Brace for Peak Impact

Now that I have a demographic tool, I can ask questions relating to when we might hit peak power as a civilization. I use power (rate of energy use) as a proxy for all manner of resource dependencies, as energy usage correlates strongly with materials use and ecological impact. Plus, it is a readily-available measure.

Crazy Town 93. Escaping Escapism: What a Bizarre Rodent Ritual Can Teach Us About Navigating a World We Can’t Really Escape

After a full season of trying to escape more than a dozen evil -isms (fun things like capitalism, industrialism, extremism, and otherism), Rob, Jason, and Asher come to one conclusion: there is no true escape — at least not for those of us who want to help their communities collapse and re-emerge gracefully.

How an Aboriginal woman fought a coal company and won

In 2019, Australia was on the cusp of approving a new coal mine on traditional Wirdi land in Queensland that would have extracted approximately 40 million tons of coal each year for 35 years. But that didn’t happen, thanks to the advocacy of Murrawah Maroochy Johnson, a 29-year-old Wirdi woman of the Birri Gubba Nation, who led a lawsuit against the coal company in 2021, and won.

Money for good: the rise of ethical finance

Ethex’s recently launched 10 years of Impact report demonstrates that the direct impact investing model works and has the potential to provide the vital funding needed by hundreds more impactful organisations that are taking action against climate change, social inequality and the break-down of communities.

Rethinking Rewilding: or, re-farming and the right to plant

The word ‘rewilding’ has had its day and now needs to slip gracefully into retirement. That, at any rate, is the polite suggestion I’m going to make in this post, which is the last in my recent mini-series on ‘wrecked’ land and what to do about it.

The Climate According to Numbers

The point is, the physical science basis is a term intended for science, and it makes most sense within those boundaries where its meaning and limitations are understood. It’s when it crosses the border to society that things get weird, where you suddenly you wake up to discover everything from forests to farms to whales have been reduced to carbon quantities, and life itself is being financialized.

Break the Silence, Free Congo

As violent militias rampage across the country, activists in the DRC are urgently calling for an end to Rwanda’s aggression and for a green transition that puts justice first, dismantling colonial exploitation once and for all. François Kamate, a young Congolese activist, shares his experience and offers pathways to solidarity.

The Humble Carrot’s Colorful History

The world’s love of carrots and the importance of color in different societies and food cultures means the many traditional varieties grown for centuries will continue to thrive alongside modern cultivars, which are the product of sophisticated modern plant breeding techniques.