“The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.”
– Eden Phillpotts

RESOURCE DEPLETION

Resilience.org https://www.resilience.org/ An outstanding clearinghouse for current information, news and insights regarding resource depletion, the destabilisation of our climate and related topics.  For a clearly written introduction to the science of depletion, building up from the basics, look no further.

Dr. Albert Bartlett https://www.youtube.com/…/ Dr. Bartlett applies the arithmetic of steady growth to populations and to fossil fuels. A lot more jaw-dropping than it sounds. One of the most important videos online.

Human population https://ourworldindata.org/…/ While human population levels are clearly less critical than consumption levels and the wider culture, it’s nonetheless hard to look at this simple graph and video and not recognise an issue.  I also recommend David Attenborough’s excellent documentary How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth?

Beyond the Superorganism https://www.sciencedirect.com/…/ Prof. Nate Hagens holds the unusual combination of a history on Wall St., a Masters in Finance, and a PhD in Natural Resources.  In 12 short pages he clearly and holistically summarises our predicament, with a focus on human psychology.

The Crash Course https://www.peakprosperity.com/crashcourse Chris Martenson also undertakes the daunting task of clarifying the overarching interplay of economics, energy and environment unfolding today. He not only pulls it off, but does so in easily digestible videos from 2-15 minutes long. Or there’s an ‘Accelerated Crash Course’ there that covers everything in an hour.  Incidentally, he also makes for an excellent interviewer.

Oily comedy! https://www.youtube.com/…/ Ready for some light relief? Rob Newman is a renowned stand-up comedian who shows in this entertaining 45 minute show that he understands the challenges we face.

Let’s Talk Collapse https://www.letstalkthis.com/collapse/ The prospect of societal collapse — while a poorly-defined term — is already a reality for many in our world.  For others the very thought is a shock.  This impressive website gives an accessible overview of some of the best thinking on the topic.

THE DESTABILISATION OF OUR CLIMATE

xkcd cartoons https://xkcd.com/1732/ and https://xkcd.com/1379/ These two rather brilliant cartoons pretty accurately sum up and present the latest climate science in a nutshell.  Or, more conventionally, here’s an excellent, readable, straightforward guide to the basics of climate change.

Deep Time walk https://www.facebook.com/…/ The ecologist Stephan Harding takes us on the Deep Time walk he devised, with its rather shocking conclusion.  A mind-opening five-minute excerpt from the film The Sequel: What Will Follow Our Troubled Civilisation?

Climate time machine https://climate.nasa.gov/interactives/climate-time-machine/ NASA’s climate time machine gives an exceptionally accessible visualisation of how the Earth’s climate has changed and is changing, grounded in the most robust data we have.  Or for the key indicators of the situation right now, see here for clear and regularly updated records.

Real Climate http://www.realclimate.org/…/ A climate site run by climate scientists. If you’re confused by some of the more complex aspects of climate change, this is the site that knows the answers. And my own Climate Science Translation Guide is a useful grounding if you want to delve into scientific papers yourself.

How to answer climate change sceptics https://grist.org/series/skeptics/ There are still some arguments out there to the effect that humanity is not really destabilising our climate. Unfortunately the evidence says that that’s not true — here are the answers to the common contrarian arguments.

Confessions of a recovering environmentalist https://orionmagazine.org/…/ Equally, there’s as much danger in listening to the mainstream environmentalist narrative, as Paul Kingsnorth powerfully reflects here. Or as revealed by this astonishing 6 minute rap battle between Al Gore and climate change denier Christopher Monckton!

On death and hopelessness https://www.truthout.org/…/ A man who has met the death of hope in the most direct way tells us what he learnt there.  Joanna Macy acknowledges despair, and what it brings.  While the outstanding PostDoom.com interviews a remarkable selection of folk about lives well lived in this context.  Here’s my own interview with them, which launched the site.  And — unexpectedly — a simple, beautiful, fun, powerful flowchart!

OUR ECONOMIC SYSTEMS

Money through the eyes of Mowgli https://www.brettscott.substack.com/…/ Brett Scott uses his background in anthropology to brilliantly open our eyes to the deep assumptions about money most of us inherited from our culture, and how much of a threat these pose to our understanding of reality.

Money as Debt https://www.youtube.com/…/ An impressively clear and engaging animated explanation of the little-understood reality behind our existing monetary system — money really is created out of thin air; then we let people tell us what to do with our days in exchange for it. I also recommend this two minute video for a touch of comic relief on the matter!

The Moneyless Manifesto /MoneylessManifesto.pdf Written by Mark Boyle, the ‘Moneyless Man’, this wonderful, amusing and deeply thought-provoking book explores the freedom of doing without money, to the extent that feels right for you.  Free pdf download here, or buy the physical book from Permanent Publications. See also The Art of Frugal Hedonism!

Ethical consumerism https://www.huffpost.com/…/ This piece highlights the exceptional Fairphone (I own a second-hand one myself), but importantly uses it to explain why choosing greener products can’t ultimately achieve all that much.  If we take that thought a little further we get to…

The Flaw of Western Economies https://www.permaculturenews.org/…/ Here Marcin Gerwin explains why even if everyone started making conscious, ethical choices to reduce their consumption, that still wouldn’t get us out of the mess our economic systems have gotten us into.  So…

Surviving the Future https://www.flemingpolicycentre.org.uk/books/ The late David Fleming’s book explains the only remaining desirable path forward from our seemingly impossible dilemma.  For a taste of its contents see my popular article.  Or roam off into his astonishing, entertaining thinking under your own steam:— the wider book from which Surviving the Future was drawn is now available free and in full at LeanLogic.online. 

How MIGHT WE respond?

National scale

Activism https://www.darkoptimism.org/…/ Movements like Extinction Rebellion and Peaceful Uprising are people organising to demand more effective action to protect our futures.  Here’s why I personally chose to get arrested as part of the first Extinction Rebellion.

TEQs (Tradable Energy Quotas) https://www.teqs.net/ The kind of simple yet brilliant policy we desperately need right now.  A national framework providing a means both to guarantee achieving emissions reductions targets, and to ameliorate the impacts of resource depletion.

Green Alliance report on ‘Grid 2.0’ https://www.green-alliance.org.uk/…/ The Green Alliance produced this clear and compelling piece of work on the new thinking that is needed for electricity distribution and the National Grid.  Of course one could wonder about whether grids are the way to go at all, but that’s another question…

Permaculture Principles https://www.permacultureprinciples.com/…/ Permaculture is often termed a design system. It is that, but it is also an entire way of seeing life, based around the principles of Care for the Earth, Care for People and Fair Shares. It is one of those beautiful ideas that get deeper the more you explore them, and this site is a lovely introduction. Also see this gem of a 9 minute video. 

Community scale

Transition Towns https://transitionnetwork.org/ A movement I was involved with from the outset, of towns and communities building resilience and conversation for the widest range of possible futures.  Find the Transition initiative nearest you (worldwide) and see what’s happening!  Or if you’re inclined to something a little more radical, learn about — or visit! — the incredible ZAD (if you want more after those 7 mins, here’s the story).

The Localisation Action Guide https://actionguide.localfutures.org/ The wonderful deep-rooted organisation Local Futures have developed this menu of actions bridging from the national policy level right down to personal change.  So if you want to get started, here’s a smorgasbord of options, regardless of the rural, suburban or urban location you find yourself in.  Along with the resources you need to walk your chosen path!

Flatpack Democracy https://www.flatpackdemocracy.co.uk/ As the name implies, this is a movement about rolling up sleeves and doing-it-(y)ourself. A wonderful little booklet, and website, from local people who decided to abandon party politics altogether and take over their own town councils, democratically, as independents. Twenty UK councils are already under independent, diverse, local control as a result! This video is a good intro.

Commons Economies https://lowimpact.org/…/ Now here’s a beautiful young working-class movement, providing practical ways for ordinary people to access the things they need and want (food, housing, services, products…) without needing money for them. Helping communities globally build satisfaction, purpose and resilience through owning their own resources and productivity, fully independent of corporations and government and debt.

Diggers and Dreamers https://www.diggersanddreamers.org.uk/ If you’re more interested in living in a community explicitly focused on a particular intention — rather than ‘retrofitting’ the community in which you live — Diggers and Dreamers is a perfect place to discover possibilities (focused on Britain). Or if you’re curious about life in an intentional community but have no idea where to start, here’s a great friendly guide, applicable anywhere.

OrganicLea https://www.organiclea.org.uk/ There is a glorious profusion of incredible community groups doing invaluable work, so it may seem strange to pick out one to mention here. OrganicLea, on the edge of London, feels to deserve it though. A potent workers’ cooperative growing food, training food growers and heavily active in working for a better society, it’s a inspiring example of what’s possible wherever you are.

Surviving the Future: Conversations for Our Time https://ce.sterlingcollege.edu/…/ I lead this always-available online programme, in partnership with Vermont’s Sterling College.  Conversations, courses and welcoming community making sense of these troubled times together, alongside some of today’s leading thinkers and doers.  With participants from every continent on Earth (yes, including Antarctica!), it’s a home from home for me. 

Personal scale

Connect with others  There’s no need to feel alone with the apocalypse.  Besides my Conversations for Our Time offerings above, check out the regular Post-Doom, No Gloom or Safe Circle small-group Zoom calls (run by CfOT alumni), or psychologist Margaret Klein Salamon’s climate-focused sharing and listening sessions.  The Climate Psychology Alliance offer support, including one-to-one therapeutic sessions.  Or there are Deep Adaptation events, and the CollapseSupport community on Reddit or Discord.  All welcoming, and free.

LowImpact.org https://www.lowimpact.org/ A truly outstanding resource with free, clear, accessible guidance on just about every practical aspect of shifting your life in light of the times we are living in (+ free access to expert advice).  See also LowTechMagazine.com.

The Ecological Land Co-operative https://ecologicalland.coop/ The Eco Land Co-op — which I used to chair — takes on sites across the UK where we make it possible for people to get long-term access to land, affordably build a home there, and start a new smallholding or land-based project.

Secure your web browsing https://help.riseup.net/…/ An easy, quick ‘set and forget’ guide on tweaking a few things to avoid the standard hoovering up of all your data by nefarious corporations. Take ten minutes to enable a few free add-ons in your favourite internet browser, and breathe a little easier from then on. Oh, and see no ads too! Many people have thanked me for the link to this regularly-updated page — all thanks are really due to the wonderful riseup.net!

Travelling without flying https://www.seat61.com/ An extremely useful site for those of us who have decided not to fly, for whatever reason. First-hand, straightforward info on how to get almost anywhere in the world by surface-based transportation. And by the way, please don’t use carbon offsetting.

Freegle https://www.ilovefreegle.org/ Freegle is a network of local groups facilitating the giving and receiving of free stuff!  Got something you don’t want any more?  Freegle makes it easy to keep it out of landfill by giving to someone who does want it, and is all organised online.

Write To Them.com https://www.writetothem.com/ The very easiest way to write to your MP or other political representatives, even if you don’t know who they are (UK only).

OTHER GEMS

The Overstory, by Richard Powers https://shepherd.com/…/ This fiction book is the best thing I’ve read since Lean Logic!  For a rich, resonant page-turner, woven through with deep understanding of the real stakes of our times, you could do no better.  Or see my top five book recommendations…

Music https://www.darkoptimism.org/…/ One of the most powerful forces shaping our culture, music is also a particular passion of mine. Although it is of course a matter of taste, why not check out my ‘Dark Optimism album’, incorporating moving recommendations from readers.

Rap News https://thejuicemedia.com/ Fantastically entertaining, meticulously researched and exceptionally insightful, Rap News was unmissable. Here’s my favourite episode, featuring Bono (actually, scratch that, the episode on the New World Order tops it!).

The Land magazine https://www.thelandmagazine.org.uk/…/ The Land is beautifully written by and for people who believe that the roots of justice, freedom, social security and democracy lie not so much in access to money, or to the ballot box, as in access to land and its resources.

Radio Ecoshock https://www.ecoshock.org/…/ A fascinating online radio station interviewing key thinkers and realistically documenting our times. One of my interviews on the station can be heard or read here.

Media Lens https://www.medialens.org/ An important independent site which expertly challenges the “profoundly distorted picture of our world” that the increasingly corporate mainstream newspapers and broadcasters provide.

Rev. Billy https://www.revbilly.com/ Reverend Billy and his Stop Shopping Choir are straight-up inspirations. Potent activists in their own right, their live performances are incredibly nourishing and rejuvenating experiences. Catch them if you can, or make do with their radio show or Youtube channel.

Tawai: A voice from the forest https://www.tawai.earth/ Bruce Parry — best known for his BBC series Tribe, Amazon and Arctic — quit his role there in order to make this more radical film exploring the deepest lessons learned from his long experience living with indigenous groups. A gripping watch.

A pep talk https://www.cryptonaturalist.com/…/ The Cryptonaturalist offers a little perspective about meaning, life, magic, and you.  As, from a rather diffferent perspective, does Tim DeChristopher.

BLOGS

ClubOrlov https://cluborlov.blogspot.com/  Dmitry Orlov is a uniquely perceptive Russian-born American, with a wicked sense of humour.

Ran Prieur https://www.ranprieur.com/ A blog in bite-size chunks, written by a man with an exceptionally sharp old mind, and a lifestyle not unlike my own.

Some Small Holding https://somesmallholding.com/ Powerful, gentle insight and explorations, from Inez Aponte.

Ecosophia https://www.ecosophia.net/ An Archdruid’s perspective on our times.

The Dark Mountain Project https://dark-mountain.net/ Artists and writers explore the cultural void left behind, as our civilisation’s stories about what’s important — or reliable — dissolve around us.

Rob Hopkins https://www.robhopkins.net/ The originator of the Transition Towns movement, now exploring the critical significance of imagination.

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