Nine Books I’m Reading This Summer (Plus One Very Special Book Coming This Fall!)

After the warmest summer on record, I’ve moved two climate-themed books to the top of my stack. In addition to my activism on climate, I’m also preparing for TEDWomen 2023 in October. As TEDWomen’s editorial director, I work with speakers—and it’s not unusual that some of them have also written books. Here are a few that I am reading as I help them write their talks.

And of course, I anticipate the release of 50 Years of Ms.: The Best of the Pathfinding Magazine That Ignited a Revolution on Sept. 19!

Colorado-Based Water Protector Faces Trial for Involvement in Line 3 Pipeline Protest: ‘I Don’t Feel Guilty. Enbridge Should Feel Guilty.’

When Mylene Vialard followed her 21-year-old daughter across the U.S. to join the thousands of the resistance by Water Protectors led by Indigenous women at Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline, her aim was clear: to help make change. The Boulder-based activist is one of several around the U.S. who face felony charges in northern Minnesota’s Aitkin County for allegedly “obstructing legal process.” Her trial is the week of Aug. 28. 

“Not taking the plea deal and going to trial is using my voice to point out where the problems are, what the issues are. And, you know, I don’t have that big of a voice, but it’s what I can do right now. The outcome of the trial is secondary to me. If we can raise the awareness and can plant seeds, it’s a victory for me.”

Who Do We Call to Solve Our Most Complex Problems? Vice President Harris

Vice President Harris and Israeli President Isaac Herzog just announced $70 million in funding—half from the U.S. and half from Israel—for climate-smart agriculture to capture, store, use and protect water resources in the Middle East and Africa. And it’s no accident a project like this was put forward by the first female vice president in United States history who is a woman of color.

Why Banking for the Public Good Is No Pipe Dream

A trio of bank runs at Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), Signature and Silvergate Bank probably has you sitting up and paying attention, possibly biting your nails. Is this the beginning of another financial unraveling? How could a tech bank as important and big as SVB go broke? Wall Street goes by rules different from those applied to you and me.

War on Women: Republicans Block Senate ERA Vote; Tennessee Wants Teachers to Carry Guns; Mifepristone Is Still on the Market—For Now

U.S. patriarchal authoritarianism is on the rise, and democracy is on the decline. But day after day, we stay vigilant in our goals to dismantle patriarchy at every turn. The fight is far from over. We are watching, and we refuse to go back. This is the War on Women Report.

This month: Anorexia is on the rise for young girls; mifepristone remains on the market, for now; House Republicans bar trans athletes from participating in women’s and girls’ sports; the ERA was blocked in the Senate; North Dakota gets one of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the country; and more.

Keeping Score: Ralph Yarl’s Shooter Charged with Felonies; Zooey Zephyr Speaks Out; Biden Executive Orders on Environment and Care Work

In every issue of Ms., we track research on our progress in the fight for equality, catalogue can’t-miss quotes from feminist voices and keep tabs on the feminist movement’s many milestones. We’re Keeping Score online, too—in this biweekly roundup.

This week: Senate Democrats host hearings on Supreme Court ethics; Andrew Lester charged with two felonies for shooting teenager Ralph Yarl; North Dakota bans trans athletes from school sports; Biden proposals sanction some bans on trans student athletes; new executive orders expand environmental justice efforts; National Women’s History Museum launches first in-person exhibition and appoints new president; and more.

Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation: How Feminism Benefits Men; Republican U.S. House Member Blasts Party’s ‘Silence’ on Guns and Abortion

Weekend Reading for Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation. 

This week: Kasandra Gandara may be the first woman mayor of Las Cruces, N.M.; Nancy Mace, a Republican House member from South Carolina, criticizes her party for their resistance to gun control and abortion access; at the current rate of progress, it will take 140 years to reach gender balance in the global financial sector; and more.

This Mother Earth Day, Let’s Follow the Lead of Indigenous People for a More Symbiotic Relationship With Nature

A shift to the Indigenous perspectives, values and knowledge—one that prioritizes a harmonious relationship with the natural world—can inspire real, impactful and equitable action on the climate and conservation. While Indigenous Peoples and local communities account for just 5 percent of the world’s population, they own or manage at least 25 percent of the world’s land surface, 40 percent of protected areas, and steward an astounding 80 percent of biodiversity on earth.

Indigenous people have historically practiced land management and conservation methods that scientists now say are crucial for tackling the climate crisis and enriching biodiversity. As we celebrate International Mother Earth Day, we’d be wise to let Indigenous People and their intergenerational and holistic understanding of the natural world guide us in protecting and replenishing nature.

The Sustainable Climate Future Belongs to Women

The world cannot address the biggest crisis facing humanity without the full inclusion of women’s voices, work and wisdom. This starts by investing in women-led climate projects.

Our sisters on the frontlines of the climate crisis are doing all they can to protect our Mother Earth. What they need from us and the world is to support and acknowledge their efforts and ensure that their voices are at the front and center of decision-making tables about climate action.