In a corrupt, confused, and outdated political system, implementation is always the hardest part of good public policy. I think this is why Evanston and other U.S. governmental units are having such public trust problems these days. In this situation, I find it helpful to spend time bouncing back and forth between the nitty-gritty — […]
Climate crisis
Public trust issues are compounding fast in Evanston and it’s hard to make sense of everything — especially when officials (staff and elected) are playing “cover my ass”. On the other hand, we all still have to keep plugging along on City business — for example, deciding how to spend the American Rescue Plan […]
Fossil fuel is fuel made out of fossils — long dead and buried organic organisms, plant and animal. Before it became fuel — oil, coal, natural gas — what was it? Before people started using it for fuel, what purpose did it serve in the cosmos? What was the meaning of its presence? How did […]
Are we truly emerging from our pandemic cocoons? If so, then the recent climate webinar with Stan Cox (hosted by Chicago Area Peace Action and other local groups) was right on time to re-focus our energies on our relationship to the Earth. See my blog Earth Emergency (Part 2) for details on the webinar and […]
Recently, I began writing a Food Politics Corner for a local newsletter. The Wild Onion Market is a food co-op being developed in Chicago. As a new member (but long-time food & farm activist), I was invited to share short & sweet news items on a monthly basis. Together with WOM’s communications team, we developed […]
On June 3, 2021, I had the good fortune to listen to a no-nonsense plant scientist, Stan Cox of The Land Institute, frame the climate emergency in a few clear and immediate actions. This blogpost is my summary of his recommendations, plus a few of my own. Thanks to Chicago Area Peace Action for hosting […]
Recently, the official Major League Baseball website featured an article on Fenway Farms — 5,000 square feet of food production happening on the premises of Boston’s famed stadium. The article by Matt Monagan (Fenway Park has a Farm, with great photos) mentioned that at least three other MLB stadiums were also growing food on-site, although […]
May is a busy, busy month. Even in a non-pandemic year, farmers and gardeners are working 10-, 12-, 14-hour days. Teachers, students, parents, and school officials are intensely focused on final exams and graduation. The Illinois General Assembly is wrapping up a legislative session. And then there’s always breaking news. Here’s some deadline alerts and […]