n the wake of the historic Women’s March on Washington, a cascade of new marches are planned for the coming months, including a march for scientists, a march for LGBTQ+ issues, and a march for climate change. Professional activists and longtime civic leaders are surely thrilled at all this new participation. It is inspiring to see so many new voices activated. But marches … [Read more...]
(The Beginnings of a) Digital Campaigner Manifesto
How to not do useless and/or stupid things online
Last month, I completely disconnected from social media and spent every day talking with other similarly-disconnected digital campaigners and activists at Web of Change, an annual conference bringing together people working at the intersection of social change and technology. It was eye-opening. Because of the lack of reliable internet I was forced to get reflective and … [Read more...]
Comfort Is No Friend in Desperate Moments
I see a lot of people posting about the hard work ahead. It’s true, it will be a rough road. But let's be real about what that hard work means. Make no mistake, none of the strategies employed by the professional advocacy world of the last forty years will suffice to meet the challenges ahead. Third-wave environmentalist partnerships with multinationals will not suffice. … [Read more...]
Beyond Trump and Clinton
Local and State elections are just as important to the country's future.
Debate season has officially started; you’re probably just now starting to see your Facebook and Twitter feeds return to a sense of normalcy after the social media storm that followed the September 26th debate. Not to worry, the next one is just around the corner and your Facebook friends will once again become overnight activists, lawyers, and fact-checkers. Heated arguments … [Read more...]
Energy Equality
How our energy sources determine equality.
Quick: what are the most important factors driving wealth inequality? If you said tax policy, corporate pillaging, corruption, and neoliberal globalization, you’re right! But also missing a big one: energy. As Stanford professor Ian Morris argues in Foragers, Farmers, and Fossil Fuels, the way in which a society captures energy from the environment has a huge impact on … [Read more...]