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in Utne Reader
by
Leyla Kokmen, March/April 2008
Environmental activists, who have spent decades campaigning for pollution laws and conservation, are now turning their attention toward "green justice" initiatives challenging environmental disparities in low-income minority communities. Kokmen judiciously examines the underlying issues, and introduces several American green-rights advocacy groups. One representative acknowledges the socioeconomic complexities, but confidently says that pollution and poverty can be fought with the same methods. These links between public health, community development, and economic growth reassure Kokmen that "the green revolution isn't just for those who can afford a Prius."
Posted 1:24, 4 March 2008
This abstract was written by
JL Roberts
and edited by Brijit.
in Utne Reader
by
Julie Hanus, March/April 2008
Hanus uses NBC show The Office and its send-up of cubicle life as the starting point for a survey of what progressive publications are saying about white-collar labor. White-collar jobs used to mean security and good pay, but in the new economy they often bring insecurity. Office workers have reacted to declining workplace conditions by slacking off, surfing the net, and lowering expectations, which only makes their jobs more unstable. Hanus argues that by caring about productivity and believing in the value of work, workers will find meaning in what they do and save their own jobs. Despite good-natured references to The Office, the advice is grating in its simplicity.
Posted 9:54, 3 March 2008
This abstract was written by
Maria Amuchastegui
and edited by Brijit.
in Utne Reader
by
Hannah Lobel, March/April 2008
Lobel interviews Michael Shellenberger and Ted Norhaus, authors of Break Through: From the Death of Environmentalism to the Politics of Possibility. The authors, activists themselves, examined one sliver of the environmentalist movement -- which began as a push to rid toxic dumping in poor communities -- and found its specific, regulatory-oriented approach unsuccessful. They urge a shift from single-issues regulation ("a politics of limits") towards an environmentalism that encompasses a broader view of problems. Shellenberger and Norhaus make a convincing case for a new movement that improves the lot of all, not just the well-off.
Posted 2:53, 29 February 2008
This abstract was written by
Amy DeGeus
and edited by Brijit.
Subjects/Tags:
in Utne Reader
by
Brian Vastag, March/April 2008
In September 2005 a virtual plague swept through the online role-playing game World of Warcraft, the result of an unforeseen bug that killed thousands of characters as it spread by virtual contact. Epidemiologists noted the similarities between the WoW illness and real diseases such as Ebola and AIDS (including how individuals reacted to the situation), and hoped that the game could become a tool for disease theory research. Game creator Blizzard declined, but scientists found other such worlds to experiment in, including the rapidly growing artificial world Whyville. Vastag's summary is a concise, well-researched story about the unexpected things human-based computer modeling can teach us.
Posted 9:04, 28 February 2008
This abstract was written by
Nick Slawicz
and edited by Brijit.
in Utne Reader
by
Paul Kiel, March/April 2008
Kiel culls information from Talking Points Memo's Muckraker website into a digestible list of government records erased or deleted by the Bush administration, organized by subject. Under national security, you'll find that the administration no longer publishes summaries of national intelligence estimates or annual reports on international terrorism. Under science, the White House has forced the EPA to delete the global warming section from its annual report. The economy-related list notes that the Department of Labor has removed more than a dozen pages about women's workplace issues, as well as similar information about gays and bisexuals. Kiel provides an important starting point for some much-needed analysis.
Posted 11:53, 27 February 2008
This abstract was written by
Jonathan Pinoli
and edited by Brijit.
in Utne Reader
by
Danielle Maestretti, March/April 2008
Maestretti explores feminism in the blogosphere, reviewing a dozen blogs that maintain their own "minifeminisms," focusing on whatever themes they deem most important. Among the "starter sites" are Pandagon, Shakesville, Feministe, and Feministing, the last of which recently published a post about age-inappropriate girls' underwear that provoked Wal-Mart to remove the product from its shelves. The remaining sites are a diverse bunch, from La Chola, representing women of color, to Muslimah Media Watch, representing Muslim women. It's handy introduction to the blogs that Maestretti contends are changing the shape of feminism.
Posted 9:45, 27 February 2008
This abstract was written by
Emily Fisher
and edited by Brijit.
in Utne Reader
by
Jennifer Oladipo, March/April 2008
A black woman who works at an urban nature preserve, Oladipo bemoans the lack of minority involvement in the environmental movement. The nation needs an attitude shift, she argues, so that we don't "continue to think and act as if green automatically means white." It's time for environmental groups to reach out to minorities, beginning by simply including minority organizations and media outlets on their PR radars. Oladipo presents some nice turns of phrase, but offers just this one concrete suggestion for how to change things.
Posted 9:33, 27 February 2008
This abstract was written by
Emily Fisher
and edited by Brijit.
in Utne Reader
by
Joseph Hart, March/April 2008
After driving two blocks for an errand instead of walking, Hart describes his "pampered white guy" guilt, enjoying luxuries while disregarding his duty to the environment. A recent British survey reveals that others feel the same; more than half of those interviewed admitted to lying about how eco-friendly they are. Though such feelings may tighten our ethics, guilt generally produces only short-term reform; it often stimulates excessive attempts at bettering oneself to the point of "burnout." Hart's compelling piece proposes a simple alternative: be humble and resolve to do what you can.
Posted 2:58, 22 February 2008
This abstract was written by
Jonathan Pinoli
and edited by Brijit.
in Utne Reader
by
Jon Spayde, January/February 2008
Spayde looks at the dichotomy between liberal, "cafeteria model" religion that allows participants to pick and choose what they believe and orthodox religion, which is often too closed-minded for agnostics to accept. However, he posits a third choice: Perennialism, a movement founded in the mid-20th century that views all religions as fundamentally equal. As a result, worshiping one God is the same as worshiping another, and the only decision to make regarding religious choice is which practices and ceremonies are most pleasing to the individual. It's informative and dry, but unlikely to convince either theists nor atheists.
Posted 10:21, 3 January 2008
This abstract was written by
Nick Slawicz
and edited by Brijit.
in Utne Reader
by
Jessica Chapman, January 2008
Chapman's look at the growing divide between the military and the public highlights the dangers of having a population ignorant about the logistics of warfare -- particularly in elected officials, who may needlessly waste lives by placing soldiers in unnecessary danger. She blames this decline of awareness on the loss of the draft, the lower number of veterans in political office, and the dearth of college courses about military history. If soldiers are willing to die for a cause, Chapman writes, it's our duty to ensure that there is indeed a cause. However, her smart thesis is undermined by the one-sided roster of experts she interviews.
Posted 10:13, 3 January 2008
This abstract was written by
Nick Slawicz
and edited by Brijit.