There's no moral comparison between humans who suffered in slavery and molecules of fossil fuels. But the abolition movement of the nineteenth century may hold the key to unblocking climate action today. Image: slaveryimages.org. The planet continues to fry. Yet, America is pumping more fossil fuel than it has in decades. And the U.S. government does nothing to slow the … [Read more...]
Bugging out from Boston to Vermont
My wife Sarah and I are moving to Vermont. I’ve been studying climate change and its interconnected problems for a year, and my research has brought me to the conclusion that a time of tremendous scarcity and uncertainty is upon us. So we've decided that it’s time to get started building a different, more resilient kind of life. When I first began understanding the … [Read more...]
Confessions of an edge-dweller
The first in a series about inhabiting and acting in the edge-places of our civilization as crucial for humanity’s passage through these challenging times – and inviting you to share your personal edge-dwelling experiences. -- Ed. I’m an Edge-dweller. It’s not something I signed up for, or studied. It’s simply what I am. Over the past several years, I’ve begun to … [Read more...]
A Ship of Fools in a sea of melting ice
"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." -- Martin Luther King, Jr. Ever since I recently learned that Arctic sea ice is expected to disappear in summer in a mere four years my inner alarm bells have been ringing. It wasn't supposed to happen so soon! I had hoped we could change course and avoid the disappearance of ice caps and glaciers … [Read more...]
Sandy’s real name
The following letter from climate activist Bill McKibben was sent out today by 350.org. -- Ed. Dear friends, We woke up this morning with a deep sense of sadness. Hurricane Sandy has brought serious hardship to many of the people we love and places we treasure. It has affected many homes, I was talking to a friend and they suggested that it might be a good idea for people … [Read more...]