EAT Lancet misses the point
A diet is the wrong entry point in the analysis of the food system and planetary health.
How the liberal city paved the way to neoliberalism
What if relying on the rich to “take care of everyone else” was neither politically nor financially sustainable? What would this mean for how we interpret the history of liberalism and the welfare state? And most importantly, what does this imply for how our communities should develop economically?
The Rise of Religion and Transcendence
We can now see how the mechanism of transcendence divides us into opposing groups of putatively good and bad while misleading us with false claims and illusions. It must be rooted out—of language—of thought—of behavior—of action.
Is the U.S. Electric Grid Stable? Policy, Renewables, and Who Is Responsible If The Grid Fails
In this episode, Nate is joined by Meredith Angwin for an in-depth overview of the U.S. electrical grid system, its history, and the need for accountability in energy governance.
Do Forests Make It Rain?
If the theory of the biotic pump is correct—and the forests play an essential role in the water cycle—this gives urgent importance to saving our old growth forests and restoring those which have been demolished or degraded.
Chris Smaje’s Vision of a Post-Capitalist Eco-Localism that Works
Chris Smaje openly admits that there are too many contingent variables to predict the future; many scenarios are plausible. That said, Finding Lights in a Dark Age offers some thoughtful, erudite speculation about what a healthy, post-capitalist world might look like and the choices we may need to make.
Systems Mindset
A true systems thinker isn’t the one who makes elaborate diagrams of nodes connected by lines in impressive form, but the one who expresses epistemic humility in the face of intractable complexity and refrains from proffering solutions. I am reminded of Taoist sages whose greatest accomplishments rest on not-doing.
Burned by Billionaires: Excerpt
This excerpt from Chuck Collins’ new book Burned by Billionaires includes examples of rule changes that would lift people out of poverty, increase economic security for the precarious, and reduce inequality.
Climate denial and the defence of modernity
What we are lacking is an inspiring vision of our lives, collective futures, and spiritual reality in a world in which we cannot keep growing forever. As much as we need policy wonks, scientists, and campaigners, now is the time for religious thinkers, philosophers, and writers to apply themselves to social change.
In Whom Do We Trust?
Rebuilding trust in the federal government will come neither easily nor quickly. Until it’s restored, America’s constitutional democracy will remain at risk.
My constituents are … leaving town
But while we’re all yelling at each other about how our favoured politics are the best, the more important political story might lie with constituents, including the urban poor, who are quietly innovating their own welfare, perhaps by leaving town.
When We Win: Stories From the Frontlines of Ecological Resistance
As I stood there with Van Zile and looked at the land, I did not hear the sound of a big truck rumbling nearby or a tree falling. I took a big breath, because sometimes we win. Remember that the dams are gone. Remember that.
