Our favorite way to holiday shop

Retail therapy

The sustainable, affordable way to holiday shop

If you’re stumped about how to balance your love of the planet with your love of shopping, may we suggest a secondhand holiday? If you’re new to this particular flavor of regifting, let us assure you it’s easier than you think. Here’s a 30-second primer on where to look and what to look for: Thrift shops and online marketplaces like eBay, Whatnot, and Everything But The House are full of steals on artwork, glassware, accessories, and kitschy throwbacks to whatever design era fits your vibe. We also recommend checking out Instagram or your social network of choice for ideas before diving in. In fact, a couple of our favorite accounts are running recurring features for that very reason: @sarahsain and @2ndstory_studio. The tag #thriftgifts is also quite handy.

Good read

Tripping into environmentalism

When did you realize just how crucial it is to fight for a safer, healthier, and more sustainable planet? It could have started in your upbringing, or maybe a really epic trip to one of our national parks sparked a moment of inspiration. For some the turning point was more trippy. Turns out there are real parallels between taking psychedelics, like magic mushrooms, and a newfound commitment to saving the planet, reports Winston Ross for Bloomberg. Some proponents say that the feelings of self-love and acceptance that crop up during trips can make our brains more prepared to think about the most terrifying truths out there—including how we have trashed the planet and need to do more to save it. Of course, the road to legalizing psychedelic treatment nationwide is still murky, as is the science connecting tripping to environmental activism. But, hey, whatever works… 

What’s that

Degrowth vs. green growth

Whether or not anyone uses the words, tensions between attendees in Dubai often boil down to a couple economic POVs: Let capitalism keep chugging, or rein it in. The former, known as green growth, is the idea that “technology will save us if we get the incentives right,” writes public policy expert Mark Fabian. But it’s no simple feat to uncouple emissions with economic largess. The idea of degrowth, in contrast, pushes for a radical change in what we view as a successful society, namely shifting the spotlight from economic growth and onto social, human, financial, and natural wealth. But that’s not exactly easy to do on a planet where having money tends to equal having a voice. Fabian breaks down the common ground between the two schools in his latest for The Conversation.

Promises, promises

Is COP28’s ‘loss and damage’ fund enough?

The climate crisis comes down hardest on the nations and people that have contributed the least to it, and the nations that are responsible haven’t done a whole lot to help protect and prepare those groups. On the very first day of COP28, however, things appeared to take a positive turn: Countries including the UAE, the U.K., Germany, Japan, and the U.S. reached an agreement to help developing countries facing floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. The catch? The entire fund is only $400 million—and the U.S. contribution is contingent on congressional approval. For context, rebuilding after the Lahaina fire this summer will take an estimated $5.5 billion.

More from COP28

• U.S. pledges $3 billion for green climate fund to aid developing nations in climate adaptation; U.N. estimates put annual need at at least $215 billion.
• New rules in the U.S. aim to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas industry by 80% by 2038. The greenhouse gas is so potent, that’s the equivalent of taking 28 million cars off the road for 15 years.  
• Climate Envoy John Kerry announced that the U.S. would join the Powering Past Coal Alliance, a group of nations committed to building no more coal-fired plants and phasing out existing ones.