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Looking back: 12 of Transformation's greatest articles

I'm leaving after three years at openDemocracy. Here are some of my favourite, must-read articles from writers to watch out for.

Zoos are the problem, not the solution to animal conservation

Instead of imprisoning animals for profit, why not support shared efforts in coexistence?

What's happening to the millions of people displaced by climate change?

Weather-related hazards are displacing millions of people globally. The World Humanitarian Summit was a start, but countries need to start dealing with climate refugees.

Socially constructed silence? Protecting policymakers from the unthinkable.

The scientific community is profoundly uncomfortable with the storm of political controversy that climate research is attracting. What’s going on?

Four ways mainstream animal rights movements are oppressive

Animal rights campaigns like PETA care more for animals than they do for the lives of marginalized people.

Carry on flying: why activists should take to the skies

Protesting against air travel might displace attention away from the actions required to reduce carbon emissions at the necessary scale.

Going out, I found I was really going in: John Muir’s spiritual and political journey

The story of a pioneering naturalist stands as one of the best examples of an individual’s spiritual awakening becoming a catalyst for social change.

The environmental movement: a blockbuster in the making?

Stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things are the building blocks of transformation, but they have to be told wisely and well.

100% renewable energy: what we can do in 10 years

It will take at least three decades to completely leave behind fossil fuels. But we can do it. The first step is to start with the easy stuff.

The puzzle of low oil prices—has the race to beat the carbon bubble already started?

The post-carbon world is fast emerging from the shell of the old. Even Saudi Arabia is planning for it. 

Can love stories change the world?

Through compassionate connection we can begin to find the foundations of community.  

Beyond Paris: avoiding the trap of carbon metrics

Instead of changing our economic system to make it fit within the natural limits of the planet, we are redefining nature so that it fits within the economic system.

The Pipeline Strikes Back: the audacity of TransCanada's $15b suit against the U.S.

The political saga of the Keystone XL pipeline is like a real-life version of The Force Awakens. So why are we giving the Dark Side even more power?

The legend of Greenham Common women's peace camp

Greenham was an alternative world, an anti-nuclear protest by hundreds of thousands of women activists. At 'Bringing Greenham Home', we relived the spirit with films and talks from those who were there.

How to stop competing and start building community

To get the most out of a community, you need a shared strategy, a space to grow, and to practice liberation. 

From the shelf to the bin: food waste and the culture of rush

A third of all food that’s produced in the world is thrown away as ‘waste.’ What’s going on? Español

A love letter to wilderness

Wilderness is not a luxury, but a necessity for the human spirit (video, 3 minutes).

Six hopeful breakthroughs from 2015

Despite conflicts and crises at home and abroad, 2015 offered glimpses of the road to a more just, compassionate, and sustainable world. 

Why South Africa's gold miners are suing their bosses

Tens of thousands of gold miners are suffering with diseases like silicosis, tuberculosis and HIV. In the mines, Apartheid lives on.

If the MacArthur Foundation wants a low carbon economy, why is it investing in fossil fuels and ignoring grassroots action?

Too many foundations fail to practice what they preach on climate change. It’s time to close the gap. 

Is Pope Francis an ecofeminist?

Integrating ecology with feminism is the only way to implement the Vatican’s newfound enthusiasm for environmental concerns. 

Would you bulldoze your own temple?

"We are our land and our land is us." Hawaiians stand for a mountain.

We have the right to have that basic thing—it’s water

Water is life, and it belongs to all of us. It’s time to start acting that way.

Staying human in a time of climate change

Knowing about climate science isn’t enough. We need to get our hearts involved too. 

The overwhelming whiteness of Portland's World Naked Bike Ride

Seeing a mass of drunk and high naked white people celebrating their newfound liberty with police officers standing guard is a slap to the face. 

California’s drought: the canary in the coalmine?

There is no place on earth that can be safe, secure or healthy in a world that is running out of water.

Five reasons why you never want to be rich

If you’re suffering from ‘affluenza’ it’s time to recognize that you’re sick.

Rebuilding the divided city of Caracas

Meet the artists who are tactically intervening to bring together poor communities in Caracas.

The oceans are not worth $24 trillion

Some things are beyond measure and beyond price. No amount of money is enough to compensate for the loss of the sacred.

To stop the age of extinction, nature needs a new pronoun

Calling the natural world ‘it’ absolves us of moral responsibility and opens the door to exploitation. 

These American cities are fighting for control over electricity and the internet

State politicians are governed by check-writers in the energy and telecommunications businesses, but cities are pushing back.

Deep in the Amazon, one tribe is beating big oil

The people of Sarayaku are a leading force in 21st century indigenous resistance, engaging the western world politically, legally and philosophically. 

Women lead the struggle against mining and machismo in Guatemala

For over two years, the small community of San José del Golfo have maintained a 24-hour barricade against the mine that threatens to destroy their land and water.

Why is it so hard to believe in climate change?

Those who come after us will wonder at how we were so blinkered, at why we took so long to change.

The green machine of Copenhagen

When machines break down, don't throw them away, fix them. Anders Koefoed has declared war on “planned obsolescence.” This is the third video in our Everyday Stories series, showcasing people who are adding more meaning and sustainability to their lives. (Video, 5 mins)

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