Eric dP:
Are rich people meaner and more selfish than the rest of us? There’s social science evidence that they are.
Can cities be the cure for what ails us environmentally? In a recent TED talk, Alex Steffen says yes.
Is this guy the worst person in the world? I’d say he’s a contender. (Don’t click unless you want your day ruined.)
Why are restaurant websites so horrifically bad? Slate has the answer.
Anna:
With a seemingly ceaseless stream of bad news getting me down lately, I was glad to see this essay on hope by Rebecca Solnit. A big takeaway is that, unlike plain old optimism, hope requires regular care and feeding. “Optimists” she writes, “expect everything to turn out nicely without any effort being expended toward that goal.” To be hopeful means that you work for the change you want and fight for the things you believe in, as so many others are doing now and have in the past. It’s a good reminder if you’re feeling like throwing up your hands and walking away.
There’s never enough time to read everything I want to! Here are a couple of the library books currently stacked on my bedside table (and half-read in my Kindle): Escape from the Ivory Tower: Making Your Science Matter by Nancy Baron, The Weather of the Future: Heat Waves, Extreme Storms, and Other Scenes from a Climate-Changed Planet by Heidi Cullen, Why We Disagree about Climate Change: Understanding Controversy, Inaction, and Opportunity by Mike Hulme, and Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain by David Eagleman.
Clark:
A civil engineer asks: do we really need so many new roads?
A great (and sobering) data visualization of rising global CO2 levels.
Eric H:
Looking to lower your diet’s carbon footprint? Switch from bovine to bugs.
Nicole:
I love this article. It’s pragmatic, personal, and the More than Wheels program in New Hampshire doesn’t require that people turn their lives upside down in order to a.) get out of debt and b.) reduce their carbon footprint. Instead, it works with the frustrating realities many of us face and makes good choices easier. The story is an inspiring example of how access to a better tool (in this case a more efficient car) can lead to the behavioral changes we’re all hoping for in the sustainability movement.
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