Moving Forward and Staying Informed
A list of media recommendations covering climate change issues
The election of Donald Trump means we have many harmful policies and changes in our future. The United States has now been derailed off of forward progress on so many fronts, including fighting climate change.
I had to take a break to grieve and worry, something I know many friends have also been doing. When you find yourself moving out of that state, take a conscious step into choosing action and engagement instead of apathy. Taking care of ourselves, our community, the vulnerable, and the health of our planet really is up to people like us. It’s time for leadership from the bottom up, whether that means leading as an individual, an organization, a city, or a state, find where you can contribute your strengths, and be brave.
Actively helping to build a positive future means knowing what area inspires you to get to work, and where your skills or connections can make an impact. Don’t get overwhelmed thinking about all of the huge tasks that need doing, no one can do everything. But we can all do something.
The first step is to get informed through trusted, accurate sources.
My husband recently started a new job. He has been learning so much so quickly, that he calls it drinking through a fire hose. Maybe people avoid thinking about or acting on climate change because it feels like too much, like drinking through a fire hose? Not only that, but it’s SCARY, a flood of scary information.
If you are just starting to learn details about climate change, take sips of information instead of turning the hose on full blast. If it feels overwhelming, give yourself breaks with time to absorb the info, or talk it over with a friend or partner. I promise it gets easier, and I also promise that if you get involved in making a difference, it doesn’t feel so scary. It can actually feel great!
To stay informed, I listen to audio books or podcasts and read about environmental issues and climate solutions. New scientific data, new tech, and new ideas are coming out quickly these days. There are also new authors as well as those that have been fighting for the environment for a long time. Finding a voice that you trust and an area of work that interests you can really inspire you to get involved.
Below are my personal top recommendations for newsletters, books, magazines, and podcasts. There are plenty of other good ones, and please comment your favorites! My interests lean toward wildlife, land, and water in the Western United States, so these recommendations also lean that way. But there are sources that focus on different topics here, and more available if you search. I also prefer science-based organizations and media over those that are inflammatory.
The goal is to get informed and stay informed with current, truthful climate information, find your area to get involved, become a helper, become a leader, and stop waiting. Okey dokey?! Go!!
Subscribe to Newsletters
Books are great, but newsletters are shorter, easier to digest, and are able to provide up-to-date news more quickly on important topics.
Talking Climate with Katharine Hayhoe
A climate scientist shares climate news & opportunities.
The Crucial Years by Bill McKibben
Current climate topics, written by one of the early, revered climate activists.
Project Drawdown
Links to reading on climate issues, solutions, world summits, and actions.
Heated by Emily Atkin and Arielle Samuelson
Two passionate and fed-up journalists with a laser focus on climate issues.
Sustainability by Numbers by Hannah Ritchie
A data expert interprets energy, agriculture, pollution, waste, biodiversity, and more.
Newsletters by Nonprofit Organizations
Find a group working in an area that you care about, and join them. You can subscribe to their newsletters to learn about their work, donate and get involved.
The Nature Conservancy
A conservation organization working within the US and globally. You have to donate and become a member to get their newsletter and magazine.
Mountain Lion Foundation
News and webinars about mountain lions, other wildlife, and habitat issues.
Polar Bears International
Polar bear study and conservation, and the impacts of global warming on sea ice.
Local and Colorado Organizations
This is where I live, but look for something similar that operates in your area!
Yampa Valley Sustainability Council
Focused on resilient land and water, energy, transportation, waste diversion, and engagement in Northwest Colorado. My part-time employer.
Friends of the Yampa
Protection and stewardship of the Yampa River and its tributaries.
Colorado Water Trust
Works with water rights owners to keep water in rivers to protect ecosystems.
Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition
Conservation of the Rocky Mountain Sandhill Cranes and their habitat.
Follow Podcasts on Your Favorite App
Like newsletters, podcasts and magazines can cover topics more quickly than books. These are my favorites about land, water, and wildlife in the west. Other good ones are available about climate policy, solutions, and technology if you look.
Mountain and Prairie with Ed Roberson
Interviews with writers, ranchers, conservationists, and others in the West.
The Wide Open
Stories related to the Endangered Species Act.
The Landscape
News, interviews, and history about parks and public lands in the American West.
Working Wild U
Community and landowner-led conservation on working and tribal lands.
Rewilding Earth
Strategies to advance wildlife and land conservation and restoration.
Read Magazines in Print or Online
Below are the ones I read often, but there are lots of newer publications incorporating the arts and science. I’ll investigate and report back later!
National Geographic
The classic, covering a range of interesting topics including climate change.
High Country News
The environment, people, politics and issues of the American West.
Western Confluence
Natural resource issues in the West, published through the University of Wyoming.
The Mountain Journal
Reporting on people and nature in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Books
I listen to tons of audio books while making art, my actual reading is slower. Below are favorites, please comment with yours so we have more good ones to read!
Climate Change and Solutions
Fire Weather: On the Front Lines of a Burning World by John Vaillant
All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis, edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson
Oil and Honey: The Education of an Unlikely Activist by Bill McKibben
Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet by Hannah Ritchie
What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futures by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
Land Appreciation
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne Simard
A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There by Aldo Leopold
The Hour of Land: A Personal Topography of America’s National Parks by Terry Tempest Williams
A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko
Desert Solitaire: A Season In the Wilderness by Edward Abbey
Water in the West
Where the Water Goes: Life and Death Along the Colorado River by David Owen
Downriver: Into the Future of Water in the West by Heather Hansman
The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko
Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water by Mark Reisner
Wildlife
Eager: The Surprising Secret Lives of Beavers and Why They Matter by Ben Goldfarb
Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet by Ben Goldfarb
Yellowstone Migrations by Joe Riis
American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West by Nate Blakeslee
Alpha Wolves of Yellowstone series by Rick McIntyre
Because I’m an artist and the idea behind this newsletter is to share ideas of ways to combine creativity and climate action, up next will be examples of art and climate action working together! However, the first step is to be informed, and find your direction.
Be sure what you are reading is reputable. Here are some links to help learn how to evaluate news sources.
How to Identify Fake News in 10 Steps Worksheet
News Literacy Project
Below is an infographic from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.
Following just one news source might mean you are getting their take on things but missing the big picture or valuable diverse viewpoints, even if it is reputable. I suggest following or reading at least three different sources. You’ll hear where they agree, and where they have different ideas, solutions, and recommendations. If you are reading or listening to something that doesn’t resonate or make sense, try a different source. There are plenty of books that I abandon part way through.
Learning a lot of new information can be challenging. Go at a comfortable pace. But most importantly, GO! It’s time for all of us to be on our game, informed, and tackling climate change in our own ways. We can’t expect the next administration to lead the way in protecting our future.
We are now the leaders.
We all have to do better, for our future and the future of our children and now grandchildren. Thank you Jill!