Author: Carolyn Fortuna

Do Our Individual Behaviors Speed Up Or Inhibit Collective Climate Action?

Occasionally, there is dissension among climate activists and the experts who study them about whether individual behaviors help or hurt collective climate action. In other words, if I walk the climate talk, am I more likely to persuade others — including corporations and governments — to do the same? A … [continued]

What Is Cape Cod Doing To Secure Its Energy Independence And Protect Its Natural Resources?

I’m traveling around Cape Cod, Massachusetts this week. It’s part of a quest to learn how other communities outside my permanent Florida residence are looking ahead to a clean energy and nature-based future. Cape Cod is geographically rare. It is a constantly changing peninsula, altered by winds, ocean currents, climate, … [continued]

What Must We Do To Save US Democracy?

US democracy is in trouble right now. Under the façade of populism, the Trump administration has eroded long-held Constitutional protections. Insistent whispering behind the scenes from the Heritage Society has exacerbated the crisis. To fight back, we must understand the nuances that are contributing to the deterioration of our US … [continued]

It’s Time To Adopt A New Mindset About The Planet

Mother Earth provides every material for our survival, so why do we accept corporate promises to adopt healthy environmental solutions? We know that those promises are little more than subterfuge — after all, astronauts have reported seeing pollution events so large they’ve been spotted from space. We need to change … [continued]

Happy Planet Index Reveals Uneven Progress Toward Climate Goals

The Happy Planet Index (HPI) is the world’s leading measure of sustainable wellbeing. It is calculated from three components: average life expectancy, self-reported wellbeing, and ecological footprint. The latest edition, released today by the Hot or Cool Institute, reveals that, while no country has yet achieved a fully sustainable “Good … [continued]

Indigenous Organizations And Tribal Nations Are Innovating Energy Solutions

Ever since Trump 2.0 ascended the golden staircase to the White House, clean energy has been boo’d, discredited, and denied. Individuals with conservative, closely-held cultural models and domains have spread renewable energy misinformation, sometimes without malice and often without enough prior knowledge to question clean energy controversies spread daily in … [continued]

Simplify Clean Energy Explanations, And More People Will Understand How Renewables Can Improve Their Lives

When I was an early stage doctoral student, our professor asked each of us to turn to someone in the room and explain our upcoming dissertation idea. Whoa! That was tough, as our colleagues didn’t necessarily share our disciplinary background knowledge nor the jargon that we took for granted in … [continued]

The 250th Anniversary Of The Declaration Of Independence Was Nothing Like The Bicentennial Celebrations

On today’s 250th celebration of the United States of America, I’m feeling quite melancholy. The signing of the Declaration of Independence is one of the most important events in US history and should be a cause for great acclaim. Our nation should be relishing the further advancement of human rights, … [continued]