There's a lovely quote by Rebecca Solnit, "to hope is to accept despair as an emotion but not as an analysis. To recognize that what is unlikely is possible, just as what likely is not inevitable."
Holy cow. Thanks for sharing - I had no idea this existed.
I'm writing a book on how environmentalist themes in The Lord of the Rings are relevant for the modern movement to confront the climate crisis
This summer I read The Lord of the Rings to my eight-year-old and was struck by how much the themes continue to be relevant for the modern environmentalist movement. Ents destroying Isengard (the industrial power) is the classic example, but there's so much more. Mordor as an imperial, extractive power. Hobbits regenerating the land after it has been degraded. Gimli trying to preserve the Glittering Caves of Aglerond. And of course, growing trees symbolizing renewal and prosperity. So, I decided to write all these themes down, and compare them to instances where similar things are happening today.
I just reached a milestone in the writing process and wanted to share a sample my work so far! Please take a look and let me know what you think.
I've never seen this chart. What a story!
Soil scientists, so pesky!
Full disclosure, I work with a few soil scientists and I now understand how critical it is that we know the potential of the land if we're relying on it to produce ag or to be used as rangeland.
At a CT co-op, housing is affordable – and tenants run the property
I had never heard of a land trust being used to keep rates affordable - sounds like a very cool model!
I love it. And somewhere back in the base there's a hardbitten sargeant breaking in the raw recruits, chewing them out for flying to get to their base and making them scrub the bathroom with organic cleaners on a compostable toothbrush.
I've found that town-level organizing is satisfying, and a scale where a small group of individuals can help make bigger change.
My town government agreed a few years ago to adopt the sustainablect.org framework, which has a bunch of green/sustainable elements I am really excited about.
Once the town agrees in principle to a framework, you can advocate for policies based on that framework, and mobilize people who are particularly interested in one issue (say, composting!) or another (sidewalk networks! green energy!)
The trick, I think, is to find a framework the town government is willing to support (in principle) with specific changes. The fact that there's a certification program to go along with the framework that has prestige is really helpful. But really, the core of it all is to find a bunch of folks in your community that want to push things forward towards a goal with a shared vision. Which means that ultimately community organizing is what makes it possible, in my experience.
Indigenous groups are developing data storage technology that gives users privacy and control. Could their work influence those fighting back against invasive apps?
Disguising solar panels as ancient Roman tiles in Pompeii
Invisible Solar is a new PV technology that take on the appearance of any building material. Each Invisible Solar module is more than a photovoltaic panel, it also is an active architectural element...
Invisible Solar is a new PV technology that take on the appearance of any building material. Each Invisible Solar module is more than a photovoltaic panel, it also is an active architectural element with various functionality.