Longer Step: Ideas for Justice and Sustainability

WashPost has a good article on how little most of us know (incuding me) re which steps are most important in fighting climate change. Very important (in order): Reduce our meat and dairy consumption***. Cut your flying miles by 50 to 75%. Insulate your house and stop leaks. Replace a gas furnace with a heat pump. Drive an electric car. Don't buy as much new stuff. Buy local (lower the # of your "shipping miles"). Vote for a climate-friendly candidate. Not as important as we think they are (but we should still do them): Recycling. Install solar panels. ***If 3/4 of the people on Earth ate a plant diet, it would avoid 100 GIGATONS of emissions. And yet most people--influenced by corporate lying campaigns--see these as the least-helpful solutions.

  I love following the US women in the World Cup. But they played so poorly in their first three games, and Sweden (ranked #3 in the world) played so well, that when the oddsmakers came out favoring the US to win today, I knew the smart bet was on Sweden. The odds were really lopsided. The US was a clear favorite: For very dollar you bet, you would get $2.50 back if Sweden won. This was despite the facts that: The US was missing five starters to injuries; the US was missing its best midfielder due to two yellow cards; the US front was playing really lousy, uninspired soccer for all of its first 3 games in the Cup; and I thought "everybody knew" how great a team Sweden is. So I placed a big bet on Sweden to win. The game was at 2am today. SURPRISE! The US played the best soccer I've seen in maybe their last 10 games. Inspired, hard-working, driven. But they could not score against Sweden. Similarly, Sweden was outplayed on the field by the US today, but they did have some ...