COMMONS MAGAZINE
Pope Francis speaking at the European Parliament last year. (Photo by the European Parliament under a Creative Commons license.)
One expects a debate about Pope Francis’ new encyclical to form around the details of climate science, or the efficacy of carbon credits, or the theological merits of ecology. But a stranger, subtler difference of opinion has emerged, one that I suspect has more political consequence than it lets on: the interpretation of mood.
(Photo by Bruce Fingerhood under a Creative Commons license.)
She said something about Josh, who was asleep on my shoulder. Such a sweet boy. Those eyes. I thanked her, asked if she had kids. A daughter, she said, eighteen. Was it hard, her daughter leaving home? Yes. When she looked at her did she still see the three year old the daughter used to be? Yes again.
(Photo by Chris Yakimov under a Creative Commons license.)
In June, we commemorated the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta—commemorating, but not celebrating; rather, mourning the blows it has suffered.
The first authoritative scholarly edition of Magna Carta was published by the eminent jurist William Blackstone in 1759. It was no easy task. As he wrote, “the body of the charter has been unfortunately gnawn by rats”—a comment that carries grim symbolism today, as we take up the task the rats left unfinished.
(Photo by Lee Morley under a Creative Commons license.)
Many schools have a place they refer to as “the commons.” For some students, this is a great place to hang out with friends. For others, however, the commons is an uncomfortable and unfriendly place. It’s where their isolation and not-fitting-in become most noticeable. The commons may also be the place where they are most likely to get bullied.
(Photo by Desbyrne under a Creative Commons license.)
In its policies toward Greece, the "Troika" — a new shorthand for the combined will of the European Commission, European Central Bank, and International Monetary Fund — has actively and enthusiastically embraced Maggie Thatcher’s social and political philosophy, memorably captured in her chilling assertion, “There is no such thing as society.” That philosophy has found its fullest and most concrete exposition in a 2014 “competition assessment” of Greece made by the Organization for Economic Cooperation
(Photo by Matt Karp under a Creative Commons license.)
Walking is moving fast these days.
We may think of it as a slow activity, but travel by foot is quickly being recognized as an effective prescription for health, a convenient means of transportation, a great opportunity to meet people, a smart strategy for saving money, an inspiring way to experience the commons and a lot of fun.
(By Donkey Hotey under a Creative Commons license)
On May 8th at Nike’s headquarters, President Obama denounced opponents of the hotly contested Trans-Pacific Partnership as ill informed. “(C)ritics warn that parts of this deal would undermine American regulation….They’re making this stuff up. This is just not true. No trade agreement is going to force us to change our laws.”
On May 8th at Nike’s headquarters, President Obama denounced opponents of the hotly contested Trans-Pacific Partnership as ill informed. “(C)ritics warn that parts of this deal would undermine American regulation….They’re making this stuff up. This is just not true. No trade agreement is going to force us to change our laws.”
Self-portrait by the author's 15-year-old son.
Earlier this year I decided to read Joe Brainard’s cult classic, I Remember. The book had long intrigued me for I had heard that it was widely taught in creative writing courses and was a favorite of many authors, including several well-known authors whose work I admire. I was immediately drawn to Brainard’s style, each line starting with the words “I remember.” As I read it, I found myself jotting down remembrances of my own, complementing Brainard’s memories of America with my memories of Nigeria.
(Photo by Backbone Campaign under a Creative Commons license)
For much of our history, trade agreements were considered treaties. According to the Constitution they had to be ratified by a two-thirds vote of the Senate. The House does not participate in ratification of treaties (Article II, Section 2).
By the late 19th century Congress realized it was far too cumbersome to require a Congressional vote to change individual tariffs, so they delegated to the President the authority to use tariffs as a flexible tool in the exercise of foreign policy.
(By Woodley Wonderworks under a Creative Commons license)
I’ve just invented a new communication app. It can be used by almost everyone; It works anywhere and anytime, night or day; It doesn’t need batteries, doesn’t need to be plugged in, doesn’t even need the internet; Once people start using it, it is so easy that it is almost impossible to stop using it; it becomes indispensable, and you are hooked, you cannot be without it; It can be tailored to suit any occasion; Its use facilitates an expanding network of people; It’s use opens up incredible possibilities for creativity and cooperation.
Recently, I engaged in an act of reluctant civil disobedience.
Here’s why: a Texas-based energy corporation, Spectra, is about to break ground on a high-pressure gas pipeline in my neighborhood. We’ve done everything we can do stop it – and we have no further recourse.
All of our elected officials – city, state, and federal –have tried to stop this project. The City of Boston and our heroic Congressman Stephen Lynch have “intervener status” –and have tried to delay this project for further review.
Novelist and libertarian guru Ayn Rand considered altruism a form of "self-destruction." (Photo illustration by Playing Futures under a Creative Commons license.)
(By Mary Crandall under a Creative Common license)
The Protect Our Public Lands Act, which would ban fracking on all federal lands, was reintroduced recently by Congressmembers Mark Pocan and Jan Schakowsky, and 12 additional cosponsors.
Photo by Andy McLemore under a Creative Commons license.
The Obamas are proving singularly inept at choosing appropriate venues to highlight their initiatives.
Walmart & Food Deserts
(Photo by Ann under a Creative Commons license)
The Hopi Chief, Dan Evehema, said it for all of us prospective elders before he passed on in 1999 at age 108:
There is a river flowing now, very fast.
It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.
They will try to hold on to the shore.
They will feel they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly.
By Charamelody under a Creative Commons license.
Let me tell you about my career in economics. It started when I was ten and my father, a real economist, hired me to crunch numbers for a book he was writing about the stock market. I used an old Friden mechanical calculator, which literally put the crunch in number-crunching. I had no idea what the numbers meant, but I really enjoyed crunching them.
The streets of Albert Lea. (Courtesy of Blue Zones)
It’s like a small-town scene from Norman Rockwell, updated for the 21st Century.
A Latino family strolls leisurely through the park, immersed in conversation. Coming up fast behind is a blonde woman in designer exercise gear and earplugs, intent on maintaining her power-walking pace. Bringing up the rear is a young man with his Husky, both of them staring up at a patch of sun that has appeared from behind the clouds.
(By Lindsay France, courtesy of Cornell University)
(By Garry Knight under a Creative Commons license)
At a time when ecological destruction is more dire than ever, the work of protecting the planet depends on dreamers just as much as of scientists, activists, public officials and business leaders.
While it’s critical to wrestle power away from those who believe that corporate profits are all that matter, we won’t achieve a sustainable, just future without serious attention to imagining a different kind of world. That’s why it’s great to see artists playing an increasingly active role in the climate justice movement today.