Rachel, this sounds like a great idea and should be do much to inspire people to look for community- led responses. Look forward to the first one next Spring.
This is really exciting! I'm really looking forward to what comes out of this project. Since the Seattle WTO protest in '99, I've been aware that the real solutions to our metacrises lie outside the West/Global North.
Great initiative, Rachel! I'm excited to follow along. Action needs to come from all levels from fully decentralised to centralised. Social movements can really push the needle. But the most frustrating thing is that those in the Global South are paying for, and having to clean up from, the actions of those from the Global North: https://predirections.substack.com/p/the-wealthy-contribute-disproportionately. Regardless, people are hungry for this information. A lot of the questions I receive on my newsletter are about personal actions people can take. I'm often ill-equipped to answer too. So good on you for doing this! Cheers, Jono
Just what's needed. Of course you are connected with @Phoebebarnard and @Johnbowie of climate restorers. They've collected so many stories. And it's marvelous to watch authentic people keep questioning and moving beyond status and certainties. Bravo Rachel
This is so needed. As Bill Rees said, there is so much “what” and barely any “how” in polycrisis discussions. I can’t wait to learn from this effort and convert more ideas into action in my daily life and in my community.
A recent ProPublica investigation found that formaldehyde causes far more cancer than any other toxic air pollutant.
In response, Sen. Blumenthal wrote a letter to the EPA saying "the agency has an obligation to protect the public from the chemical."
Trump EPA Administrator Nominee
Lee Zeldin (Dec 28, 2024)
By Jesse Rifkin
Today we bring you the next in our series on current and former members of Congress nominated to a cabinet post by President-elect Trump.
=================================
Former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY1) is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to replace Michael Regan as EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) administrator. The position requires confirmation by the Senate.
Zeldin served in the House from 2015 to 2023, when he declined to run for reelection to focus on his Republican nomination for New York governor, which he lost in an election that was much closer than expected.
Both Republicans and Democrats alike describe Zeldin’s expected nomination as about rolling back environmental protections to support big business.
Bills introduced
During his eight years in Congress, he was lead sponsor of 84 bills. By GovTrack’s count, by far his most common primary issue area was “Armed Forces and National Security” at 24%. Zero were primarily related to the category “environmental protection.”
That’s because Zeldin is generally opposed to environmental protection. Indeed, he introduced at least two bills that would kill more fish.
2017’s Local Fishing Access Act would have allowed striped bass fishing in an area called the EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) by his New York district. 2015’s Fluke Fairness Act would have allowed fishers in his district to catch more fluke fish, also known as summer flounders, as New York state’s commercial sector only reeled in less than 10% of its estimated potential fluke haul. Neither bill passed.
The League of Conservation Voters gave him a lifetime 14% score. Of the 235 votes the organization marked as important environmental votes during his tenure, he cast what they deemed a “pro-environment” vote in 32.
However, those 32 votes included several where Zeldin was one of the only House Republicans doing so. Here are three examples.
Coastal and Marine Economies Protection Act
Zeldin’s 2019 vote would have banned offshore drilling off both the Atlantic and Pacific U.S. coasts.
House Democrats almost unanimously supported it by 226-5, while House Republicans almost entirely opposed it by 12-183, making Zeldin one of only a dozen members of his party to vote in favor.
The Senate never voted on the measure, despite Democrats controlling the chamber during that Congress.
EPA funding on carbon pollution
In 2019, Zeldin voted against blocking the EPA’s implementation of new tougher standards on carbon pollution.
House Democrats voted almost unanimously in opposition by 1-233, with only Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN7) in favor. House Republicans almost entirely supported it by 177-21, making Zeldin one of less than two dozen members of his party to vote against. Due largely to Democrats, the measure failed, meaning the EPA’s rule stood.
(Interestingly, one of the few other Republican dissenters was former Rep. Matt Gaetz, Trump’s original nominee for Attorney General before dropping out, and hardly known as an environmentalist.)
Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act
Zeldin’s 2019 vote would have banned the shark fin animal parts used as a delicacy in some food items such as soups.
House Democrats almost unanimously supported it by 221-2, while House Republicans opposed it by 89-104 – pitting Zeldin against most members of his party. Though the House passed the measure, it never received a Senate vote in that Congress.
Congress ultimately enacted it three years later as a provision in the 1,772-page annual National Defense Authorization Act for 2022. Though that package passed the House overwhelmingly by both parties, Zeldin didn’t cast a vote.
What Congress is saying
“President Trump has made a strong choice in selecting [Zeldin] to lead the [EPA],” Senate Environment and Public Works Committee top Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) said in a statement. “I look forward to promptly considering Rep. Zeldin’s nomination in the [committee] and to working with him to roll back regulatory overreach and unleash American energy production.”
Democrats strongly oppose the selection.
“Donald Trump has chosen to reward a 2020 election denier, whose only job will be to reward corporate polluters by gutting the EPA and making our air and water dirtier,” Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) posted on X, formerly Twitter. “In Congress and the courts, we’ve got a fight ahead.”
In 2019, no Senate Democrats voted for Trump’s last EPA Administrator nominee Andrew Wheeler, though he was confirmed in the Republican-led chamber anyway. A similar outcome seems likely here.
The Senate will vote on Trump’s nominees once they are formally nominated after he takes office, but senators have already begun meeting with the expected nominees. They may also hold hearings ahead of Trump’s inauguration, to expedite the confirmation process.
I really hope that you will discover something, anything we can do that will make a significant difference.
I confess that I have spent the best part of a year looking for this myself and have not found it. My journey has taken me to all sorts of places and into discussions with many of the acknowledged experts and luminaries.
My question was - “what can I do that will be most effective in reducing the suffering [due to Collapse] of our descendants ?”
Nobody had any big answers. Nothing beyond ‘do whatever you can’.
The maths and physics of collapse make it appear to me to be unavoidable, inevitable.
It’s possible that some humans will go on, scratching a living as best they can. Perhaps our focus ought to be on giving those people the skills they’ll need to survive.
The last time humans lived in a sustainable balance with the planet was when we were hunter gatherers, over 10,000 years ago.
To get back to that, there have to be things to hunt and to gather.
Yes! Let's push to give visibility to all those sprouts of hope that exist around the world. And as you rightly say, since we know how to scale up problems, let's scale out instead everything that leads to the world we all want to live in. Congratulations for the new project!
A woman after my own heart on this line, Rachel! Once we've finished our four documentary films in The Climate Restorers series for TV broadcast and streaming in the next 2-3 weeks (https://www.theclimaterestorers.com), we're taking very much a similar path with the Climate Repair Café, a short-format news magazine style initiative roaming the world in search of stories of people restoring the planet, the climate, and societies. In our case we'll be working with a network of young subproducers feeding and presenting content onto the channel for live feeds. If you can think of any way we can help you or vice versa, I'd be happy to talk further. And all the best for you both on this most important investigative journey!
I love this. I’ve heard the same question so many times, and the answers are always inadequate. Even if the answer is ‘nothing’ we still need to know the best ways to cope with this, and to look after each other on the way out.
Rachel, this sounds like a great idea and should be do much to inspire people to look for community- led responses. Look forward to the first one next Spring.
Thank you!!
This is wonderfully exciting, exactly what we all need... real, actionable inspiration. Safe travels, stay well, stay curious. 👌🌏🙇🏼♂️🙏✌🏼
This is really exciting! I'm really looking forward to what comes out of this project. Since the Seattle WTO protest in '99, I've been aware that the real solutions to our metacrises lie outside the West/Global North.
Great initiative, Rachel! I'm excited to follow along. Action needs to come from all levels from fully decentralised to centralised. Social movements can really push the needle. But the most frustrating thing is that those in the Global South are paying for, and having to clean up from, the actions of those from the Global North: https://predirections.substack.com/p/the-wealthy-contribute-disproportionately. Regardless, people are hungry for this information. A lot of the questions I receive on my newsletter are about personal actions people can take. I'm often ill-equipped to answer too. So good on you for doing this! Cheers, Jono
Just what's needed. Of course you are connected with @Phoebebarnard and @Johnbowie of climate restorers. They've collected so many stories. And it's marvelous to watch authentic people keep questioning and moving beyond status and certainties. Bravo Rachel
Ouch, ouch ouch!!!!
Nice, going on a 12 month holiday with your partner under the guise of : we're going to do good for the world.
You are going by foot I assume?
This is so needed. As Bill Rees said, there is so much “what” and barely any “how” in polycrisis discussions. I can’t wait to learn from this effort and convert more ideas into action in my daily life and in my community.
Here
The largest consumers
The most horrifying polluters
A recent ProPublica investigation found that formaldehyde causes far more cancer than any other toxic air pollutant.
In response, Sen. Blumenthal wrote a letter to the EPA saying "the agency has an obligation to protect the public from the chemical."
Trump EPA Administrator Nominee
Lee Zeldin (Dec 28, 2024)
By Jesse Rifkin
Today we bring you the next in our series on current and former members of Congress nominated to a cabinet post by President-elect Trump.
=================================
Former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY1) is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to replace Michael Regan as EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) administrator. The position requires confirmation by the Senate.
Zeldin served in the House from 2015 to 2023, when he declined to run for reelection to focus on his Republican nomination for New York governor, which he lost in an election that was much closer than expected.
Both Republicans and Democrats alike describe Zeldin’s expected nomination as about rolling back environmental protections to support big business.
Bills introduced
During his eight years in Congress, he was lead sponsor of 84 bills. By GovTrack’s count, by far his most common primary issue area was “Armed Forces and National Security” at 24%. Zero were primarily related to the category “environmental protection.”
That’s because Zeldin is generally opposed to environmental protection. Indeed, he introduced at least two bills that would kill more fish.
2017’s Local Fishing Access Act would have allowed striped bass fishing in an area called the EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) by his New York district. 2015’s Fluke Fairness Act would have allowed fishers in his district to catch more fluke fish, also known as summer flounders, as New York state’s commercial sector only reeled in less than 10% of its estimated potential fluke haul. Neither bill passed.
The League of Conservation Voters gave him a lifetime 14% score. Of the 235 votes the organization marked as important environmental votes during his tenure, he cast what they deemed a “pro-environment” vote in 32.
However, those 32 votes included several where Zeldin was one of the only House Republicans doing so. Here are three examples.
Coastal and Marine Economies Protection Act
Zeldin’s 2019 vote would have banned offshore drilling off both the Atlantic and Pacific U.S. coasts.
House Democrats almost unanimously supported it by 226-5, while House Republicans almost entirely opposed it by 12-183, making Zeldin one of only a dozen members of his party to vote in favor.
The Senate never voted on the measure, despite Democrats controlling the chamber during that Congress.
EPA funding on carbon pollution
In 2019, Zeldin voted against blocking the EPA’s implementation of new tougher standards on carbon pollution.
House Democrats voted almost unanimously in opposition by 1-233, with only Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN7) in favor. House Republicans almost entirely supported it by 177-21, making Zeldin one of less than two dozen members of his party to vote against. Due largely to Democrats, the measure failed, meaning the EPA’s rule stood.
(Interestingly, one of the few other Republican dissenters was former Rep. Matt Gaetz, Trump’s original nominee for Attorney General before dropping out, and hardly known as an environmentalist.)
Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act
Zeldin’s 2019 vote would have banned the shark fin animal parts used as a delicacy in some food items such as soups.
House Democrats almost unanimously supported it by 221-2, while House Republicans opposed it by 89-104 – pitting Zeldin against most members of his party. Though the House passed the measure, it never received a Senate vote in that Congress.
Congress ultimately enacted it three years later as a provision in the 1,772-page annual National Defense Authorization Act for 2022. Though that package passed the House overwhelmingly by both parties, Zeldin didn’t cast a vote.
What Congress is saying
“President Trump has made a strong choice in selecting [Zeldin] to lead the [EPA],” Senate Environment and Public Works Committee top Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) said in a statement. “I look forward to promptly considering Rep. Zeldin’s nomination in the [committee] and to working with him to roll back regulatory overreach and unleash American energy production.”
Democrats strongly oppose the selection.
“Donald Trump has chosen to reward a 2020 election denier, whose only job will be to reward corporate polluters by gutting the EPA and making our air and water dirtier,” Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) posted on X, formerly Twitter. “In Congress and the courts, we’ve got a fight ahead.”
In 2019, no Senate Democrats voted for Trump’s last EPA Administrator nominee Andrew Wheeler, though he was confirmed in the Republican-led chamber anyway. A similar outcome seems likely here.
The Senate will vote on Trump’s nominees once they are formally nominated after he takes office, but senators have already begun meeting with the expected nominees. They may also hold hearings ahead of Trump’s inauguration, to expedite the confirmation process.
I really hope that you will discover something, anything we can do that will make a significant difference.
I confess that I have spent the best part of a year looking for this myself and have not found it. My journey has taken me to all sorts of places and into discussions with many of the acknowledged experts and luminaries.
My question was - “what can I do that will be most effective in reducing the suffering [due to Collapse] of our descendants ?”
Nobody had any big answers. Nothing beyond ‘do whatever you can’.
The maths and physics of collapse make it appear to me to be unavoidable, inevitable.
It’s possible that some humans will go on, scratching a living as best they can. Perhaps our focus ought to be on giving those people the skills they’ll need to survive.
The last time humans lived in a sustainable balance with the planet was when we were hunter gatherers, over 10,000 years ago.
To get back to that, there have to be things to hunt and to gather.
Yes! Let's push to give visibility to all those sprouts of hope that exist around the world. And as you rightly say, since we know how to scale up problems, let's scale out instead everything that leads to the world we all want to live in. Congratulations for the new project!
A woman after my own heart on this line, Rachel! Once we've finished our four documentary films in The Climate Restorers series for TV broadcast and streaming in the next 2-3 weeks (https://www.theclimaterestorers.com), we're taking very much a similar path with the Climate Repair Café, a short-format news magazine style initiative roaming the world in search of stories of people restoring the planet, the climate, and societies. In our case we'll be working with a network of young subproducers feeding and presenting content onto the channel for live feeds. If you can think of any way we can help you or vice versa, I'd be happy to talk further. And all the best for you both on this most important investigative journey!
Hi Rachel. Wonderful initiative. Maybe by mid 2025 we'll have something to show you in the Pacific, NZ permitting https://forumsec.org/publications/release-investment-uk-resilient-and-renewable-niue-natural-grid
Right now our action research is closer to home. All the best, Chris
I love this. I’ve heard the same question so many times, and the answers are always inadequate. Even if the answer is ‘nothing’ we still need to know the best ways to cope with this, and to look after each other on the way out.
Go Rachel - Go! Solutions!
https://christophermeestoerato.substack.com/p/7-days-7-ways?r=12utpl
I’m in.