Reading list for climate optimism

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Arcadia created a reading list for climate optimism. The company’s “mission is to stop climate change by breaking the fossil fuel monopoly. Our technology is lighting a cleaner path forward for everyone, from everyday consumers and small businesses to the innovators building the next generation of energy products.”

My problem is that I’m no longer a climate optimist. The climate clock indicates we have a little more than four years to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. I would be extremely dubious if the world were working together to achieve this goal.

But when FOTUS says we’re going to “drill, baby, drill..” 

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body that assesses the science of climate change. A recent report: 

Human activities, principally through emissions of greenhouse gases, have unequivocally caused global warming, with global surface temperature reaching 1.1°C above 1850-1900 in 2011-2020. Global greenhouse gas emissions have continued to increase, with unequal historical and ongoing contributions arising from unsustainable energy use, land use and land-use change, lifestyles, and patterns of consumption and production across regions, between and within countries, and among individuals.

It’s difficult for me to see how we can mitigate or ameliorate the situation.

Still…

But since you may be less pessimistic than I am, I will share the articles anyway. Here are a few books that can help energize an action-filled 2025:

Electrify: An Optimist’s Playbook for Our Clean Energy Future, by Saul Griffith

Revolutionary Power: An Activist’s Guide to the Energy Transition, by Shalanda Baker

Climate Optimism: Celebrating Systemic Change Around the World, by Zahra Biabani

Terrible Beauty: Reckoning with Climate Complicity and Rediscovering Our Soul, by Auden Schendler

The Future We Choose: The Stubborn Optimist’s Guide to the Climate Crisis, by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac

Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet, by Hannah Ritchie

Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility, edited by Rebecca Solnit and Thelma Young Lutunatabua

How to Be a Climate Optimist: Blueprints for a Better World, by Chris Turner

Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action, by Dana R. Fisher

H Is for Hope: Climate Change from A to Z, by Elizabeth Kolbert

I’m crossing my fingers and toes and rolling my tongue…

Silence dissenters

Turning Point USA

Would America silence dissenters? I’ve been reading Heather Cox Richardson since the middle of 2024. Frankly, I thought she was way too optimistic last year. Her philosophy as a historian was that she knew of worse times and that the United States has enough resilience to overcome the awful. But since the last election and particularly since the inauguration, she seems to be more concerned about what is happening and what might occur. This piece from mid-April 2025:
In a strange twist, I was actually researching the extraordinary powers of the Department of Homeland Security… for a radio show when Forbes broke the news that the DHS was looking for help compiling a database of “media influencers.” DHS leaders want the database to include journalists, editors, correspondents, social media influencers, bloggers, and so on, and to include the “sentiments” of the people in it.
While DHS spokesperson Tyler Q. Houlton tweeted that monitoring the media is normal practice and that “any suggestion otherwise is fit for tin foil hat-wearing, black helicopter conspiracy theorists,” many people have helpfully pointed out that, in fact, this is a move straight out of Putin’s playbook, and that media influencers with the wrong “sentiments” get arrested or attacked, or they disappear.
There is no way now to know which interpretation is the right one.
But I do know that it’s a funny thing as an American to realize that saying or writing something could lead to imprisonment, torture, or death. It happens in other countries, of course, and it has certainly happened here at times, but it has never been part of our lives that we had to worry that our own government would, in a systematic way, silence dissenters.
Nah, not here! Right?
The first reaction to this realization is denial: there is no way this could happen. And then it gets personal: there is no way this could happen to me. And finally, the personal turns the idea into a bit of a joke: the concept that I would be important enough to silence just proves that the idea is ridiculous.
But then you wonder. Perhaps every person thinks they’re safe right up until they hear the door slam against the wall.
And it goes on. She’s been put on a Professor Watchlist, “a project of 501(c)3 non-profit Turning Point USA. The mission… is to expose and document college professors who discriminate against conservative students and advance leftist propaganda in the classroom. Professor Watchlist is a carefully aggregated list sourced by published news stories detailing instances of radical behavior among college professors.”
HCR wasn’t all that concerned about being on the roster until I understood how frightened other people were about my inclusion on it, and I suddenly saw that maybe the fact that our government supported the sort of folks who were policing universities meant that the watchlist was a very different thing than I had become accustomed to. 
AmeriNZ
My good buddy Arthur, who was born in the US, but who now lives in New Zealand,  wrote in response:  “The regime absolutely intends to target US citizens who don’t bow down before the convicted felon to send them to an El Salvador death camp. That means that it’s absolutely rational to stay quiet and say nothing—were it not for the fact that there’s no safety in silence, as folks 80 years ago would attest to, had their own fascist regime not ended them. Moreover, the harsh truth is that once something is posted online, it’s forever: Nothing is ever actually ‘gone’ and cannot be erased. So, anyone who has ever criticised the Republican God-King is already on a List. If we’re doomed anyway, why no go out with a fricking bang?”
A US citizen told to self-deport: “‘They want immigrants to be uncomfortable here.’ Nicole Micheroni, an immigration attorney and U.S. citizen born and raised in Massachusetts, has not heard from the Department of Homeland Security since it told her to leave the country.”
Who, me?
Common Sense: “As independent journalist Ken Klippenstein reported, White House Senior Director for Counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka said in an interview with Newsmax that the divide between the [regime], which has sent hundreds of people to a notorious foreign prison without trial and disobeyed a Supreme Court order, and those who oppose its actions boils down to a disagreement between those who ‘love America’ and those who ‘hate America..’

“‘We have people who love America, like the president, like his Cabinet, like the directors of his agencies, who want to protect Americans,’ said Gorka. “And then there is the other side, that is on the side of the cartel members, on the side of the illegal aliens, on the side of the terrorists….

“And you have to ask yourself, are they technically aiding and abetting them?” Gorka said. “Because aiding and abetting criminals and terrorists is a crime in federal statute.”

All of this has gotten me a bit discombobulated. I’ve written some, let’s say, less-than-complimentary posts about the current regime on my little blog, which gets a little over a thousand views a week.  But surely, I don’t need to worry. Little ol’ me? 
Certainly not. Probably not. Maybe not. Maybe? Despite being a political science major in college, I’d rather write about the arts and music than about politics. But this is the hand we’ve been dealt, so we play it.

“with great love, sincerity, and affection”

Easter message from FOTUS

I saw this online from TruthSocial and had to double-check to ensure it wasn’t a spoof or a fraud.
Happy Easter to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics who are fighting and scheming so hard to bring Murderers, Drug Lords, Dangerous Prisoners, the Mentally Insane, and well known MS-13 Gang Members and Wife Beaters, back into our Country. Happy Easter also to the WEAK and INEFFECTIVE Judges and Law Enforcement Officials who are allowing this sinister attack on our Nation to continue, an attack so violent that it will never be forgotten!
Sleepy Joe Biden purposefully allowed Millions of CRIMINALS to enter our Country, totally unvetted and unchecked, through an Open Borders Policy that will go down in history as the single most calamitous act ever perpetrated upon America. He was, by far, our WORST and most Incompetent President, a man who had absolutely no idea what he was doing — But to him, and to the person that ran and manipulated the Auto Pen (perhaps our REAL President!), and to all of the people who CHEATED in the 2020 Presidential Election in order to get this highly destructive Moron Elected, I wish you, with great love, sincerity, and affection, a very Happy Easter!!!
Apologist
A right-wing rag responded: “While the message contains strong language aimed at political adversaries, Trump emphasized a tone of inclusion directing his holiday wishes to all regardless of political affiliation or past conflict…
“The underlying tone of the message remains consistent with Easter’s spirit of reconciliation by addressing both allies and critics. Trump appeared to be emphasizing a broader sense of national dialogue during a religious holiday centered on renewal and hope.” What a load of crap.
What People Are Saying

Adam Kinzinger, former Republican Illinois representative wrote in two back-to-back X, formerly Twitter, posts on Sunday sharing Trump’s Easter note: “Dear Christians who think Trump is the savior, here is his inspiring Easter message or forgiveness and resurrection.”

In a second post, he wrote: “How many times Trump mentions Jesus or resurrection: 0 How many times he says Lord: 1, (drug LORDs)”

“Republicans Against Trump,” a group of GOP supporters who don’t back Trump, wrote in an X post Sunday: “Donald Trump dedicated his Easter message to attacking the ‘Radical Left Lunatics,’ ‘the worst and most incompetent President,’ ‘Sleepy Joe Biden,’ and once again falsely claimed he won the 2020 election. Ah yes, the true spirit of Easter: rage-posting about your political enemies.”

Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action gun violence prevention organization, wrote on X: “Easter message from an incompetent maniac.”

PatriotTakes, a left-leaning X account that says it’s dedicated to “exposing right-wing extremism and other threats to democracy,” wrote on Sunday: “Trump’s Easter message fails to mention Jesus, the cross, the resurrection, forgiveness, peace, joy, or any other Easter message. Instead, he attacked his political opponents, migrants, judges, law enforcement, and rambled about himself and his grievances.”

Christopher Webb, who identifies as a Democrat and has over 122,000 followers on X, wrote about Trump’s post: “Imagine being this bitter, this unhinged—and still thinking you’re the victim. Trump can’t even say Happy Easter without turning it into a rage-filled tantrum.”

Too cozy

Shane Claiborne, author, activist, and Christian, shared a cartoon by Mike Luckovich of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, depicting Trump hugging a cross with a thought bubble showing “Big Beautiful ‘T’ for Trump!” Claiborne wrote: “Easter… according to Trump. Every Easter as Trump goes on a narcissistic rant… I think about this cartoon by @mluckovichajc.” (I have read Claiborne and Chris Haw’s 2008 book Jesus for President. . “David Swanson wrote a three-part review of Jesus for President in Christianity Today, in which he argues that ‘Claiborne and Haw make a compelling case that the church in America has become much too cozy with the state.'”

Sunday Stealing is FAB

laundry detergent

For Sunday Stealing: “Since it’s Easter weekend, we’re going to keep this simple. We stole this from a blogger named Idzie, who called this the FAB. (film, audio, book) meme.”

There is such a blurring of the lines between movies and television shows that it’s challenging for me to categorize them. Also, I find it interesting that some people watch TV and films on their phones; I find this utterly unsatisfactory. I don’t wanna be tied to my phone. Adriana Diaz on CBS Mornings talked about watching a horror movie on her phone, occasionally covering her eyes. In my opinion, that’s no way to watch a movie. I want to watch a film on the big screen; failing that, on a television screen. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I watched many films on my laptop; it was an extraordinary time.

F.A.B.

F. Film: What movie or TV show are you watching? 

Most of the movies I watch, I’ve blogged about on this site. 

I watch CBS Sunday Morning, 60 Minutes, CBS Saturday Morning, Jeopardy, Abbott Elementary, Finding Your Roots, Grey’s Anatomy (been watching since the beginning), and Elsbeth (who was a character on the TV show called The Good Wife, which I used to watch religiously).  I still watch JEOPARDY! and enjoy it when I get a clue that none of the contestants know: MYTHOLOGY $800: Stronger than dirt, this great warrior eventually went mad & killed himself. 

A. Audio: What are you listening to?

Most of what I’m listening to, aside from the Coverville and AmeriNZ podcasts and the Heather Cox Richardson Substack, are YouTube videos, which I watch as well as listen to.

For instance, I watch Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, which is on HBO,  but I don’t watch it on HBO, but on YouTube a day or three later on my laptop.

I always watch Vlogbrothers. Sometimes, I watch The Legal Eagle, The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart, Trae Crowder Liberal Redneck, and Rick Beato.

I do a lot of grazing. Upstate Uncovered by Chuck D’Imperio. Searching for Solid Ground, a memoir by Reggie Harris. A bunch of reference books.

Part 2 of the 1935 #1 hits

Rodgers & Hart

Here is Part 2 of the 1935 #1 hits.

“In 1934, two separate top 20 charts began: one for best-selling records (based primarily on the record label charts and Murrells, supplemented by other sources such as Kinkle and Ewan) and one for Your Hit Parade and radio airplay. The latter charts were based solely on radio airplay in 1934 and early 1935. Starting in April of 1935, Your Hit Parade and radio airplay rankings were weighed together for”  The Century of Pop Music Charts.  Thus, the charts show 77 weeks of #1 hits.

Two weeks at #1

East Of The Sun (And West Of The Moon) – Tom Coakley, vocals by Carl Ravazza (Victor) From the Princeton Triangle Club’s production “Stags At Bay.”

It’s Easy To Remember – Bing Crosby with George Stoll and his orchestra (Decca), “‘Mississippi’ was one of  Crosby’s finest Paramount musicals” and boasted several Rodgers & Hart songs

What’s The Reason (I’m Not Pleasin’ You)? – Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, vocals by Carmen Lombardo (Decca)

Life’s A Song (Let’s Sing It Together) – Ruth Etting (Columbia)

Lullabye of Broadway – Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, vocals by Bob Crosby (Decca) Warren & Dubin tune from “Gold Diggers of 1935” 

The Object Of My Affection – Boswell Sisters with Jimmie Grier and his orchestra  (Brunswick). This was also a 1934 #1 hit by Jimmie Grier with Pinky Tomlin

Let’s Swing It – Ray Noble and his orchestra, vocals by  The Freshman (Victor) from  Earl Carroll’s “Sketch Book of 1935”

Red Sails In The Sunset – Bing Crosby with Victor Young and his orchestra (Decca)

A Little Bit Independent – Fats Waller and his Rhythm (Victor)

A single week at #1

On Treasure Island – Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra, vocals by Edythe Wright (Victor)

Rhythm Is Our Business – Jimmy Lunsford and his orchestra, vocals by Willie Smith (Decca) Written by Sammy Cahn (his 1st credit) / Jimmie Lunceford / Saul Chaplin

Soon – Bing Crosby withn George Stoll and his orchestra (Decca), another Rodgers & Hart song from “Mississippi” 

And Then Some – Ozzie Nelson and his orchestra (Brunswick). Yes, the guy from The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. 

Paris In The Spring – Ray Noble and his orchestra, vocals by Al Bowlly (Victor). The title song from a 1935 Paramount movie 

Ramblin' with Roger
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