Editor Leah Clarkson guides viewers through Issue 4 of the #RSAJournal in our latest ‘Making the Journal in 90 Seconds’ video.

This issue features speculative future photography by RDI Nick Foster and the journal’s first editorial cartoon by Jeremy Banx. It also includes climate activism insights from Clover Hogan, with illustrations by Charlotte Ager.

Tim Wu, the scholar who coined "net neutrality," examines how big tech platforms have reshaped our economy. In his latest book, *The Age of Extraction*, Wu argues that the internet, once seen as a source of widespread wealth and democracy, has instead created new economic classes and fostered autocracy. He proposes solutions to harness technology for the greater good and build a more balanced economy.

Join Tim Wu, author of *The Age of Extraction*, and journalist Laura Sydell on November 10, 2025, to discuss reclaiming economic control. This program is supported by the Ken & Jaclyn Broad Family Fund and partnered with the Center for Humane Technology.

Green colonialism has significantly affected the Indigenous Sámi people of northern Europe by placing large-scale renewable energy and conservation projects on their ancestral lands without full consent. Developments such as wind farms, mining for “green” minerals, hydroelectric dams, and protected areas often disrupt traditional livelihoods like reindeer herding, which depend on intact migration routes and ecosystems. While framed as environmentally sustainable, these projects can continue patterns of land dispossession and marginalization, sidelining Sámi knowledge, rights, and self-determination in the name of climate action.
Journalists Tristen Taylor, Ingrid Gercama and Nathalie Bertrams for their investigation “Green Colonialism: How New Mines in Sweden
Threaten the Saami.
Image: Caption: Lars-Ánte Kuhmunen, a Sámi reindeer herder and joik singer, stands in the
middle of a reindeer corral in the mountains above Rensjön, northern Sweden.
Photo credit: Nathalie Bertrams.
Artist: Lars-Ánte Kuhmunen
Album: Birrasis
Produced by: Georg Buljio
Year: 2005
Used with permission.

Artist and documentarian Chris Jordan premiered his film ALBATROSS in Charleston, SC, alongside his "Midway" exhibition at the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art. Jordan aims to connect with and inspire audiences through his work.

The documentary explores Midway Atoll, an isolated Pacific island situated within the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It offers an intimate look at native Laysan albatrosses, whose existence is gravely threatened by global plastic waste.

On November 18, at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, WECAN hosted "Women on the Frontlines of Climate Action." Global women leaders, including representatives from Africa, Colombia, Brazil, and Turtle Island, shared powerful insights. They addressed ending fossil fuels, ensuring rights-based Just Transition, advocating for Indigenous Peoples' rightful place, and building a just world.

At the conference, WECAN also launched its report, "Justice-Based Climate Finance for COP30 and Beyond." This report provides in-depth analysis and strategies for governments to advance effective, rights-based climate finance. Read the full WECAN report: https://wecaninternational.org/climate-finance.

For more information on WECAN’s COP30 advocacy goals, delegation, events, and speakers, visit their website: https://tinyurl.com/COP30blog.

At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, on November 13, WECAN hosted a press conference where Amazonian leaders issued urgent calls to protect Indigenous rights, women land defenders, forests, water, communities, and the global climate.

WECAN also launched its “Escazú Agreement Toolkit for Women Land Defenders and Frontline Communities.” This resource offers eleven country-specific guides to help women land defenders navigate domestic laws for Escazú Agreement protections, ensuring their rights and environmental safeguards. Access the toolkit: WECAN Escazú Toolkit.

Prominent Indigenous leaders spoke at the event. For more details on WECAN’s COP30 advocacy and speakers, visit: WECAN COP30 Blog.

On November 13, WECAN hosted the press conference, “Women Leading Fossil Fuel Phaseout and a Just Transition,” at COP30 in Belém, Brazil. Speakers shared critical strategies to advance a fossil fuel phaseout, uplift Indigenous and human rights, stop extraction, and implement a Just Transition that supports communities and ecosystems.

The event featured global experts including Dr. Ameria Sawas, Colette Pichon Battle, Esq., gina cortés valderrama, and Majo Andrade Cerda (Kichwa). Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN’s Executive Director, provided comments and moderated the discussion.

Learn more about WECAN’s advocacy goals, delegation, events, and speakers on their website: https://tinyurl.com/COP30blog

At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, WECAN hosted "Rights of Nature: A Systemic Solution to the Climate Crisis." This press conference highlighted how Rights of Nature offers a new legal and economic framework for living in balance with Earth, providing a systemic solution for defending biodiversity, communities, and our climate.

WECAN also released its report, "Rights of Nature as a Central Pillar of a Just Transition," underscoring its critical role in global climate responses. Read the full report here. Speakers included Casey Camp-Horinek, Nnimmo Bassey, and Osprey Orielle Lake. Learn more about WECAN's COP30 advocacy on their website.

Shirleen, a 900-pound leatherback sea turtle, swam nearly 58,000 miles in 907 days, despite threats like vessel strikes, habitat loss, and deadly fishing gear. Her journey, tracked by the Loggerhead Marinelife Center, provides vital insight into endangered leatherback movements.

The Center for Biological Diversity, a Tucson-based 501c3 nonprofit, works to secure a future for all species. They believe human welfare is linked to nature's diversity, using science, law, and media to protect vital habitats and prevent extinction.

Connect with the Center via their website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. Email center@biologicaldiversity.org for inquiries.

Despite a previously unknown jaguar sighting in southern Arizona, border-wall construction crews recently detonated explosions in Coronado National Memorial. This destruction impacts federally protected critical jaguar habitat, along with threatened Mexican spotted owls and the endangered beardless chinchweed flower.

Russ McSpadden of the Center for Biological Diversity, who filmed the destruction, stated the wall "will fracture jaguar migration routes, choke genetic diversity, and wipe out natural connections." The administration waived environmental laws to accelerate this work, setting the stage for "long-term ecological collapse."

The Center for Biological Diversity, a 501c3 nonprofit, works to secure a future for all species through science, law, and creative media. Learn more at their website: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org. For questions, email center@biologicaldiversity.org.

Yellowstone wolves were observed visiting an elk carcass. This interaction highlights a fundamental aspect of the park's ecosystem.

Such events are common in wildlife, showcasing natural predator-prey dynamics and the crucial role scavengers play in maintaining ecological balance.

Happy 65th Anniversary to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge!

For over six decades, this vital refuge has protected unique ecosystems and diverse wildlife, serving as a cornerstone of conservation.

Its enduring legacy is a testament to the importance of preserving America's natural heritage.

Far-right Republicans have launched another congressional "investigation" targeting the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD). CBD condemns this as a fraudulent abuse of power, designed to intimidate opponents. However, CBD remains unintimidated and is prepared to fight back aggressively.

CBD's Executive Director immediately called for Congress to investigate a real scandal: a Chilean billionaire and his mining company spent millions influencing Trump officials to reverse protections for the Boundary Waters Wilderness Area. This mine threatens endangered species and public lands. Suckling offered to testify publicly about these shady dealings, including corporate donations to the "investigators." CBD is committed to protecting wildlife and public resources.

A walrus enjoys a simple day: dining on clams and mussels, swimming, and socializing with thousands of friends on shore. They also groom their impressive tusks and whiskers.

Discover a behind-the-scenes look into the daily life of a Pacific walrus.

A comprehensive report from the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University, titled "Green Light to Pollute in Texas," analyzes 89 new or expanding petrochemical facilities across five regions of the state.

The study reveals stark findings: 9 out of 10 facilities are planned in counties with higher concentrations of people of color and families in poverty. Nearly half are in neighborhoods ranked among the worst 10% nationally for toxic air releases. Furthermore, 93% sit near other high-risk chemical plants, compounding threats of explosions, leaks, and chronic disease. Residents in an accompanying documentary detail how this industrial expansion has altered their communities.

"Green Light to Pollute in Texas," a report by the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University, reveals that proposed petrochemical facilities disproportionately target vulnerable communities. The study analyzed 89 new or expanding plants across five regions.

Findings are stark: most facilities are planned in counties with higher concentrations of people of color and poverty, often among the worst 10% nationally for toxic air releases. These sites also sit near existing high-risk chemical plants, compounding threats of explosions, leaks, and chronic disease.

A documentary further details how residents' communities have been transformed by this industrial expansion.

The Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University released "Green Light to Pollute in Texas," a report analyzing 89 new or expanding petrochemical facilities across five Texas regions.

The study reveals stark environmental justice concerns. Nine out of ten facilities are planned in counties with higher concentrations of people of color and families in poverty. Nearly half are in neighborhoods ranked among the worst 10% nationally for toxic air releases. Furthermore, 93% are near existing high-risk chemical plants, escalating threats of explosions, leaks, and chronic disease.

Residents detail the profound community impacts of this industrial expansion in an accompanying documentary.

"Green Light to Pollute in Texas," a comprehensive report from the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University, analyzes 89 new or expanding petrochemical facilities across five Texas regions.

The study reveals stark findings: 9 out of 10 facilities are planned in counties with higher concentrations of people of color and families living in poverty. Nearly half are in neighborhoods ranked among the worst 10% nationally for toxic air releases. Furthermore, 93% are near other high-risk chemical plants, significantly compounding the threat of explosions, leaks, and chronic disease.

A related documentary features residents detailing how this industrial expansion has profoundly altered the fabric of their communities.

@wildcorwin offers insights into vital conservation efforts. Time-tested and bipartisan policies like the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act have successfully recovered beloved animals, including condors, whales, and bald eagles.

Our country's wild legacy is one of protection, not destruction. Recognizing this history helps us remember the wild spirit within ourselves.

Published December 2, 2025, by The New Press, "The Problem with Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It's Too Late" by Judith Enck, Adam Mahoney, and Beyond Plastics is an Amazon Editors' Pick. This powerful investigation reveals plastic's devastating impact on human health and the environment, from poisoned oceans and polluted air to microplastic contamination and environmental racism.

The book critically examines plastic's paradox, challenging the belief that recycling alone can solve the crisis. Instead, it debunks industry claims and emphasizes the urgent need for action, offering practical solutions like a "household waste audit" to empower readers. Learn more at: beyondplastics.org/publications/problem-with-plastic-book (ISBN: 9781620979457).