Serena

A wonderful friend of mine just became a US citizen last week. Lucky America to now count him as one of us! Which got me to wondering: what’s on that citizenship test anyway?

Redaction: forget the mushroom suit when I die. Recompose me, please!

Alan

If you (like me) haven’t yet found time to read Joe Romm’s November 2015 book of 328 pages Climate Change: What Everyone Needs to Know, you can now watch the movie instead. Or at least, you can watch Joe summarize it in a 52-minute lecture: Almost Everything You Know About Climate Solutions Is Outdated.

An important profile of the cohort of southern Americans who are both conservative and disadvantaged.

Kristin G.

As we swing into fall, some may think it’s too early to start thinking about next year’s garden, but I’ve already been dreaming up ways to maximize my two garden plots next year. What will you do differently? Ever think of converting part of your yard into a vegetable garden? Experimenting with new ways to grow your own food can not only fill your fridge but it can also impact climate change.

Another reason to cheer for more fall weather is the return of chanterelle mushrooms. These golden beauties will be sprinkling the forest floor in no time. Foraging for mushrooms is one of my favorite weekend activities and I couldn’t recommend it more. First-timer? The Puget Sound Mycological Society does a great job hosting workshops, foraging trips and ID clinics. Happy hunting!

Keiko

Have the recent tragic police shootings of Terence Crutcher and Keith Lamont Scott left you feeling helpless? To my fellow allies, let’s educate ourselves this fall. Here’s a full syllabus for the Black Lives Matter seminar taught at NYU this semester. Get together with a group and follow along.

  • Our work is made possible by the generosity of people like you!

    Thanks to Craig Doberstein for supporting a sustainable Northwest.

  • Wow, Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman used a press conference this week to address the recent shootings and speak out on racial injustice. Meanwhile, the entire Garfield High School football team took a knee during the national anthem at last Friday’s game; the photos are powerful. I’m proud to see Seattle—the city where I grew up and currently live—take stand.

    Listen to this three-minute piece (or watch the video) that looks at the legacy of segregation and inequality that public housing programs have left behind.

    If you’re in Portland next Thursday, check out We are Not Drowning, We are Fighting, a night of powerful climate poetry by Marshallese poet and climate justice activist Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner.