Hot Empire in Decline Summer
The coneflowers, the monarda, and a multitude of pollinator friends have taken over the yard; the wildfire smoke has taken over the air; bizarre news continues to come out of DC every few hours.
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climate change
Jasper Wildfire: Can We Fireproof Cities?
TLDR: Probably not. But I’m bringing up the question in the aftermath of a wildfire that destroyed about a third
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Atlanta, Meet Your Twin Brother… Calgary?
Water infrastructure in Alberta and Georgia– nay, North America– nay, the entire *world*- is under serious strain from unchecked urban growth, neglect in investment over at least half a century, and, of course, climate change.
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Does Big Oil Deserve A Seat At COP28?
The world’s favorite international stopover for consumer largesse and one of the biggest oil producers in the world is hosting the UN’s climate conference. Should we be outraged? Or ever more invested?
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Making Environmental and Climate Justice Visible: POCACITO Returns!
I am looking forward to again working with the inimitable Max Gruenig to help put together a conference at the
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Labor for a Just Transition
Kristin Caffray writes about how central the labor movement is to the question of a just transition to decarbonization, and how this must involve everyone ranging from urban factory workers to rural coal miners in what might become a valuable and rare point of bipartisanship.
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TED Countdown Detroit: Sustainability’s Problem With Elitism and Respectability Politics
Al Gore, McKinsey alums, and half of the Ivy League descends on Detroit this week to tell the peasants about sustainability and decarbonization. Just kidding, it’s a for-profit, invite-only event that costs $4,000– no peasants will be invited.
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Michigan SB 271: Not-So-Lofty Goals Face Off Against Fossil Fuels
Michigan’s Senate is currently working on an energy bill that would require utilities to adopt a 100% renewable portfolio standard by 2035. It’s a good start, but there are a few holes that need to be plugged.
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Travelogue: Reykjavik, þú lítur vel út!
This week, we departed the land of fire and smog for a land of fire and steam– where we will
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Michigan Growth Strategy: Gretchen Whitmer Needs To Step Up Her Politics, Not Her Leadership.
The governor wants to figure out a strategy to grow the state. It’s going to have to start with investing in things that matter to real people, rather than things that matter to quarterly earnings reports for automakers. But it’s not that gloomy. There’s plenty of opportunity to think about how to do this.
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