Samuel Miller McDonald
@sjmmcd
PROGRESS, UK Aug 14, US Dec 02 / DPhil in geography, University of Oxford / Essays in Current Affairs, the Nation, New Republic, +
The idea of progress helped build the world's first civilizations ~5,000 years ago. It is now driving global civilizational collapse. My book tells the history of this process. You can now preorder it at @bookshop_org_UK for August 14 (in the UK @WmCollinsBooks)
Israel has spent decades pumping out ludicrous propaganda about its environmental credentials. In reality, it’s a colonial project bent on ecocide, poisoning the land as part of its mission to ethnically cleanse the region
Horrifying report of the long-term environmental damage done by Israeli genocidaires in Gaza: Nearly all trees destroyed; All coastal waters polluted; Debris with asbestos and other pollutants everywhere; Pollutants leeching into groundwater sources. bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-…
“The study, which has not yet completed the peer-review process, found that sapling mortality rate increased by 90%,from 16.2% of saplings a year on average dying before 2000, increasing to 30.8% in 2022.” theguardian.com/environment/20…
Had a great conversation with Nandita Bajaj and Alan Weisman on the OVERSHOOT podcast about why fixation on growth and increasing birthrates is fundamentally an authoritarian, anti-life position (and also about conviviality, solidarity, and more)
Wonder if Trump will try to ban my book
A Heritage to be proud of, a Homeland worth Defending. American Progress - John Gast
He's got to do it. Just wrote an article about this:
The pope could board a ship with aid and sail to Gaza. With the UN declaring the final stage of famine that might be irreversible for millions, bold acts of courage by everyone in a position to do something are the only chance.
currentaffairs.org/news/dirty-lie…
The AI boom means the world’s data centers use more electricity than almost every country. See our blog on how to supply the power-hungry technology that’s driving growth. imf.org/en/Blogs/Artic…
Studies show: Trees are the true air conditioners. Under a tree, the temperature can be 15 C° cooler than measured in the ambient air. Shade and evaporation create the same effect as a conventional A/C, but without electricity. A tree produces about 20-30 KW/h, as much as ten A/C
If the social welfare system relies on eternal population growth, then it is the social welfare system that must be changed, not the fundamental nature of population dynamics.
Using Bible verses to justify violence against immigrants is not only the opposite of what Jesus teaches, it’s also a direct contradiction to the passage cited in this video. “Here am I, send me” was the prophet Isaiah’s response after being called by God to deliver a message to…
Here am I, send me. 🇺🇸
literally more censorship than georgian england. byron's speech in support of the luddites was reproduced in full by hansard
the hansard office is always available to MPs to submit written versions of their speeches for the record so as to clarify any misspoken words. scandalous if they are refusing to allow Zarah to correct the record in this instance
Mamdani: "[Congestion pricing] is an opportunity to reshape the streetscape of the central business district of Manhattan. We have an opportunity here to do immense amounts of pedestrianization for the entire congestion pricing zone..."