Eco-populist wins leadership election and other stories
Hey Sowers,
Some good news following last week’s feature on eco-populism: Zack Polanski won the leadership contest for the Green Party of England and Wales in a landslide victory. While early days, it’s at the very least promising to see a left-wing alternative in a sea of fascist-enabling centrism across the Western world. With four years until the next election in the UK, there are, sadly, plenty of opportunities for the status quo to try and take the project down, but I choose to remain hopeful that it will find success.
Although it would make many an Englishmen red in the face to say that the UK has largely become geopolitically irrelevant, if Polanski’s Greens do defeat the far right electorally, it might still inspire others across the world to launch their own ambitious left-wing political projects. Looking to a specific country for inspiration is a good segue into the first article I thought worth sharing in this round up.
Andreas Malm
In a piece for Jacobin, Andreas Malm and Maxy Guez write about Colombia and how it is moving away from fossil fuel production. President Gustavo Petro, elected in 2022, hasn't granted a single permit for the extraction of fossil fuels during his term so far. One of his quotes in the opening really spoke to me: "Climate change is just the atmospheric mirror of capital accumulation on Earth."
Victoria Valenzuela
With ICE snatching people off the street in the USA, communities in LA are uniting to provide aid to those impacted. The story talks about how people showed up to support a tamale cart after ICE took some of its customers, leaving the business in jeopardy, and how volunteers are delivering grocery boxes to Indigenous people afraid to leave their homes due to the ongoing raids.
Further stories
The Dutch pension fund PFZW has announced it is withdrawing 14.5 billion euros in funds from BlackRock, a heavy investor in fossil fuels, following action from Fossielvrij NL.
The Guardian reported on research showing that politicians vastly underestimate the public's willingness to contribute to climate action.
Also in the Netherlands, the Senate has voted to ban the sale of fireworks to private people, likely to take effect in 2026/2027. It has the potential to prevent hundreds of injuries every year, distress to animals, and millions of euros worth of damage.
Other media
Ireland seems to be pumping out some really exciting acts in recent years, and Just Mustard is one of them. A modern take on shoegaze, their new single, WE WERE JUST HERE, is what seems to me a pointed critique of the fact that fascism is rising in Europe again despite the Second World War being within living memory.
Electropunk trio Yard, also from Ireland, have been on repeat for me since I discovered their EP last month. Appetite is by far my favourite track.
Another new single that stood out to me this month is the Brighton-based Scaler's Evolve.
Medical dramas are something I never watch, but after looking for recommendations on Reddit and seeing The Pitt mentioned so many times, I decided to give it a go one evening while bored—and it hooked me instantly.
Based on a 15 hour shift in an emergency room in Pittsburgh, the story focuses more on the professional lives of the staff than interpersonal drama. It touches on issues like trauma in the aftermath of COVID, ethical dilemmas around abortion, and how the spread of medical conspiracies impacts the medical profession.
Recipes
I've already shared some of Nisha's recipes here, and you should get used to that because they're usually delicious, but the one I've been eating a lot of recently is her whipped tofu. It's so light, creamy, and high protein—really great on bread with a few fresh toppings.
Got any news stories or other recommendations that you think other readers would like? Share them in the comments!
Member discussion