And of course none of us will ever really know. We may all sometimes feel as if we are shouting into the wind but there is better chance that we will be heard alive than in death.
10
So sad to hear of this loss. Mr. Buckel was exactly the kind of passionate progressive we need. His loss is profound.
29
Yes.
5
Let's be decent and not judge this man's rationale or sanity but honor his commitment to saving the planet.
I am in tears because he embodies all that is true, good, and courageous about being a martyr.
45
Fatalistic beliefs along with an abundance of fatalistic propaganda will surely lead to despair and hopelessness. He was obviously persuaded by a negative outlook and not the positive. I miss " yes we can." Who knew the world was coming to a bitter end because of one man called Trump? Well, it's not for everyone.
8
His cause didn't improve because he set himself on fire he probably was probably going kill himself anyway.He just used the environment as a rightous cause to end his life
17
I don't think you appreciate the depth of anguish many of us feel about the global environmental evil being perpetrated by fossil-fuel srTRUMPet, Scott Pruitt. The situation couldn't be more desperate, and time is running out to avert the collapse of civilization as we know it. It happened to ancient Maya and the inhabitants of Easter Island, and there's no reason whatsoever to believe it can't happen to us.
38
Simply heart-breaking. There are no words. RIP Mr. Buckel, yours is a true loss.
21
How sad that this man, who exemplifies many who have concern for the health of our planet, felt he had to take such a drastic step. I am afraid that his sacrifice will have little effect as the barrage of headlines that surround the chaos of our government leave no space for more issues. This administration has torn up the smooth road of governing to the point that we don't know hour to hour where our country's policies are leading us. I just hope that at some point those who eat up the media oxygen understand that all the money or power in the world will make no difference at all when our planet is dead. RIP Mr. Buckel. I hope those who volunteered by your side are not silenced, and don't have to choose to take such drastic steps to sound the alarm.
24
I guess the consensus here is that the act of giving your life for your country is also a violent act driven by mental health issues...
17
This might sound cruel, but I don't care why this guy set himself on fire and nothing in this story makes me care. On some level, I'm guessing, he had narcissistic tendencies that caused him to believe that if he set himself ablaze, regardless of where he did it, he would change the world. The monks in Vietnam, at least, made sure there were plenty of witnesses. Unfortunately, even they couldn't change the world.
12
Many American think the Vietnamese monks who set themselves afire were protesting the war, but they weren't. They were protesting what they regarded as the South Vietnam's government's favorable treatment of Catholics.
3
Holding his family and friends in the light. Love, community and compost. ((( )))
10
A hero to all. Pruitt and Trump has caused so much hopelessness but I urge you all to not give up. In honor of David and others who cared so much we should change our bad habits and compost, use less plastic and grow a garden.
I will remember David as we all fight the good fight on cleaning our earth up. The next generation is furious with the way things have been done. We have the technology to change. Now we have to put things into action without the clueless leaders.
16
I was hopeful that the NYT would not allow comments. The prior one had so many that were unkind. At least most of these comments are gentler but I don't think it necessary or appropriate.I offer my condolences to his family and friends.
27
A sane American fights for what they believe. The key word in that is "fights". We didn't get the jack boot of the English off our necks by committing suicide. We didn't keep this nation together and abolish slavery by immolating ourselves. We didn't win the second world war by rolling over. We didn't get a forty hour work week, sick leave, decent pay, Saturdays, schools or any other good thing in this nation by acts of suicide. We got it by fighting and by being willing to fight more.
9
Dude, this was the best way he could think of to carry on this fight. Think of suicidal actions like those who chose to remain in the Alamo when all hope of escaping alive was gone.
8
I don't know why people waste their lives like this. The reality is, we'd already forgotten about him. And we will again. He gave up years of his life and died an absolutely horrid death for absolutely nothing.
14
I for one will never forget this man or stop fighting for the cause to which he gave his life!
16
I will never forget him.
16
The reason is clear: The situation here (on Earth) is much worse than most people realize. Much, much worse. All he's trying to do is wake people up. Currently we lose about 200 species from Earth each day. The jig is up, this is all coming to an end soon.
25
My my, so human beings affect the Earth. Guess we should all refuse to reproduce and kill ourselves, so the Earth can be devoid of human life. Good grief.
6
How very sad, he could have helped in the fight against tRump and Pruitt. I understand the deep beliefs of any religion but my strong feeling is that God (or what ever life force you believe in) put us here to do his work, not leave the world by our own hand. It just seems such a waste that some one so talented and obviously geared to help save the earth would leave this world like he did. My heart goes out to his family, I am sure they are suffering and trying desperately to understand his actions.
8
Please don't glorify this act as some noble sacrifice. An intelligent, meaningful voice is gone by choice; no longer part of the conversation; unable to act in a positive productive way for his cause. There is no glory, no victory in giving up on a life that was by no means finished. Suffering perhaps but not naturally ending as far as we know.
Romanticize this act and risk others doing the same to no meaningful end.
28
This article didn't romaniticize what Buckel did. It simply reported the facts. He would doubtless argue that we as a species are commtting suicide by stubbornly persisting in an utterly unsustainable way of life.
16
And yet the majority of posts here, including from medical professionals (!!!), do indeed romanticize this horrifying act of violence as "glorious sacrifice for a liberal cause" or "getting even with Trump" (who doesn't care whatsoever!).
3
It doesn't pay to be a sensitive, caring person in this world. As an environmentalist myself, I know how easily it can be to succumb to dark and depressing thoughts. Our planet and its creatures are in a worse state now than they have ever been. We have a president in the White House who is doing his level best to make the situation worse, at a time when we critically need positive action. These are dark days indeed. But at the same time I have a very strong feeling that more and more people are becoming aware of these issues and are making an effort to change their behaviours and turn the tide. Perhaps this is just a perception created in the echo chamber of social media but there are signs that our army is growing in size and enthusiasm every day. I choose to remain positive and optimistic. The opposite is just too fearful to contemplate.
38
"Our planet and its creatures are in a worse state now than they have ever been. These are dark days indeed."
Not for everyone and everything. It is this fatalistic attitude along with the abundance of fatalistic propaganda that breeds despair and hopelessness. Try the power of positive thinking and positive promotion. Give people hope. Because, obviously, we see what too much negative can do to a person.
4
"Try the power of positive thinking and positive promotion." So, thoughts and prayers? I prefer to reject, reduce, recycle.
Worse than when the asteroid landed off the coast of Mexico? I am those dinosaurs would trade that day for today. Do not use the word ever when it is obviously not true.
This is both immensely sad and breathtakingly beautiful. David Buckel's life was certainly lived fully and with meaning. More than most. If we could all "behave" our convictions the way he did, the world would be better and kinder.
21
How can anyone parse the decision any person makes to terminate his or her life? How can anyone even state that it was a decision rather than a spur-of-the-moment impulse? The speculations and grief that swirl around the aftermath of a suicide are all one-sided and all among the living; the one individual who could clarify the act for us is no longer with us to do so. Peace to David Buckel's ashes. "Quiet consummation have, and renowned be thy grave."
8
I did not know David Buckel but I do know people who knew him and all are unanimous in their praise of his character and accomplishments. These are people whose opinions I have the highest respect for. While Mr. Buckel's life was an example to others, I most sincerely hope his death will not be. We have enough martyrs. Progress in not made by dying for a cause but by living and working for it. I am old enough to remember those monks who immolated themselves in Saigon back in the '60s. They did not stop the war. They didn't even cause a brief respite and where today are their names remembered? There is an old adage to the effect that "a live dog is more use than a dead lion." Mr. Buckel left just when he was most needed and therein is the tragedy.
54
A very, very tough on David way to make a point that nobody is listening to. Will this change the fact that millions of Americans, alone in their vehicle, will drive a Chevy Yukon or Toyota Tundra to work every morning? Will this stop anyone from heating their home this winter? Will this stop the millions in Chennai, India from cooking food over wood fires? Honestly, David must have had another, more pressing reason. Because, nobody is going to change the fact that we are running toward the precipice of a limited resource: Fossil Fuel. Only when it is gone, and, the consequences begin, will people lament using it up so fast.
15
Condolences to all who knew and loved David Buckel.
His honoring of all he believed in and cherished is a lesson for the rest of us. Now is the challenge as we find ourselves in a world such as ours, without his presence, leadership and example as guide through a murky future. I did not know him personally, but his life, work and actions touch me deeply. I wish I had known him as a friend. Hopefully, the example of his actions in life will continue to inspire many.
15
"The earth around Mr. Buckel was burned in a nearly perfect circle." Remove 'circle'. Add 'sphere'. It's possible Mr. Buckel could see what is already going to happen to humanity, and to every other living thing we share this planet with, and it broke his soul. If you love Nature, you can't live with being human, right now. At least with nuclear Armageddon, there was the vainglorious quest of humanity leading swiftly to a black hole. Now, every lover of Nature is being forced to watch each and every living thing on the planet get slowly strangled to death. Coral researchers with decades of experience report hovering over their neo-killing fields, just bawling into their masks. Eventually, that kill will include much of humanity itself, with just enough left over to witness it. Someone must be left to whimper. So said the man.
21
The press needs to be very careful in how they portray this man's suicide. There is a kind of mental illness that hides willful destructiveness behind a noble cause. Christian saints and Jains have starved themselves to death in the name of holiness. Simone Weil did the same thing as a sign of solidarity with the impoverished working class. The reality is that these people weren't martyrs. They were anorexics, victims of a terrible disease. There is nothing noble or progressive about burning yourself to death. Buckel was a sick man determined to kill himself, and he used global warming as an excuse to do so. His violent and selfish act broke the hearts of those who loved him, and it dishonored his cause.
31
He gave his life for a cause he believed in. In my worldview, it was his right, his alone to decide.
29
Ironic to write this so soon after Memorial Day. Not all such sacrifices are mental illness.
11
Kaleberg, I must comment on your angry statement that his was a selfish act. Unless you have been there, no one can conceive the pain and anguish of a person who jumps off the precipice. Mr. Buckel sounds as if he was depressed and when depressed all one can see is a future filled with that pain and will see suicide as the only solution. To continue to live with that pain is unbearable. I know, I have been there. Mr. Buckel deserves our empathy that he suffered so.
6
The ferocity, idiocy, and wrong-headedness of the current federal government - Congress and the Administration - can easily lead one to despair.
In every realm of human endeavor, Trump and Congress are actively working to turn back progress and overturn humane and civilized policies.
Wherever one looks - environment, education, voting rights, immigration, foreign relationships, labor rights, healthcare, retirement security, energy, science - in seemingly every realm we are moving towards irrationality, cruelty, and stupidity.
As for the environment, where we have a ticking time bomb, it is particularly distressing to see the dedication to destruction that Pruitt and Congress are carrying out.
With the appointment of right wing judges to lifetime seats on the federal bench, these policies are likely to be with us for decades or longer.
So it is understandable if some of us feel despair, anger, fear, and depression at what we see in the present, and what we forsee in the future.
Saying that Mr. Buckel could have “reached out” to others - what could these others have said to have made a difference? The fact is that we are on a course to destruction in so many areas, and this course seems unalterable.
No, I am not planning to do as Mr. Buckel did. But my despAir, dread, and depression may be equally deep.
37
Reading this I wondered what could bring a person to such an end. Then I thought about the man so deep in his xenophobia that he shot and killed two Indian-Americans in a bar just because he thought they were Muslims. And the white supremacist who murdered Heather Heyer by vehicle in Charlottesville. Both, and others, spending their lives in prison because of their hate. Mr. Buckel didn't seem to hate anyone but he despised and couldn't condone the way things were transpiring in this country. I don't understand and I grieve for his family but he didn't take another life or lives due to his beliefs.
10
If he were completely rational, he should have continued fighting for his cause That would have been more effective and more lasting. Taking your own life is a symptom of far more serious mental issues.
22
What Drove a Man to Set Himself on Fire in Brooklyn?
Hysterical over reaction to the threat of fossil fuels / so called global warming. Technology will solve any such problems if they materialize.
6
Please post the technological solutions to sea level rise, ocean acidification and superstorms here.
If you don't understand human caused climate change, you are not alone. Our president says it's a hoax created by the Chinese. he also thinks Obama was born in Kenya and that it was someone else impersonating him on the access Hollywood tapes.
You can learn a lot by researching climate change using documents available from NOAA and NASA as well as to Union of Concerned Scientists.
This PBS video I found very clearly explains the science
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/earth/decoding-weather-machine-machine.html
All the best to you,
7
The problems are materializing. Get educated. And much pollution has nothing to do with climate change.
3
A technological silver bullet? Do tell, we're all ears. Well, eyes.
6
I think us people in the U.S. need to get a clue. Most of us don't seem to understand that the environmental policies promoted by this administration are suicide for the WHOLE human race. I think (obviously I do not know) that Mr. Buckel may have thought lighting a fire under us was the only hope to get our attention. He made the ultimate sacrifice so that the rest of us might wake up before it's too late.
With all due respect, I find it ironic that the woman who brought her 6 yr. old boy to the field near the remains of Mr. Buckel was concerned about how his suicide affected children. Buckel was obviously very concern about her child's future. If we don't start changing the way we do business on this earth the 6 yr. olds of today are going to pay dearly for our inaction if/when they reach Mr. Buckels age.
17
He killed himself because he was mentally ill. There was no other reason, including concern about "climate change."
22
Erick from what I've read, you're the only one with common sense here.
3
Color me unmoved and unimpressed by Mr. Buckels' self martyrdom. I know enough about mental illness to refrain from calling a suicide "selfish" but I feel quite bad for anyone who may have been strolling by when this guy did what he did - certainly a sight that could bring on PTSD or haunt a person for decades. I fail to see how this gruesome, stomach-churning death will bring about any real change. A true political act befitting 2018 - grotesque, angry, spiteful, inconsiderate - and ultimately pointless and inneffective. And shame on anyone glorifying this, would you want this kind of an end for a loved one of yours? The pain that this man's family and friends are going through must be immense.
33
This is so incredibly sad.
11
"just a stretch of patchy lawn on the shoulder of the road". Seems a bit strange to me that a suicidal person would choose one of the most painful ways to die, and even stranger that he would perform this act in an innocuous, out of the way spot. People who burn themselves are generally trying to be noticed. And "shoulders of the road" are pretty convenient spots for dumping bodies out of cars. I hope this is investigated thoroughly.
2
Condolences to his family and friends.
This has to be a case of mental illness and some illnesses end in death. Very sad.
10
Clearly he was clinically depressed. He may have hid it well - many suicidal people do. But he seems to have been in a place where he wasn't seeing even a ray of hope, and that's not a place you can get to without depression. The act itself was violent, hopeless and ultimately futile; nothing like the man whose extraordinary life and actions were memorialized in this article. It's his life that I will remain inspired by.
12
Futile? I beg to differ.
How many homo sapiens get front page coverage in the New York Times when they die?
His religious grounding was in Buddhism - a very different approach to life than most Americans. His life and death were extraordinary. I only hope he did not die in vain; that his much needed message about climate change is resonates around our - once upon a time - lovely little planet.
God speed, Mr. Buckel.
7
I would not presume to think Mr. Buckel was mentally ill. Coming from an Asian background, and a not even particularly Buddhist one, there is a long tradition of people dying for their convictions. One of the traditional Chinese major holidays is celebrated to remember an ancient court counsellor who committed suicide because he disagreed with the king and wanted to show the depth of his disagreement. Some readers may be familiar with the Japanese concepts of harakiri or seppeku. I think a lot of notions US society has about suicide - as a sin, a weakness, a mental disorder -- is based on its Judeo-Christian background.
As a physician, I believe depression should be diagnosed and treated but not every suicide is because of depression
50
Thank you for this note. This seems to be the most likely explanation given his interest in Buddhism etc. I wonder if that is why we have such difficulty understanding Muslim extremists. I wonder if Mr. Trump or Ryan Zinke even took note. They don't seem particularly introspective......but the average American voter is hardly introspective.
5
The trouble is we do not live in a Buddhist society. The Buddhist monks who set themselves on fire in Vietnam made a difference to Vietnamese opinion. If a man committed seppuku in front of someone who shamed him, he would be regarded as a lunatic in this country. Mr. Buckel’s self-immolation was meaningless if motivated by his studies of Buddhism.
1
It is very sad that he chose to take his life in such a drastic way to make a point. The point is, he could have done more good by living and fighting for his causes. I’m sure, trump, Pruitt or the rest of his administration didn’t read the article about David’s suicide. He should have reached out to someone.
7
Sadly, in a few years few people will remember him. Had he lived, and continued his work, he would be a legend.
8
To those people who have suffered from the suicide of another, I offer my condolences.
Most people who kill them selves have been suffering from mental illness for a long time--usually some type of depression often overlaid with some other intractable problem like alcoholism, schizophrenia or PTSD, compounded by poverty and loneliness.
Suicide is the natural result of untreated depression. For sufferers whose condition is not ameliorated by treatment, suicide may be a rational act.
I don't see David Buckel's self-immolation as a suicide resulting from mental illness. It was a deeply profound act of political will. It represents free speech in a way that cannot be dismissed by any of us. His decision may provoke rage or hope or any of many other reactions. But like other speech that is extreme, we are forced to contend with the content.
He is not diminished by the way his life ended. As with members of the armed forces whose service and deaths are honored this weekend, I suggest that we honor David Buckel's sacrifice to save all of us.
16
A very sad case as every suicide is but sorry I cannot believe that his death was "in the name of" anything. In my view, a person who would consider suicide for any "issue" let alone climate change, important though it may be, is simply mentally disturbed and the act cannot be contributed to that or any other single fact. In fact, such an act does zero to move forward in helping to improve the planet's climate - after all, no one will change their mind nor will any politicians succeed in passing laws because of this man's suicide. Now had he stayed and fought the battle who can say? To conclude, suicide is a tragic consequence of mental illness and giving credence to the idea that it might REALLY do something to improve the climate might only push others to consider similar disturbed acts so let's not turn a tragedy into a victory of sorts.
22
What an artificial and tenuous claim—that suicide categorically must be driven by mental illness—especially in the wake of a day to recognize all those who have given their lives for values greater than themselves. You may disagree with the strategy, but to discount it as intrinsically sick is troublesome to me. I fear our society is so accustomed to self-centeredness that we will not in fact be capable of the kind of radical, uncomfortable, potentially sacrificial changes required for the long-term health and happiness of others.
7
The soldier who throws himself on a grenade to save his buddies naturally must have first struggled with mental health issues...
2
Giving ones life for ones country is a similar sort of suicide
4
What an awful thing to do to his family. A college-aged daughter. My heart breaks for her.
Of course he was mentally ill. A well-adjusted person of 60 would have enough perspective to understand that the dt years, no matter how destructive, will pass soon enough, and we will be able to get back on track after he is gone.
Sincerest condolences to his loved ones.
17
As an M.D., I find no indication in what I have read about David to support that he had experienced a psychotic break. Here is what we do know: He was deeply committed, and had reached a point where it made sense to him to commit this extraordinarily brave act as what he figured was the best way to get his message across. I am very glad that the NYT published this follow-on story because the motivation for the act is far and away the reason why this story exists and it honors David's self-martyrdom to explain what drove him, point to global warming and related environmental degradation, which threatens every single human being, and challenge all of us to understand it and act upon it. Even those children who witnessed the disturbing aftermath deserve that explanation. Say what one might about the ethics of the decision, it would be unforgivably disrespectful to allow the message David explicitly sent to be dismissed or glossed in favor of amateur armchair psychology.
80
When I first heard this story last week, I was so angry. And I still am. Good for him. Isn’t he special? He’s so heartsick that the planet is being destroyed- no argument there from me- that he is going to martyr himself for this cause.
I used to live in that neighborhood of Windsor Terrace/ Park Slope. If I had to walk by and see that pollution of a burned corpse - let alone if my daughter had had to witness that...?? Oh wait - some children did have to see it. Are you kidding? And he had his own children?
He is not a hero. He was a sick self- centered narcissist with a martyr complex.
I’ll agree, it is sad. And clearly the guy was in pain. But by committing this abominable act, he has probably given children who had to see his dead body nightmares and God knows what else.
2
Deborah, it isn't all about the children. I think a lot of the emergency services people who arrived on that scene - all adults, by the way - were probably very disturbed by seeing a body in that condition, and knowing that someone died in that way.
Difficult, traumatic, unfathomable events impact everyone in a society, not just children and no, I don't hate kids so no one skewer me please. I'm tired of the inevitable wail of "what about the children?" every time something horrible happens. Of course we should be concerned about kids, but we need to be concerned about other people, too: adults, the frail elderly, the mentally disabled, the sick, basically any vulnerable person or anyone with an active conscience who would be disturbed and saddened by a traumatic event. We need to look out for everyone, not just the kids. It's not all about them, all the time.
4
A heartbreaking story. This article did not mention the back injury and chronic pain discussed in a previous article. I have read that people in chronic pain are at a higher risk for suicide. Here is previous article: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/15/nyregion/david-buckel-brooklyn.html
12
This is what I think can explain his final action. Hopelessness and not knowing how to be of use in the future. Otherwise, he had so much more to offer and to live for. I live near the park and pass by that grassy spot often; it was and is extremely disturbing to know he died there in such a violent and graphic manner. HIs final act, I'm afraid, does not spur more to action, and, just like everything else, people move on, quick to forget. There's a temporary fencing around that spot now. In summer, they play volleyball games there and, after big rains, ducks swim in the pond that forms. Life goes on, but I, for one, will not forget.
2
It is not the first time someone has decided to die as the ultimate act of protest to effect change about something they believed in and it won't be the last. If we continue to bury our heads in the sand when it comes to climate change mitigation, Mother Earth will take care of the problem for us. We are due for an extinction level event where we are the target. We are already seeing floods, fires and massive storms. It is just a matter of time before crop failures kick in and global famine becomes common.
8
Say what you want about David’s sanity. Is it sane to submit to the destruction of our nation and our evironment without nearly enough protest to bring it to a halt? Most Americans are in denial about how far we have sunk because acknowledgement of our peril would require radical action. Instead of criticizing what David did we need to figure out what we’re going to do—and fast.
85
After watching First Reformed tonight. Ethan Hawke’s character is overcome and influenced by another man who also commits suicide before he does for reasons that the earth is being abused by politicians and corporations. I find this article starling. If not creepy after experienceing that movie tonight. I hope we do not see more suicides over the environment because it’s not the right thing to do. Yes, corruption rules every inch of land around the globe. But we need everyone to stay present to fight the EPA and all their present rollbacks. Because we will that fight to apathy if everyone starts jumping ship.
16
I am reminded of a Kathy Change, who died in the same way on Penn's campus in 1996. She had become a fixture on campus, performing dances to voice her activism. She set herself on fire claiming it was the only way she could make herself heard among disengaged students. There was a lot of confusion when we considered her actions - it felt as though she was blaming us for her death, though it was frustrating because it seemed there were many better ways to help foster change. I feel terrible for Mr. Buckel and his family. I wish he too would have realized his actions will likely not result in more activism, but in confusion as we think he could have helped so much more if he were alive. And similar to the reaction to Ms. Change, it is frustrating because many of us try in our own ways to make an impact.
16
Thank you for this considered and humane comment.
1
It seems to be the consensus that Mr. Buckel suffered from mental illness. Perhaps we are loathe to admit that the world itself is sick, We are in the throes of a backlash against every social, political and environmental reform of the 20th century. Truth is Falsehood; Facts are Fake; Might Makes Right; a sociopath is the leader of the so-called free world. Despair is a natural response to our new political reality. Buckel did everything in his power to make the world a better place, and, by all accounts he lived a well-integrated and fulfilling life. You might call his professional success and his close long-term relationships the hallmarks of mental health. He was despondent not sick.
82
He was sick -- you can be severely depressed or mentally ill and have the most wonderful parents, spouse, siblings, children -- the most wonderful job -- it doesn't matter. Mental illness does not only happen to people who "look crazy" or live on the streets. It happens to people who look just you or me, who seem outwardly quite normal. They may "hold it together" for a LONG time while planning the most awful acts.
5
An acquaintance of mine committed suicide last year. Like Mr. Buckel, she was a committed activist. In her case, it was support and fundraising for the Democratic Party in Louisiana. Decades of hard work were acknowledged by the multitudes of mourners at her funeral. She left behind a devastated family. It was perplexing.
The thought occurred to me that the shock and disappointment of Trump's election might have pushed a tenuous psyche to despair.
Of course it's just speculation on my part.
28
As a resident of Windsor Terrace and mother of a six year old who passed the burned body that Saturday morning on the way to the baseball fields a mere 100 yards away, I have a serious issue with the statement "Even the location, that forgettable strip of grass just off the road, seemed intended to disrupt life as little as possible."
He may have burned as little dirt as possible, but certainly left a big footprint for the hundreds of children who passed his charred remains on the way to the first baseball game of the season. Sad for all.
39
The police did not cordon this area off from the public???
2
He was a soldier for a great cause, was making progress, then comes Scott Pruitt, a man so geared that he will indirectly kill thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, and not even care. David B. thought long and hard about what he was going to do, not to others, to himself. I don't understand the underpinnings of his philosophy where self-sacrifice is efficacious, but even if I did I lack the physical and mental courage he had to have and couldn't do it. I can't judge him. I think the retired Pastor is right. The systematic destruction of Earth involves our complicity.
38
How can one deny that the impact of this particular administration has influenced our personal lives to this level of desperation? As US citizens, it is impossible to ignore the ways in which this administration has chosen to destroy any possibilty of progress on so many pressing issues. Our climate is in crisis, there are increasing numbers of immigrants whose lives are either being threatened or have been lost as in the case of Claudia Patricia Gómez Gonzáles this week, the children of Parkland already seem so easily forgotten just weeks later and hate crimes continue to rise during this administration. We are a nation in crisis surviving only on an ever thinning thread of democracy.The question remains in light of these losses, how do we build sustainable futures for our planet as a whole?
51
The survivors of Parkland are never giving up. This week, they lay in the aisles of Orlando’s Publix supermarket to protest the chain’s funding of an NRA-backed candidate for governor. Publix backed down in a day, pledging to make no political donations.
I knew David and don’t question his motives in this perilous time.
Some of us can’t keep up with the Parkland kids, but we can all do something.
11
There are plenty of things happening in this country that can drive a sane person to commit suicide. If you are over the age of 50 and looking for a job it's next to impossible to find one. A lot other unhappy things follow from that.
If you are seriously ill, unable to work, unable to afford health insurance, co-pays, etc., the treatment you get is too little too late or it's interrupted. If you are anything but rich in America, given how this country is being run and has been run, you are not represented by your elected officials, you are not entitled to expect anything from the government you've paid taxes to for decades, and you are constantly reminded of how useless you are.
For David Buckel there might have been some other problems going on. Perhaps he couldn't stand the idea of watching the country revert to being a polluted swamp or a land unable to feed its people. It seems like he poured his heart into the composting and other humane projects. Certainly it was unbearable to him to watch this president work to destroy what he and others were trying to reclaim.
77
Those who are most dedicated to change and appear very strong ate also often the most sensitive. The increased and overt assaults against science, reason, truth and our environment are hardest to bear for those already overworked at addressing dozens of issues- and it never seems enough. One lesson here: we all have breaking points and so does nature.
70
This is the first article I've read about Mr. Buckel. I have to admit I've avoided them because I was afraid of looking into the darkness that would lead someone to such a horrible act. I'm glad I know more about Mr. Buckel, his but I can't help feeling sorrow.
A sane person doesn't set themselves on fire, no matter how considerately they do it. This was a horrible thing to do to himself but even more horrible to do to his loved ones. There's so much violence involved that shows that no matter how calm Mr. Buckel appeared to be he was full of despair.
I remember being at a memorial service of a man who had committed suicide, surrounded by people overcome with grief, feeling so sad that this person felt so alone that in his moment of despair he didn't feel he could reach out to one of the hundreds of people at the service. I'm sure that it's the same for Mr. Buckel; that if he had turned to one of the many people who loved him and told them how desperate he was feeling, they would have done anything to help him.
If Mr. Buckel thought that his act would have any affect on the people he was protesting him, he was absolutely and completely wrong. They never broke stride. And now the world has one less good guy when we need all the good guys we can get.
I beg anyone who feels they are at the place Mr. Buckel found himself at to please reach out. You'll be surprised at how many people are out there who will help. We can't lose any more good guys.
212
You would be surprised how when you do reach out how few to no people are out there to help.
He wasn't mentally ill. Read the article. You can only hope to have such conviction.
22
@Informed Citizen: but we don't know that in this case -- it sounds like he had loving family & friends plus colleagues in his field. There ARE mental health professionals and facilities to deal with suicidal ideation. Sorry, but BURNING YOURSELF ALIVE is pretty solid proof of severe mental illness and advanced depression. Worst of all, it detracts from Mr. Buckel's legitimate cause, rendering his death meaningless.
6
I live in an area where we cannot easily compost because of the bears it attracts. However, it is possible. I am moved by this man’s work, and choice in his death, to take the steps necessary to honor his message. To focus on his choice to end his life is to miss the point he was making and I appreciate the NYT for giving him grace and dignity and his message a loud voice in his absence.
134
On the contrary -- many felt the same way about BHO, his friends Bill Ayers and Al Sharpton, and demonstrable out-of-control fiscal spending.
And they knew that they had to work to support others.
So, they went to work. Life went on. No NYTimes story.
3
Unfortunately a suicide this horrific IS going to detract from the message. I think composting is important. I do not think it is worth dying a horrifying death being burnt alive.
7
This article raises so many heartbreaking issues, but mostly i feel sad for his family, friends, co-workers that they lost a man of vision and passion. These people that feel things so deeply to begin with have such excellent intentions, then there is a smooth transition that often goes unnoticed by loved ones. That depth of feeling turns to a darkness, a depression and often into a tragic ending such as this. I hope this person is at peace, and the family finds solace in the work he did and his ideals.
25
I am in my early 60's and expect, barring an unexpected trauma, that I will live at least another 30years. Given my genes and health habits, and the advances in health care I might live well past 100. When I think about where climate change will be at by that time I wonder if my continued existence will be a selfish act taking scarce resources from younger people who are struggling in a much more difficult world. Perhaps Mr Buckel's intent was to set an example of the choices we will face.
86
OMG--in today's insane PC- climate (no pun intended), I can just imagine a Baby Boomers' Privilege movement!
4
Hey, what singer Stevie Wonder said to his Michigan School for the Blind teacher, to mark the celebration of what was her last birthday (age 87) --
"It ain't over, until God says it's over."
Ditto, taxes.
5
This is a very sad story all around. I do wonder if he thought his death would cut through all of the political noise and have a drastic impact--that everyone would truly stop in their tracks and re-imagine our world. Sadly, the political noise goes on. And although his death does give many of us pause, was it worth it? I hope his family is getting good support during this time.
12
Thank you for this. Attention must be paid.
48
In Sadness I, a Long retired Lutheran pastor and Licensed Family Therapist,
say Sometimes the sanest reaction to an insane situation...is Insanity.
I do not wish to discuss its meaning or debate its reality or gravity. We live in a broken World with much over-riding and undergirding pain and incivility. In the memory of the love and service attributed to Mr. Bruckel,
I wish some Goodness and Grace to issue forth.
182
First - my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Buckel. This is extremely sad.
The Times should be ashamed to be giving this publicity, and any commentator who argues that this was just a more extreme protest should think twice about the impact suicide has on families.
This is a mental health tragedy and we should respect that rather than trivialize this man's life (and death) by linking it to a political issue. Those who knew Mr. Buckel best are stunned and hurt. Let's not trivialize their grief.
25
"I wish some Goodness and Grace to issue forth." That is, making the choice of order and reason, over chaos. These choices are the revolt, freedom, and passion of the Absurd philosophy of Albert Camus. We try to give meaning and purpose, the goodness and the grace, to living. The "assaults against science, reason, truth, and our environment are hardest to bear." It is the Myth of Sisyphus, everyday.
4