Dana R. Fisher (aka the Apocalyptic Optimist)

When public media disappears, so do the stories that bring us together.

With federal funding eliminated, millions may lose their last trusted source of news and connection.

If that matters to you, now’s the time to act. Donate: n.pr/458sOhq

How to be an "apocalyptic optimist" Dana R. Fisher calls herself an "apocalyptic optimist" based on her research as a sociologist of large social movements. Her studies suggest that ever-increasing climate disasters will get people out ...

Seems a lot like apocalyptic optimism here (fueled by rage, despair, and climate shocks) go.ted.com/danarfisher

Always great to see an article where I’m quoted in print (today’s NYTs)🤩

Love this comic, but the research on resistance actually finds that anger fuels resistance. I would shift the order so it's consistent with the research findings:
Denial-> Depression-> Anger->RESISTANCE!

That's a big difference! If the funding to expand charging stations is repealed and the existing stations are not maintained, it will also limit diffusion.

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Trump’s Efforts to Control Information Echo an Authoritarian Playbook

“Firing the top statistical official sends a clear signal to others across the government that you are expected to compromise scientific integrity to appease the president… This puts us in dangerous territory far from an accountable and reality-based government.” @peterbakernyt.bsky.social

Sea Level Mis-information from DOE Here in the USA, the Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a report titled “A Critical Review of the Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the U.S. Climate.” It is a product of the &#8…

That's just one of many instances of distortion and misinformation in the US Department of Energy "Critical Review on the Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions".
Which in fact is a fossil fuel propaganda scam.
Let's hope Americans are not that easily fooled.
tamino.wordpress.com/2025/08/03/s...

I’ll have to check it out!

‘Self-termination is most likely’: the history and future of societal collapse An epic analysis of 5,000 years of civilisation argues that a global collapse is coming unless inequality is vanquished

No question that inequality is driving much of the polycrisis societies around the globe are facing.

Looks like I need to pick up this new book by Luke Kemp (and not be a ‘dick).

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

The 9th district court affirmed what we already knew: you can’t just snatch people up for being brown and working hard. Not in the fields, not in a Home Depot parking lot, and NOT on our watch.

This is a victory for the many, and not by the few. 1/

People are missing the important role that anger plays in motivating and mobilizing—that means you have a sense of efficacy whether you’re a doomer or not.

Looking for a way to do something? read the EPA reversal of the endangerment finding, and then file a public comment explaining why it is false, wrong, misguided. Your comment can be scientific, legal, or just about what the American people want..
Reversal: www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/...

Nations must act on climate change or could be held responsible, top U.N. court rules The International Court of Justice ruled that nations have an obligation to act on climate change under international laws protecting the environment and human rights.

Today's good news.

I am proud to have written one of the expert reports supporting the people of Vanuatu.
www.npr.org/2025/07/23/n...

President Trump called into question the integrity of the Employment Situation report that the BLS released this morning. He accused BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer of deliberately reporting false numbers to reflect poorly on this administration. This baseless, damaging claim undermines the valuable work and dedication of BLS staff who produce the reports each month. This escalates the President’s unprecedented attacks on the independence and integrity of the federal statistical system. The President seeks to blame someone for unwelcome economic news. The Commissioner does not determine what the numbers are but simply reports on what the data show. The process of obtaining the numbers is decentralized by design to avoid opportunities for interference. The BLS uses the same proven, transparent, reliable process to produce estimates every month. Every month, BLS revises the prior two months’ employment estimates to reflect slower-arriving, more-accurate information. This rationale for firing Dr. McEntarfer is without merit and undermines the credibility of federal economic statistics that are a cornerstone of intelligent economic decision-making by businesses, families, and policymakers. U.S. official statistics are the gold standard globally. When leaders of other nations have politicized economic data, it has destroyed public trust in all official statistics and in government science. We call on Congress to respond immediately, to investigate the factors that led to Commissioner McEntarfer’s removal, to strongly urge the Commissioner’s continued service, and ensure that the nonpartisan integrity of the position is retained. The statement from the President undermines these tenets and politicizes data which cannot and should not be used for political points.

"...escalates the President’s unprecedented attacks on the independence & integrity of the federal statistical system.

"The president seeks to blame someone for unwelcome economic news.

"...firing Dr. McEntarfer is without merit & undermines the credibility of federal economic statistics..."

Not in my 2025 BINGO card 🤯🤯

#truth

Trump Orders Firing of Bureau of Labor Statistics Chief After Weak Jobs Report President Trump said he directed his team to fire the top Bureau of Labor Statistics official after the bureau issued a weak jobs report on Friday. Trump in a social media post said Erika McEntarfer, ...

By design, federal statistical agencies operate independently to guard against politicization of data collection and reporting.

This is an alarming and dangerous move that threatens the scientific integrity of independent statistical agencies across the government. www.wsj.com/livecoverage...

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Climate Policy Is Still Good for Business The green transition will survive cuts to U.S. subsidies.

Here's an interesting new article about how the cuts to the IRA will not stop the clean energy transition (although it will make is slower and less effective at getting us where we need to go with regards to climate action). Full article here: www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

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The Columbia deal is a tragic wake-up call Last week, Columbia University entered an agreement with the US government to restore federal funding for research in exchange for actions by the university to address complaints by the Trump administ...

"In the aftermath of its negotiation, scientists at Columbia should have compassion for colleagues who will bear the brunt of the agreement’s terms... [and] the threat it poses to the core purpose of higher education—preparing future generations for the public good." www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

YouTube video by Creative Boom Samuel L. Jackson Wants You to Eat Seaweed (and Back Wind Farms)

renewable energy communication with some serious swagger. Finally.
Well done, Vattenfall:
youtu.be/TRzEzU7kwyQ?...

"Basic values of academic freedom require that the scholarly content of courses, programs, and research endeavors remain under the authority of faculty and not be subject to direction of monitoring by authorities outside the university."

Good on the signatories. Shouldn't have to be said, but does.

Yes!

a woman is making a surprised face and saying whoa ! ALT: a woman is making a surprised face and saying whoa !

Just started looking at travel down to COP30 and oh boy is this going to be pricey!

Opinion | They Saw Their Neighbors Taken Away by ICE. Then They Made a Plan.

Dana Fisher (@fisherdanar.bsky.social), SIS professor and director of the Center for Environment, Community, and Equity (@au-cece.bsky.social), was quoted in a @nytimes.com article discussing resistance movements & communities mobilizing through protest during the 2nd Trump admin.

nyti.ms/4laqQlI

US placed on rights watchlist over health of its civil society under Trump International non-profit Civicus says ‘sustained attacks on civic freedoms’ put US on par with El Salvador and Kenya

After only 6 months of the Trump Regime (🤯), civic freedoms have been so limited that the US is now “on par with El Salvador and Kenya.”

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Opinion | They Saw Their Neighbors Taken Away by ICE. Then They Made a Plan.

“Resistance 2.0 is much more locally grounded and community embedded,” said Dana Fisher...The local embeddedness of the movement will help create the kind of community resilience that we will all need in the coming months and years.
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/30/o...