Bruce here … Thanks, Koro! I admit, the heat is concerning, but a lot of work continues despite the denial. Here, the Ashland Climate Collaborative is building community at the neighborhood level, with special attention to being “Fire Wise,” given the beautiful, flammable forests all around us.

Immediate issues dominate the news. Our democracy is in peril. The geopolitical landscape is foreboding. Just one example: I was recently on a Stimson Center call with retired US and Russian generals—nothing but gloomy prospects for a Ukraine peace. And, the climate situation reminds me of the substance abuser whose health is deteriorating, but who ignores the addiction’s link to their decline. With climate, we’re hooked on carbon—“I’m trying to cut back … just one more trip, then I’ll quit.”

On the bright side, war-linked energy uncertainty has one positive effect. Half the world’s energy is now provided by solar, wind, and hydropower. That’s real progress!

Writing News

We’re bringing out the softcover version of Crows Calling in October. The hardcover, eBook, and audiobook are selling. Readers say it “offers readers a message of optimism.” Meanwhile, I’ve started a second novel! Set here in Southern Oregon from the 1850s to the present day, it follows a family whose men face moral-ethical tests in America's wars, struggling under a curse visited upon the patriarch. Will they resolve it?

See you next month, and thanks in advance for staying tuned!