Donald Trump is an especially brazen version of a kleptocrat, the kind of ruler who uses his public office to enrich himself, his family and his cronies. Trump's no-shame approach to pilfering public coffers may horrify Americans, who are used to a more genteel and discreet approach to self-dealing by the rich and powerful, though tinpot dictators from Nigeria to Brazil are … [Read more...]
Occupy the Climate: Will Extinction Rebellion Stick Around?
“On 31 October 2018, we declared ourselves to be in open rebellion against the U.K. government.” And so was born one of the most promising efforts today to make urgent the fight against climate change: Extinction Rebellion. Alarmed by the IPCC report released earlier that month giving the world’s nations only 12 more years to drastically cut greenhouse pollution — or else — … [Read more...]
Should we Pay Exxon to Leave Oil in the Ground?
This article is the second in a series that compares today's fight for climate solutions with the successful movement to abolish slavery in the nineteenth century. Read the first installment, "The Fight against Climate Change Must Become the New Abolitionism." Recently, Congress considered whether African Americans should receive financial compensation for centuries of … [Read more...]
Grapes of Wrath: Travails of a Produce Farmer in Wine Country
Many good reasons exist, other than merely earning money, to be a food farmer, though getting paid is an important benefit. Working outside in nature is good for the body and soul. Nature is a helpful, abundant teacher that can aid humans to develop humility and understand our appropriate roles on this miraculous Earth, rather than damage the environment. Seeing beautiful … [Read more...]
Derrick Jensen has Inspired Me to Question Civilization
I rode my horse out through the woods the other day. It was a beautiful Autumn afternoon as golden light filtered through the trees. My horse was keen to graze in an open meadow, so we found a spot where he could forage for some greenery among the late season grasses. On my ride out, I had been thinking about the widening gulf between the natural world and contemporary … [Read more...]