Don Fitz When teachers’ union president Ray Cummings told the superintendent that her plan could put students in danger, he brought together problems of excluding workers from critical decisions and schemes to use climate disasters to privatize public schools. On May 16, 2025, a tornado tore through predominantly-Black north St. Louis, killing 5, and leaving … [Read more...] about Public Schools, Climate Disasters, Workers’ Control
Focus on Pages
The "Focus On" section provides in-depth information and opinion on many facets of sustainability. (Although these topics may appear quite distinct and separate, it’s important to remember that they are interconnected and interdependent in multiple ways — in general, the 4 basic principles of ecology apply to all complex systems.)
When you select a Focus On… topic, the system will select all the articles and posts in that category with the most recent pages at the top, just under a brief introduction to the topic. (Many articles appear in multiple categories.)
Background & detail information is organized into the main categories listed in the left sidebar.
Education & Schools
Learning is a natural process that happens in every imaginable setting. Schools are designed, in theory, to promote and enhance learning. Some schools use highly-structured curriculum, while others use a more experiential, democratic, & student-driven approach. In practice, many schools also function to stifle criticism and to instill the values of state policy, religious dogma, or other value systems.
Also, see:
- teach-climate.net for information on how to integrate global warming & climate change into your school!
- resources for better schools & learning
Other school-related topics: Militarism in schools
How We Change Our Minds
Reflections on Resistance and Representation Maura Finkelstein I’m obsessed with questions of memory. I’m a nonfiction writer and have spent most of my life trying to write stories from the position of partial memory, in conversation with folks who also are drawing on partial memory. As an anthropologist, I used to take obsessive field notes. As a person who is now … [Read more...] about How We Change Our Minds
It Takes a Village
Ray Petersen The zebra we saw in the cornfield on our drive out to Osage, Iowa was an early sign that we were soon to see something unusual and unexpected. And even though what we found in Osage was not as dramatic, it has left a more lasting impression. There was a different energy in Osage as if this community shared the best of our past simultaneously with the promise … [Read more...] about It Takes a Village
Pessimism, Optimism, and the Role of Intellectuals
Gary Olson The challenge of modernity is to live life without illusions and without becoming disillusioned… I’m a pessimist because of intelligence, but am an optimist because of will. — Antonio Gramsci (1891- 1937) Back on December 10, 2016, after 45 years of college teaching, I met my last class. The course was Intro to International Politics: How the World Works. After … [Read more...] about Pessimism, Optimism, and the Role of Intellectuals
I am you
Refaat Alareer Two steps: one, two.Look in the mirror:The horror, the horror!The butt of your M-16 on my cheekboneThe yellow patch it leftThe bullet-shaped scar expandingLike a swastika,Snaking across my face,The heartache flowingOut of my eyes drippingOut of my nostrils piercingMy ears floodingThe place.Like it did to you70 years agoOr so. I am just you.I am your past … [Read more...] about I am you
The Student Intifada Links Racism, Mistreatment of Indigenous People, Policing, Global Warming, Anti-Colonial Struggles Around the World, Capitalism, and Imperialism
Gary Olson Those protesters have started a fire that’s going to burn straight through the whole system. — Shahid Bolsen Palestine has become the icon of freedom for the people of the world. — Author Unknown The protest movements — which have spread around the globe —are not built around the single issue of the apartheid state of Israel or its genocide against … [Read more...] about The Student Intifada Links Racism, Mistreatment of Indigenous People, Policing, Global Warming, Anti-Colonial Struggles Around the World, Capitalism, and Imperialism
Rethinking the Food System – Keys to a Strong School Wellness Policy
[The following is taken from the Introduction to the interns’ report.] — Scroll to bottom of page for PDF files — Rethinking the Food System The current food system is one of the largest contributors to global climate change and environmental destruction. Agriculture emits one third of global greenhouse emissions and consumes 70% of our freshwater … [Read more...] about Rethinking the Food System – Keys to a Strong School Wellness Policy
Striking Power: How Temple University Graduate Student Workers Won a New Contract
By Alexander Fischer The Temple University Graduate Student Association (TUGSA 6290), a union that represents more than 750 graduate student workers at Temple struck for over a month from late January to early March 2023. TUGSA, the only graduate student union in Pennsylvania, demanded a living wage, greater parental and bereavement leave, and dependent healthcare. Founded … [Read more...] about Striking Power: How Temple University Graduate Student Workers Won a New Contract
Reflections on Being American
By Elaheh Farmand American flags sprout like trees and wildflowers in backyards and gardens, over and around fences and windows. Tall and grand, they surround diners and restaurants in Pennsylvania, impossible to ignore. With strong winds, they dance almost majestically. What is the message of this flag, built on stolen land with the blood and genocide of its indigenous … [Read more...] about Reflections on Being American
Climate Action — A Winning Strategy for Higher Ed.
Lindsay Meiman If I learned one thing from my undergraduate years at Lehigh University, it’s that any lasting progress for a just world happens through wielding our collective power, coming together across our differences, and challenging institutional and systemic status quo. I didn’t necessarily learn this sitting in lecture halls, but rather organizing both on-campus and … [Read more...] about Climate Action — A Winning Strategy for Higher Ed.