Reading List

The most recent articles from a list of feeds I subscribe to.

Yes, you can fight climate change in your backyard

Vox - All
Image: A woman fans herself while looking out her apartment window. Text: Oftentimes, it seems as though climate change is out of my hands. I try to do my part, but it's hard to feel like small efforts have any real impact. When I discovered the concept of rewilding, I was hopeful that some simple actions could have a tangible benefit on my local ecosystem. Image: The New York skyline at sunset. Text: According to the world's leading climate scientists, small actions on a community level can help curb global warming driven by fossil fuel emissions. The collective worldwide effect of individuals protecting where they live could be quite significant. Image: A landscape with native grass. Text: The definition of rewilding is pretty broad, and can mean different things in different contexts. But the simplest meaning is to help land return to a more “natural state.” Landscapes are always evolving, but the idea is to undo the damage that post-industrial human intervention has had on the environment.Image: A butterfly, moth, and bird fly around plants. Text: A rewilding effort like planting native flora can do so many great things. It can preserve biodiversity and help bring balance to local ecosystems because those plants help attract butterflies, birds, and pollinators like bees, moths, and bats.Image: A pair of feet wearing rainboots step in a puddle surrounded by grass. Text: It can conserve water, since native plants require a lot less than ornamental grass, and land with native plants can absorb rainwater and runoff more efficiently than land with invasive plants…Image: A rainbow shows between lush trees. Text: And it can slow down climate change by allowing more plants to remove carbon from the atmosphere.Image: Trees. Text: Often, rewilding refers to efforts on larger swaths of land by conservation groups or land agencies, and you should do your research before implementing it in your own yard — big or small. Some experts believe it's better to limit further human intervention, and that individuals can cause more harm than good when not following best practices. Image: A woman puts seeds in a planter on a city fire escape. Text: I learned that making an effort from my New York City apartment is pretty simple. Even without a yard, city dwellers can plant native flowers and grasses in containers on a fire escape, rooftop, or front stoop, which encourages birds and pollinators to visit. Image: A woman holds a pumpkin, while hands around her hold carrots. Text: You can join a community garden and get involved with local efforts to protect and nurture the plants that grow naturally in your area. You may even get a veggie or two out of it.Image: Rain water falls into a bucket. Text: If local rules allow, collecting rainwater for your plants can conserve water and be healthier for them than tap. Image: Bees fly around flowers. Text: And even if you do have a grassy lawn but don’t want to let the whole thing grow wild, you can designate just a portion of it to rewilding, which can still make a difference.Image: Cherry blossoms bloom outside of an apartment building. Text: Instead of always focusing on massive, systemic contributions to stop human-caused climate change, we can look at the ecosystems around us and figure out how to support them. The collective rewards could be monumental.

Crumbl’s massive empire was never about the cookies

Vox - All
The age of froyo has faded. Fancy cupcakes are passé. The cronut craze is now a distant fever dream. Dessert trends can sweep by fast, and today we’re in the era of the elaborate cookie — kind of. When Crumbl first burst onto the scene, the novelty was that the company had turned a relatively […]

Too many people are killed by supersized cars. This new rule could help.

Vox - All
In 2021, 5-year-old Allie Hart was killed after she was struck by a van while riding a bike through a crosswalk. After the loss, her mother, Jessica, started advocating for safer streets and vehicles, arguing that no parents should experience what she did.  Allie was one of two children, and 20 people, killed walking and […]

How marijuana legalization played itself

Vox - All
In July, New York City Mayor Eric Adams convened police officials and media to proudly announce that the city had made terrific progress in its much-publicized crackdown on illegal marijuana shops.  Unlicensed shops had sprung up in empty retail storefronts with jaw-dropping speed after New York state legalized marijuana in 2021. There are the bodegas […]

What we don’t talk about when we talk about the “working class”

Vox - All
Since Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris, pundits and politicians have been trying to figure out why the country’s working class is moving to the right.  “Donald Trump Won as the Champion of Working-Class Discontent,” read one headline. “How Donald Trump Gave Democrats the Working-Class Blues,” read another. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders gave Democrats a scathing […]