{"id":12061,"date":"2021-01-23T14:09:59","date_gmt":"2021-01-23T14:09:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiofree.org\/?p=153825"},"modified":"2021-01-23T14:09:59","modified_gmt":"2021-01-23T14:09:59","slug":"heres-to-a-better-2021-and-an-even-better-2200","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/01\/23\/heres-to-a-better-2021-and-an-even-better-2200\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s to a better 2021 \u2014 and an even better 2200"},"content":{"rendered":"
It wasn\u2019t the fireworks. It wasn\u2019t watching Donald Trump board a helicopter<\/a> for the last time, leaving the White House grounds. It wasn\u2019t even knowing that the U.S. had rejoined the Paris climate agreement and that Joe Biden had revoked the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline on his first day in office (both vital steps, of course).<\/p>\n Instead, what gave me hope, what provided me with excitement on Inauguration Day \u2026 was an iconic pair of mittens<\/a> (just kidding). What brought me close to tears was the evident humanity of Biden and Kamala Harris \u2014 something I admittedly would have pooh-poohed (my kids love that word) in the past. And, more, the depth and sheer wonkery of the policies they released on Wednesday. E.g., \u201cExecutive Order on Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis<\/a>.\u201d E.g.,\u201cExecutive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government<\/a>.\u201d E.g., \u201cModernizing Regulatory Review<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Not light reading. But taken as a whole, these rules and others like them show that the new administration will be tackling climate change and equity (and a host of other issues) with a seriousness of purpose, and, equally important, as two sides of the same coin. Which isn\u2019t something we\u2019ve seen before in America. Deeds must follow words, but the start has been more promising than I could have hoped for. It\u2019s enough to let one again imagine a better future.<\/p>\n Speaking of which<\/em> \u2026 we\u2019ve inaugurated something of our own here at Fix this month. Our brand-new climate-fiction contest, called Imagine 2200<\/a>, seeks to flip the script on the usual sci-fi dystopian stories through a call for fiction that brings into focus what a just, regenerative, non-sucky future could look like.<\/p>\n Check it out, and please spread the word. We welcome your submissions<\/a>, as well as feedback or input<\/a> on anything else relating to this ol\u2019 newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2013Chip Giller, Grist Founder and Creative Officer<\/em><\/p>\n Just before the inauguration, Fix reached out to four Fixers for their insights<\/a> into the climate cred of Biden\u2019s cabinet picks and how his administration is shaping up. Here are some highlights from what they shared:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Oday Salim<\/strong><\/a>, conservation justice activist and attorney at National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes Regional Center<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cOnce Biden becomes president, he will have already done more for the climate, institutionally speaking, than any other president by adding domestic and international envoys for climate in Gina McCarthy and John Kerry. And picks like Deb Haaland [Interior] and Michael Regan [EPA] tell us he is serious about bringing on people who place justice at the heart of their work. But those leaders must live up to their records \u2014 and improve upon them.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ashley Hand<\/strong><\/a>, cofounder of Cityfi<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m excited to see mayors appointed to key positions, whether it\u2019s Marty Walsh from Boston to the Department of Labor or Pete Buttigieg to the Department of Transportation. When you bring a localized problem-solving approach to the federal level, it creates a huge opportunity to strategize across sectors.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Daniel Blackman<\/strong><\/a>, policy advisor and impact investor<\/p>\n \u201c[A]s great as it is to have those experienced leaders, we also need a commission consisting of individuals under 35 to make sure young people are calling the shots. I think this presidential election has shown the power of an educated, active, young electorate that\u2019s saying, \u2018Look, if you\u2019re not talking about equality, the climate crisis, or criminal justice reform, then we\u2019re not voting for you.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Gabe Vasquez<\/strong><\/a>, conservation advocate and city councilor for Las Cruces, New Mexico<\/p>\n \u201cHaaland will administer the various bureaus and departments that help govern Indian Country, giving her an opportunity to right many historic wrongs and ensure this country honors its treaties with Native people. I\u2019m expecting Haaland to be one of the most influential and powerful interior secretaries that we\u2019ve ever had.\u201d<\/p>\n Read the full piece<\/em> here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Speaking of climate fiction, I\u2019ve been reading Ursula Le Guin\u2019s Earthsea<\/em> books<\/a> to my son. So much to love, beyond the writing (much of it wondrously about the sea) \u2014 the search for self-understanding, the importance of balance (with a capital B), the connections shared among all creatures and even inanimate objects, the subversive take on race, the significance and weight of words. Rereading the collection, I\u2019ve been reminded of Le Guin\u2019s storytelling prowess; when I was a kid myself, I hadn\u2019t been as aware of how profound the books are, too. Have at them!<\/p>\n TALK TO THE FUTURE<\/p>\n Grace Abe<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n First off, pretty please share the news about Imagine 2200<\/a> with any writers, students, friends, acquaintances, listservs, TikTok followers \u2026 y\u2019know, everyone<\/em> you think might be interested in the opportunity. We\u2019ve even got a handy media kit<\/a> with some images and suggested copy you can use.<\/p>\n And of course, consider submitting an entry yourself. Here\u2019s a way to get your creative, world-building juices flowing, borrowed from our chums at DearTomorrow<\/a>, an organization founded by Fixers Jill Kubit and Trisha Shrum<\/a>: Sit down for 10 minutes and write a letter to the future. It can be to your future self, your children, an adoring public. Imagine that the recipient will open it in the year 2050. What do you want to tell them about what the world looks like now, what you think\/hope\/fear it will look like then, and what you\u2019re doing about it? Are there any promises you want to make, or moments you want to preserve?<\/p>\n If you\u2019re feeling time-capsule-y about it, you can even stash your note somewhere safe and set yourself a calendar reminder to open it, or deliver it, 29 years from now. And please share what you write<\/a> with the folks at DearTomorrow, too.<\/p>\nYour new heroes<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Your reading list<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Your pick-me-up<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Your weekend plan<\/strong><\/h3>\n