Photo by NASA Hubble Space Telescope on Unsplash
I have become an expert compartmentalizer. As a climate change scientist, I have built many compartments over the years as climate scientists’ warnings become headlines and we ignore climate tipping point after tipping point. My compartments are serving me well during our current moment, as I push down rage in response to the daily horrors of the Trump administration in order to function and experience joy.
This is of course playing out collectively. The daily barrage of corruption, malice, criminal negligence, stupidity, carelessness, and kidnapping and murder, are singularly and collectively no longer show stoppers. Things that would have previously ended careers and landed people in jail are now short bumps on the road to fascism. The mental burden leads to exhaustion-by-outrage and the almost complete lack of accountability means there is no release.
Compartmentalization to the rescue.
I have no magic solutions, except to draw from others who continue to advocate for rest, pleasure, and joy. Do you need to read romantasy to get through the day? Awesome! Are you rewatching “Jane the Virgin” for the 10th time? Me too. Did you take up wood working or knitting? I am jealous and inspired. In this moment, lets do the things that bring us rest and joy and then get back to the work of building a vision for a better world. Anand Gidiharadas wrote an epigraph in Rebecca Solnit’s new book (deets below) “We are living through a result against the future. The future will prevail.”
Here is to the future!
take action
No Kings rallies March 28th - find your rally or find other ways to support!
bookmark this
The Center for the Study of Organized Hate’s “Mapping the Ideological Core of Far-Right Movements Globally”
Interested in a job in climate? Check out this Green Jobs Board.
check it out
Color us not surprised - study finds NIH grant terminations affect women scientists more than men.
Some people are advocating for Americans to stop paying taxes as a protest.
The Science of Fiction newsletter, written by the amazing scientist and science journalist Maddie Stone, explains the cool stuff we read/see in popular science fiction. The latest newsletter is all about microbes, featured heavily in Project Hail Mary (book and movie).
Absolutely appalling, the Trump administration has deported parents of at least 11,000 children.
around the world
Cuba is facing another energy blackout as the US’ blockade continues, leaving millions of residents without power. Oh, and Trump seems to think “taking Cuba” is on the table.
Israeli soldiers reportedly tortured an 18-mo old baby in Gaza.
Lebanon is facing humanitarian catastrophe
weekly wonder
Scientist filmed a sperm whale giving birth while other female whales worked together to support the mother and her newborn.
more of this please
Hundreds of thousands of women in Chile protested for their rights on International Women’s Day, speaking out against the incoming far-right administration
Olivia Rodrigo’s new music video is made up of footage from children in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, and Yemen - and is part of War Child Records’ new charity album.
The people of Minneapolis have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Longer reads
“The women leading the farmworker movement won’t let it be defined by Cesar Chavez” (The 19th)
NYT investigation into Cesar Chavez found extensive evidence of sexual abuse and grooming of young girls
Dolores Huerta issued a statement describing her experience with Chavez, including sexual abuse and violence.
A must read - a very damning assessment at the nonprofit industrial complex.
book nook
The beginning comes after the end: notes on a world of change by Rebecca Solnit is a much needed reminder that while our current moment is dark, we are moving towards the light.
all ears
The entire history of the universe (that’s right) in just 10 podcast episodes on The Universe, with Dr. Katie Mack and John Green.
watch this
“What I Learned From 12 Hours of DOGE Bro Depositions (with Krystal Ball” from the A Bit Fruity podcast by Matt Bernstein. And then maybe a guided meditation to calm down from how unbelievably rage-inducing this is.