A link round-up that's NOT a gift guide

All the hopeful things I've been reading

I’ve spent the last few weeks reeling. In addition to the existential low-grade feeling of dread that permeates my every waking moment, we’ve had the normal winter array of aggressive stomach bugs, a very dramatic hybrid engine failure on the turnpike, and a 3 month old who very recently decided he doesn’t particularly enjoy being set down for any real amount of time. When it rains, it pours.

I’ve found solace in a few things, and I just wanted to share them with you today.

Hamilton Nolan at How Things Work wrote a fantastic piece back before the election that I think really got to the root of how we can effect change— both for political leaders and corporations. It’s not an easy task by any means, but I think it’s one of the only conceivable paths forward.

“The true work of political action is not to identify idealized superheroes to run for office. It is, instead, to create the conditions in the world that make it safe for the cowards to vote the right way… The onus is on us to give the cowards a soft path to the moral choice. The education necessary to equip citizens with the facts; the persuasion necessary to move public opinion to the right place; the organizing necessary to mobilize people to fight for the right thing. These things are the substance of “politics.”

How to Think About Politics Without Wanting to Kill Yourself

My former colleague, Emily Mohn-Slate, wrote an incredibly grounding piece about ‘retreating in place,’ or the practice of grounding yourself without tuning the world out:

“My instinct to retreat into my shell is at odds with what I know in my gut—that solidarity with the suffering of others creates compassion. And, without compassion, we are lost. Like, really lost.”

How to (not) Read the News Now

Jen Panaro at Sage Neighbor has tons of great tips for creating a more sustainable holiday season and gets to the heart of what I think most adults are starting to feel about the holiday expectations of ‘more'.’

“I spend more time scouring online gift guides and store aisles to find something to buy… anything that doesn’t feel completely wasteful… for everyone on the obligatory list. I’m told they all need “something to open.” … But my boys, nieces, and nephews don’t even know what to put on their wish lists! Why are we doing this? Who are we serving? Why can’t I opt out?! Who’s in charge here, and to what end?”

easy + susty holiday hacks you can really use

The Netflix documentary Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy was released just a few weeks ago, and I just got around to watching it. I think it’s a great introduction to the consumerism problem, much the same way that Social Dilemma made the challenges of social media immediately obvious. It doesn't have much in the way of new information for those of us who are pretty versed in the consumerist catastrophe, but it has an impressive array of heartbreaking photo ops of discarded fast-fashion/ fast-tech/ throwaway packaging in every corner of the Earth. My 4 year old wandered in at one point and remarked, “That isn’t very nice! We need to go there and clean it up.” Understatement of the century, girlfriend.

And last, but certainly not least, I’ve been working my way through Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson’s impressive new book: What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futures. I think I’ll need a little more time— and maybe a few more hours of uninterrupted sleep— to process it all, but I can already tell you it’s a 10/10 recommend. (Books can be oversized stocking stuffers, right?!)

I hope you’re enjoying a restful December. If you’re looking for a ‘reset’— either right now or in the new year, you might enjoy this article from my archives:

And, as always, thank you for being here on this journey.