Resources, and if you want to talk about it

 If anyone would like to talk about the tragedy on Monday, feel free to comment here or in class. 

Center for Counseling and Psychological Services 615-898-2271

Other campus & community resources...

 

"It must be recognized that staying alive though suicidal is an act of radiant generosity, a way in which we can save each other.  

...

None of us can truly know what we mean to other people, and none of us can know what our future self will experience. History and philosophy ask us to remember these mysteries, to look around at friends, family, humanity, at the surprises life brings — the endless possibilities that living offers — and to persevere. There is love and insight to live for, bright moments to cherish, and even the possibility of happiness, and the chance of helping someone else through his or her own troubles. Know that people, through history and today, understand how much courage it takes to stay. Bear witness to the night side of being human and the bravery it entails, and wait for the sun. If we meditate on the record of human wisdom we may find there reason enough to persist and find our way back to happiness. The first step is to consider the arguments and evidence and choose to stay. After that, anything may happen. First, choose to stay.”  --Jennifer Michael Hecht, Stay: A History of Suicide and the Philosophies Against It

==

Stay: The Social Contagion of Suicide and How to Preempt It
By Maria Popova

"If you’ve ever known someone who committed suicide, or have contemplated it yourself, or have admired a personal hero who died by his or her own hand, please oh please read this. Because, as Jennifer Michael Hecht so stirringly argues in Stay: A History of Suicide and the Philosophies Against It (public library), numerous social science studies indicate that one of the best predictors of committing suicide is knowing suicide — a fact especially chilling given more people die of suicide than murder every year, and have been for centuries. Suicide kills more people than AIDS, cancer, heart disease, or liver disease, more men and women between the ages of 15 and 44 than war, more young people than anything but accident. And beneath all these impersonal statistics lie exponential human tragedies — of those who died, and of those who were left to live with their haunting void.

To be sure, Hecht’s interest in the subject is far from the detached preachiness such narratives tend to exude — after two of her dear friends, both fellow writers, committed suicide in close succession, she was left devastated and desperate to make sense of this deceptively personal act, which cuts so deep into surrounding souls and scars the heart of a community. So she immersed herself in the science, philosophy, and history of suicide searching for answers, emerging with an eye-opening sense of everything we’ve gotten wrong about suicide and its prevention..." (continues)

Questions Oct 31

PH -255 Industry, Action + Connection, Afterword. GT 5.10--5.14 (thru Lessons from the Pandemic). McK thru William Cronon

Select your final report topics...

GT

1. "People power" is also known as what? 364
2. The tipping point for changing a society's behavior is what? 367
3. Why does George Monbiot blame media for major responsibility in destroying life of earth? 369
4. What alternative media does Monbiot favor? 371
5. What new tactics have fossil fuel companies and their lackeys adopted? 372-3
6. What are the markers of emergency mode, in responding to the climate crisis? 375f.
7. What lessons should the pandemic have taught us? 382-3

McK

1. Louise Gibbs' fight over Love Canal led to what? 609
2. What question does Jonathan Schell say was never asked before our time? 624 Where does he say we must seek the meaning of extinction? 626 
3. What did Hannah Arendt say about "the common world"? 627
4. What did Edmund Burke say about the "partnership" of the generations? 630 
5. For what did Amerian Indian men mock Englishmen? 656

PH

1. What will it take to produce a "corporate shift" that credibly addresses the climate crisis? 215

2. Revisiting this embarrassing question: how many of Michael Pollan's "foodlike substances" do you confess to enjoying? How many have you given up? How many will you give up? 217

3. Do you consciously factor the "true cost of junk food" into your eating choices? 218

4. How far are we from "the food system of the future"? 219

5. If the US political system continues not to acknowledge universal healthcare as a "fundamental human right," do you expect that to precipitate an eventual and radical change in voters' attitudes and choices? 221

6. Is it still a very tiny percentage of people who think "holistically about every facet of human well-being" or is that changing rapidly with the rising generation? Will or would that significantly impact our healthcare system, the pharmaceutical industry, and the perceived link between climate and health? 222

7. Do you know where your bank invests your money? Will the Good Money model "fundamentally change the system of banking"? 225

8. Has the social media environment permanently crippled the prospects of mutualism as a corrective for human aggression? 227

Startup shakes up industry with revolutionary wind turbine design backed by Bill Gates — here's what it's capable of

Jon Turi  www.thecooldown.com

October 27, 2024

A floating offshore wind energy startup called Aikido is preparing to launch its innovative new platform this fall.

The company, which is being funded by Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy for its pilot project, recently added another $4 million from an investment round, as Windpower Monthly reported.

A recent company news release said the initial funding put the company on track this fall to launch its Aikido One platform, which aims to solve a variety of issues, including assembly and transport, that are common stumbling blocks in the industry.

The company will use the new funding "to advance its technology for offshore deployment, build its team, and develop a commercial pipeline," per the release.

"Floating wind must become commercialized by the end of the decade so that we can meet decarbonization targets set by pioneering offshore wind countries," said Sam Kanner, CEO of Aikido Technologies, per the release.

"We believe that our technology suite represents a step change in reducing costs, simplifying logistics, and increasing throughput of floating wind systems."

Questions Oct 29

PH -213 Energy. GT 5.1--5.5 (thru Changing Diets).GT 5.6--5.9 (thru Practical Utopias). McK thru Wes Jackson. Midterm report presentations conclude - Molly Carico. Select your final report presentation date/topic-indicate your preference(s) after Monday Oct 28

GT

1. Why'd Greta stop flying? What's the word for that? What other new word does she prefer? 325
2. What are some examples of climate-targeted contagion? What has growing enthusiasm for plant-based diets led to? 329
3. What's Freudian psychology got to do with advertising and public relations? 332
4. The New Economic Foundation identifies what five promoters of human well-being?? 335 Do you agree with their list? How about Take the Jump's six principles? The five D's? 337
5. Besides those mentioned on 339, what are some of your favorite climate-related websites? What sort of active leadership is displayed there?
6. To significantly ameliorate our environmental challenges we need to tweak what? 341 
7. Ocean-based climate solutions could provide what percentage of greenhouse gas emission reductions? 347
8.  What percent of the earth's land surface is ecologically intact? 350
9. Greta says only who can create the social transformation we need? 359
10. What are Stroud's four elements of survival? 363

McK

1. N.Scott Momaday says what conviction is very old in the Native American world view? It is rooted in what sort of act? 579-80  Should we, can we (or enough of us) appropriate this ancient ethic in our time, do you think?
2. What lie had Tayo learned  by heart? 589
3. Any comment on R. Crumb's "Short History of America"? 591f.
4. A town population of what seems to Wes Jackson to have a special energy? 598

PH

1. Given the current relative percentages of CO2 emissions from fossil fuels and energy derived from renewables, does this feel to you like "a momentous turning point in civilization"? 193

2. If "2% of the planet's wind would power all of civilization," would we be stupid and self-destructive NOT to move aggressively towards greater utilization of wind energy? 196

3. Can we "plug the leaks and close the loop" like Wildpoldsried" 200

4. Considering how many more EVs are now in operation than just a decade ago, are you confident that transport via internal combustion is on its way out? 202

5. Do you have a heat pump? Shouldn't everyone? Should we be taxed to subsidize their installation? 205

6. Were you aware of how wasteful cruise ships are? Will that keep you off of them? 209

7. Are you confident we can overcome the problematic issues invovled with lithium-ion batteries? 211

8. Might the "extreme climate benefit" of microgrids also be a social benefit, enhancing the communal consciousness of those whose homes are thus connected? 213

==

5 of the best TED Talks about renewable energy...

New report finds one major energy source breaking records worldwide: 'Growing faster than people expected'

Sam Westmoreland, msn.com, Oct. 25, 2024

As we continue to push toward greener energy around the world, one source has blown past all expectations: solar.

According to Electrek, solar energy is on track to exceed most industry forecasts about output and new construction, with a projected 593 gigawatts expected to be added by the end of 2024. This is a 29% increase in production, an amount that surpasses the vast majority of projections.

"Yet again, solar power is growing faster than people expected, as it establishes itself as the cheapest source of electricity globally," Euan Graham, electricity data analyst at Ember, said.

In fact, the current projections are nearly 200 gigawatts higher than what the International Energy Agency predicted for solar growth in 2024, which led to revised projections in June. However, according to Ember, the industry is on track to exceed even those revised expectations.

To put solar's incredible growth into perspective, the industry's growth this year alone exceeds all new output from planet-dirtying coal since 2010.

The vast majority of the growth in the industry is coming from China; according to the report, they are on track to add 334 gigawatts, or 56% of global new solar power additions, to their grid by the end of 2024. India, the United States, Germany, and Brazil are also some of the biggest growth markets for solar power.

But other markets are growing as well; according to Ember's report, via Electrek, countries like Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Pakistan, Oman, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates all saw sizable growth in their solar installations this year.

A big part of the growth of solar is the advancement of solar technology. Scientists recently found a way to recycle the materials from old panels, an issue that has long plagued the industry. Meanwhile, researchers also unveiled a new solar cell glass that can absorb energy, as well as roof tiles designed to interface directly with heat pumps to keep your house's temperature regulated.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/new-report-finds-one-major-energy-source-breaking-records-worldwide-growing-faster-than-people-expected/ar-AA1sWqYv?ocid=BingNewsSerp

Federal agencies ordered to use ‘most powerful’ AI systems in first-ever National Security Memo on AI

By Stephen Sorace, Fox News 10/24/2024

The U.S. National Security Council released on Thursday its first-ever memo on artificial intelligence (AI), ordering federal agencies to use the "most powerful" AI systems while balancing the risks associated with the new technology.

The National Security Memorandum (NSM) details the U.S. approach to harnessing the power of AI for national security and foreign policy purposes "to ensure that America leads the way in seizing the promise and managing the risks of AI," senior administration officials said.

"We are directing that the agencies gain access to the most powerful AI systems and put them to use, which often involve substantial efforts on procurement," the officials said.

The NSM, which was signed by President Biden, serves as the framework for the AI Safety Institute in the Department of Commerce, which already issued guidance on safe AI development and entered into agreements with companies to test new AI systems before they are released publicly.

"This is our nation’s first-ever strategy for harnessing the power and managing the risks of AI to advance our national security," national security adviser Jake Sullivan said as he described the new policy to students during an appearance at the National Defense University in Washington.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the framework will help the U.S. harness the power of AI while managing the risks that the emerging technology poses. Getty Images

Recent advances in artificial intelligence have been hailed as potentially transformative for a long list of industries and sectors, including military, national security and intelligence.

 

The best of '23

 Bill McKibben's excellent introduction to The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2024, focusing heavily (as you might expect) on climate change and its human implications.

Questions OCT 24

PH -191 Food. GT 4.23--4.27 (thru Perception Gap). McK thru Amory Lovins...

Presentation - Martin Stricklin

NOTE: As midterm report presentations conclude, you can assume that you earned all 25 available points if I've not told you otherwise. The sign-up for final report presentations will be available next week.

GT

1. Greta says we can no longer reach our climate targets without what? 301
2. The Paris Agreement is the world's biggest what? 305
3. Nicholas Stern says much economic analysis has grossly undervalued what? 307
4. Why, according to Sunita Narain, is the Paris Agreement lauded? 308
5.  What do we need to decide about economic growth? 312
6. What crucial issues are rarely discussed at climate conferences? 315

McK

1. Annie Dillard says every egg is what? 532
2. What couldn't Russell tell his cabbie? What's Dillard's answer? 539-40
3. Evolution loves ___ more than it loves us. 545  What's our pact with "the devil"? 549
4. What does the sky do for us? 553
5. What activist organizations was David Brower associated with? 554
6. What are the defining characteristics of soft technologies? 560-61
7. Post your comments...

PH

1. Do you think you have "lost your taste"? 171 Have you taken steps to regain it? Do you consume too much "junk"? Do you view eating as an ethical act?

2. Do you do anything in particular at home to avoid or rectify food waste? 173

3. Have you begun deliberately to eat fewer processed substances and more plant-based alternatives? 175  

4. Have you localized your diet, to greater or lesser extent? Do you or will you patronize CSAs?

177

5. Should public schools be fast food-free? 179 Should MTSU get rid of, or at least improve the nutritional contents of, vending machines on campus?

6. Does the Cobbs' story remind you of Wendell Berry? 180

7. Are you grateful for the decommodification of coffee, beer, and other products? 181 Are you boycotting any Big Commodity products?

8. How do you feel about ants and other insects? Do you use insecticides, biocides, weed killers etc.? Do you resent the failure of early education to impress upon every student the vital role they play in ecosystems?

 

9. Do you think restoring the American chestnut is a good idea, without the frivolity or uncertainty of restoring extinct animal species? 187

10. Was Oliver Burkeman right? 189

11. COMMENT?: "We must either let some eating habits go or let the planet go." 191 

 Experts warn nation could see first mass displacement after catastrophic flooding leaves land uninhabitable — here's why the rest of the world should be paying attention

Story by Timothy McGill  MSN.com

Conflict and historic flooding in South Sudan are contributing factors that have led to the displacement of millions of people. Devastating floods this summer alone have displaced nearly 150,000 more. This could be part of the first permanent mass displacement caused by our warming world.

What's happening?

Stresses from an overheating planet are exacerbating political instability and conflict in South Sudan and have helped bring about the displacement of around 2.3 million people as of July 2023. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says 65% of all South Sudanese refugees are children. 

Cholera and other water-borne infections are increasing because of the stagnant floodwaters. Cases of malaria, respiratory tract infections, acute watery diarrhea, and snakebites are also rising.

Our warming world is expected to amplify Earth's water cycle, "which likely increases the intensity of extreme precipitation events and the risk of flooding," according to a study published in Scientific Reports. "Results show an intensification of extreme precipitation and flood events over all climate regions, which increases as water availability increases from dry to wet regions."

Continues at:  https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/experts-warn-nation-could-see-first-mass-displacement-after-catastrophic-flooding-leaves-land-uninhabitable-here-s-why-the-rest-of-the-world-should-be-paying-attention/ar-AA1s3pB1?ocid=BingNewsSerp 

The potential human cost

 Postscript. I followed up my earlier chat with "Maple":

What are some potential worries about the human costs of interactions with chatGPT?

ChatGPT said:

There are several potential worries regarding the human costs of interactions with ChatGPT and similar AI systems:

1. Depersonalization of Communication: Over-reliance on AI for conversations may lead to a decline in human-to-human interactions, potentially impacting social skills and emotional connections.

2. Mental Health Impact: Individuals might turn to AI for support in emotional or mental health matters, which could lead to feelings of isolation or reduced trust in professional mental health resources.

3. Misinformation and Misunderstanding: Users may misinterpret or over-rely on AI-generated information, which could lead to confusion or the spread of misinformation, particularly on sensitive topics.

4. Reduced Critical Thinking: Constant access to AI-generated answers might encourage passive consumption of information, reducing opportunities for critical thinking and problem-solving.

5. Privacy Concerns: Users may inadvertently share sensitive information with AI systems, raising concerns about data privacy and security.

6. Job Displacement: As AI becomes more integrated into various fields, there may be fears about job displacement, particularly in roles involving customer service or content creation.

7. Dependence on Technology: Increasing reliance on AI for everyday tasks could foster a dependency that might reduce self-sufficiency and problem-solving skills.

8. Bias and Ethical Considerations: Users may not be fully aware of the biases present in AI, leading to the perpetuation of stereotypes or unethical advice.

Addressing these worries involves careful design, transparency, and fostering a balanced approach to using AI tools in our daily lives.

A Radical Approach to Flooding in England: Give Land Back to the Sea

… "It is absolutely sensible to be creating more salt marsh in Britain, but the primary benefits are for flood defenses and for wildlife," he said. "Carbon sequestration should be seen as a secondary or tertiary benefit."

The impact may be more meaningful elsewhere. In North America and in Australia, in particular, the marsh is almost "like peat," Dr. Smeaton said, and therefore traps carbon at a far greater rate. "They can draw down crazy amounts," he said. "And mangrove is a thousand times better."

Perhaps that is why there has been such international interest in the experiment at Steart. Ms. Laver has given talks in Canada and in South Korea. The site has even hosted delegations from the Netherlands, a place that knows a thing or two about holding back the sea.

Steart is often described as a "rewilding" project, but Ms. Laver prefers not to use that term. The terrain has been returned to nature but it has been engineered by human ingenuity and curated by human hands.

"Looking after the site requires a lot of intervention," Ms. Laver said, sheltering from a brief, furious rain squall in a bird blind. Through a window, we surveyed a landscape that was still, but ever-changing; natural, but human-made; new, but as it once was.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/22/world/europe/uk-steart-marshes-carbon-climate-change-flooding.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&tgrp=bth&pvid=F435DA27-C3EC-4FA8-B781-A3229D34AC54

Why not the best?

Report Finds Americans Need To Cut Emissions By 3% In Order To Tell Themselves They Did Their Best

https://theonion.com/report-finds-americans-need-to-cut-emissions-by-3-in-order-to-tell-themselves-they-did-their-best/

Next weekend: The Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word

 Oct. 26-27

NASHVILLE, TN
* BICENTENNIAL MALL STATE PARK *
* TN STATE MUSEUM *
* TN STATE LIBRARY & ARCHIVES

The Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word is among the oldest literary festivals in the country, annually welcoming hundreds of authors and thousands of visitors to downtown Nashville each October.

The Festival, a program of Humanities Tennessee, is free and includes performance stages, food trucks, and loads of publishers and booksellers.

We look forward to celebrating the written word with you this Fall!

More info, schedule, etc.

Questions OCT 22

 PH -169 The City. GT 4.18--4.22 (thru Myth of Recycling). McK thru Wendell Berry...

Presentation - Gary Wedgewood

GT

1. What kind of change does Greta say we need? 280 
2. An average U.S. household contains how much stuff? What do we need to do about it? 282-3 [Cue George Carlin and Delbert McClinton]
3. What are Mike Berners-Lee's food rules? 288  And Michael Pollan's (see **below)?
4. How much plastic may enter the ocean by 2040? 293
5. The greatest example of greenwashing today is what? 296

McK

1. Where did the inspiration for "Big Yellow Taxi" come from? (489) Are there are recent pop hits to compare with it or Mercy Mercy Me?
2. What, according to David Brower, saved Grand Canyon? 497 Should Glen Canyon have been dammed?
3. On what scale did humanity appear on earth three minutes 'til midnight? 502-3 Does this insight reinforce for you a sense of humility or respect towards the natural world?
4. Wendell Berry is father of what? What does his Mad Farmer expect? How does he respond to a consideration of all the facts? 504-6
5. What is the true remedy for mistakes, according to Berry? 515
6. What does Berry say our history reveals about us? What's the only thing we have to preserve nature?  521-2

1. Do you want or expect to live in a city, suburb, small town, or the rural countryside in the future? What has been your experience with urban living?

2. COMMENT?: "What becomes of civilization... will be determined by what happens in urban and suburban environments." 149

3. COMMENT?: "Mayors are more effective than national or provincial leaders..." 

4. What do you think of PH's vision of what a regenerative city might look like? Do you hope or expect to live in one someday?

5. Did you know that Socrates spoke of solar energy? 150

6. Is Copenhagen appealing to you? 151

7. Do you support gas bans and rooftop solar?

8. Have you ever lived in a truly "walkable" place?

 

“Long gone are the days when automobiles expanded possibility and choice for the majority of Americans. Now, thanks to its ever-increasing demands for space, speed, and time, the car has reshaped our landscape and lifestyles around its own needs. It is an instrument of freedom that has enslaved us.”

As a fish needs to swim, a bird to fly, a deer to run, we need to walk, not in order to survive, but to be happy.”38 That thought is beautiful, perfectly obvious...”

“[...] most American cities have been designed or redesigned principally around the assumption of universal automotive use, resulting in obligatory car ownership, typically one per adult—starting at age sixteen. In these cities, and in most of our nation, the car is no longer an instrument of freedom, but rather a bulky, expensive, and dangerous prosthetic device, a prerequisite to viable citizenship.”

― Jeff Speck, Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time

9. Is there any good reason not to embrace LBC? 153

10. Should rooftop gardens be a standard requirement in new urban construction? 157

11. In light of the contribution of cities to culture (159), did Marx have a point when he referred to "the idiocy of rural life"? 

12. What can be done to rescue cities (and their young inhabitants) from "environmental generational amnesia"? 160

13. Will the promise of greater neighborliness and a sense of belonging to a community (163) persuade many to join the car-free movement, or at least scale back their dependence on driving?

14. How many amenities and necessities can you reach within 15 minutes on foot or bike? 164

 15. In view of the wisdom of carbon architecture and construction from biofibers (168), does it bother you that MTSU is so heavily invested in concrete?

 

Reinventing Concrete, the Ancient Roman Way

"…the manufacture of concrete is a major driver of climate change, producing 8 percent of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide. By learning the secrets of Roman concrete, researchers like Dr. Masic are trying to devise greener, more durable modern options…" nyt

How Can I Get ‘Forever Chemicals’ Out of My Life?

Take your shoes off before going into the house (among other practical suggestions)... nyt

==

Kathryn's latest post.

In the last several weeks, weather-related natural disasters have devastated many parts of the globe. From hurricanes Helene and Milton slamming the southeastern United States while wildfires surged in the northeast, to flooding across Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Sahara desert, there has never been a more pressing need to discuss the global climate crisis. Furthermore, considering the severity of misinformation around climate change and its effects in the U.S., with rumors circulating that the government is causing these disasters with some type of device, it seems imperative that we try our best to combat this misinformation with scientific facts. Therefore, I wish to provide a brief overview of Earth’s unique climate and how anthropogenic – human-caused – global warming affects that climate and leads to more frequent and severe weather anomalies. I will follow up next week on how we can continue to address climate change. The most important message I wish to convey is that there is still time to change the direction we are headed in and save the lives on this planet; but, to do that, we must understand how we got here. Please remember this as I discuss the climate crisis and the science behind it in this post...

Interconnected Planet, continues

==

** 

Mostly plants

The news that 'Wildlife populations have dropped 73% in 50 years' is making headlines, but inside the report it states that this decline is "driven primarily by the human food system".

It is without a doubt that one of the most impactful things anyone can do is to adopt a plant-based diet.

==

“I realized that the answer to the supposedly incredibly complicated question of what we should eat wasn’t so complicated after all, and in fact could be boiled down to just seven words: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

― Michael Pollan, Food Rules: An Eater's Manual  

 

1. Don't eat anything your great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food. "When you pick up that box of portable yogurt tubes, or eat something with 15 ingredients you can't pronounce, ask yourself, "What are those things doing there?" Pollan says.

2. Don’t eat anything with more than five ingredients, or ingredients you can't pronounce.

3. Stay out of the middle of the supermarket; shop on the perimeter of the store. Real food tends to be on the outer edge of the store near the loading docks, where it can be replaced with fresh foods when it goes bad.

4. Don't eat anything that won't eventually rot. "There are exceptions -- honey -- but as a rule, things like Twinkies that never go bad aren't food," Pollan says.

5. It is not just what you eat but how you eat. "Always leave the table a little hungry," Pollan says. "Many cultures have rules that you stop eating before you are full. In Japan, they say eat until you are four-fifths full. Islamic culture has a similar rule, and in German culture they say, 'Tie off the sack before it's full.'"

6. Families traditionally ate together, around a table and not a TV, at regular meal times. It's a good tradition. Enjoy meals with the people you love. "Remember when eating between meals felt wrong?" Pollan asks.

7. Don't buy food where you buy your gasoline. In the U.S., 20% of food is eaten in the car.

And:

“Eating what stands on one leg [mushrooms and plant foods] is better than eating what stands on two legs [fowl], which is better than eating what stands on four legs [cows, pigs, and other mammals].”

“If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.”

“If you’re not hungry enough to eat an apple, then you’re not hungry.” 

How Can I Get ‘Forever Chemicals’ Out of My Life?

Take your shoes off before going into the house (among other practical suggestions)... nyt

Reinventing Concrete, the Ancient Roman Way

"…the manufacture of concrete is a major driver of climate change, producing 8 percent of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide. By learning the secrets of Roman concrete, researchers like Dr. Masic are trying to devise greener, more durable modern options…" nyt

Either/or

Harris would continue the Biden administration's landmark climate efforts; Trump would roll the country back to more oil and gas. —Scientific American

We are it

"We call it 'Nature'; only reluctantly admitting ourselves to be 'Nature' too."

One of the profoundest, most beautiful things ever written about our relationship with (the rest of) nature.

https://www.themarginalian.org/2018/05/10/america-ferrera-sojourns-in-the-parallel-world-denise-levertov/
https://www.threads.net/@mariapopova/post/DBSuMChBwBF?xmt=AQGzbrmxhqE0w46tc6XEfSD-osNOttQ1sNiuUoE7JJWb1g