If you want to understand colonialism from a sustainability perspective, which really clarifies where we are right now and why, this is a great article worth your time: Colonial Sustainability: Tracing the sustainability industry’s ecocidal lineage from the Doctrine of Discovery | by Samantha Suppiah.

Big environment news

The United Nations have announced we will hit 1.8°C global warming. Of course, anyone paying attention has known this truth for a long time, along with also knowing it’s going to be a lot worse than that, but do not think .3°C of warming won’t matter, it will, A LOT!!

1. Global heating will hit at least 1.8C, UN warns, and there are ‘no good outcomes’ | Climate crisis | The Guardian
2. Global warming will exceed limit, UN says – ABC News

The World Meteorological Organization provided an El Niño update this week, and well, the news isn’t good.

El Niño is now stronger than at any point in the last 1,000 years, study finds – Ars Technica

What this means is, not only will we see extreme weather events, with heat, storms and floods breaking records, the other direct impact will be food insecurity. It’s a good time to stock up on essentials, and if you can afford it, take care of people who can’t. Another issue we should expect to see is social breakdown, protests and violence.

Is your government getting your country ready? If not, you might want to push for that! They’ve had ample warning.

The haze is back and while it hasn’t been shocking here in Singapore yet, it’s coming! Other countries in the region are already being impacted, with Indonesia obviously suffering the most, and Malaysia has already moved into hazardous territory: Sarawak’s Serian district records hazardous air pollutant index of 518 | The Straits Times.

Indonesia fires: Toxic haze spreads across South East Asia amid ‘super’ El Niño.

While it was wonderful to see the two hydropower workers rescued this week, the future is looking very bleak for Nepal, Tibet, and all the other countries in this region, both relying on glacial melt for water needs, and being in the path of future catastrophic events. At some point we will recognize it’s not about rebuilding, but about moving. I don’t think this is in the discourse yet. It will be: Glacier Time Bombs – CounterPunch.org.

Another issue from the disaster in Nepal – women and girls have additional needs that are not being met #MenstruationMatters Women survivors face sanitation woes in Nepal relief camp | The Straits Times.

As we look ahead: Goodbye to the Least Apocalyptic Summer of the Rest of Your Life | The New Republic.

The definition of irony

The world is in a mess, so people invest in gold, the price of gold increases because there’s more demand, which results in more natural environments being destroyed to dig for gold, so one of the primary reasons the world is in a mess (climate change) guarantees the world becomes less resilient because we destroy more of the natural world to dig for gold to “secure our future”. You see it too, yes? We can’t eat or drink gold: Gold miners breach a crucial refuge for rescued Sumatran orangutans.

JD Vance

The Vice President appeared on a Christian podcast and discussed the end times. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, no one who believes in the end times should be allowed in politics, because they have an opportunity to make it happen: Vance talks about end times and dark forces on Christian podcast | AP News.

Genocide: Destroyed desalination plant worsens Gaza’s drinking water crisis | Israel-Palestine conflict News | Al Jazeera

What else?

Oh Steve Irwin, I cried for a week when you died – the only famous person I ever cried for – and it’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years. Total legend: Steve Irwin’s family celebrates ‘superhero’ dad, 20 years after shock death.

Gloria Steinman died this week, and unsurprisingly, she leaves behind a mixed legacy. I’m grateful for the great strides she made for women and marginalized communities everywhere, but she pissed me off too: Gloria Steinem, feminist icon and founder of Ms. Magazine, dies at 92 | CNN.

Navigating the polycrisis

I’m building a suite of tools to help you navigate the polycrisis, and I’d be very grateful if you checked them out, downloaded them, used them, and provided feedback on ways to make them better. I do this for love – of you and all life on our beautiful planet.

Learn access the information
Know make sense of the systems and risks
Act translate understanding into change
Feel build the courage, agency and resilience to keep going

Friends and my content

Oliver Gill, a guest and sometimes a co-host of The Sh*t Show, wrote a great blog on the situation in the Panama Canal, which is already suffering drought, adding another layer of risk to global supply chains: THE PANAMA PARADOX: Larger Vessels. Less Water.

The Sh*t Show was back this week, and for now, we’re going to do a show on the first Friday of every month, focusing on the biggest issues we all face, within the context of the polycrisis. The image below, which is from the Your polycrisis Risk Profile and based on the 8 Categories of the polycrisis framework, is what we will be basing our conversations around. It all interlinks and reinforces each other.

On the show this week, we discussed retirement. From all the conversations I’ve been having, the risks to pensions are not front of mind and it should be. Thankfully, we have two experts with Dr David Ko and Richard Busellato, who opened my eyes to this risk in their book, The Unsustainable Truth: How Investing for the Future is Destroying the Planet and What to Do About It – a must-read.

Check out the show and understand this very important area. You do not want to be blindsided here, you really don’t.

I’ll be back in October

I’m off to Australia this week for my mum’s 80^th birthday. It’s been nearly two years since I’ve been on a plane, as I try to reduce my impact on our planet, which means I miss a lot of important moments. But it’s time to spend time with my family, and that means I’ll also be taking a break from the Weekend Reads. I will continue to update the news page every day, so save download it on your phone, and you’ll be able to keep up to date with news from across the world.  

Dig into the news

When you visit the daily news page, remember to save it to your home screen and you can check the news anytime, as it’s updated throughout the day, every day – by a real human, me.

This news curation tool covers news and thought leadership across all issues relevant to the polycrisis, as well as some light stuff, because we can’t be serious all the time. To get to the news, click through on the image below, and a reminder, it goes back weeks, so have a scan and read/watch/listen to whatever jumps out at you. The categories are right on top as well, so you can dig into whatever issue you care about.

Let me know what caught your attention? Or share with me what has your attention now? There’s a lot going on, which means none of us can cover everything. Besides, it’s always great to get feedback so I know I’m delivering something of value.

Cheers

Andrea T Edwards, CSP

Making sense of the forces reshaping our world and what we can do about them

Learn ¤ Know ¤ Act ¤ Feel

If you want to support my work, please share this blog, subscribe to my social channels, or at least buy me a coffee here.

About me

I help leaders make sense of the polycrisis, the interconnected ecological, social, technological, economic and geopolitical challenges shaping our future, and respond with clarity, courage and practical action.

Through strategic advisory, executive coaching, keynote speaking and workshops, I help organizations strengthen leadership, unlock the power of their people and navigate meaningful change.

I’m the author of Uncommon Courage, an invitation and 18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile, co-host of The Sh*t Show, a livestream exploring the realities of the polycrisis and what we can do about it, as well as the podcast, Uncommon Courage.

Connect on social media

LinkedIn ¤ Twitter ¤ Facebook  ¤ YouTube ¤  Instagram ¤ BlueSky ¤ Threads ¤  Amazon and Facebook Group Uncommon Courage.

The Sh*t Show

Feedback

Have I done a great job for you? Can you write a reference on my LinkedIn profile or on my Google Business page? If not for me, why not write one for someone else who inspires you or has helped you? Join the #GivingEconomy.

The post #278 Weekend Reads – even our world map was racist appeared first on Andrea T Edwards.

Warning, this is hard to watch!

Watching people running away at the border crossing between Nepal and China near Gyirong, I thought they could be OK when the first wave hit, but seconds later the whole screen was blacked out, and we know there is no way anyone could survive that.

I haven’t found a link I can share, but there is a ‘before and after’ image going around of the border crossing, and it is completely gone. Only parched earth remains.

Of course, the misinformation and disinformation started to circulate rapidly following this event, but all the experts said we won’t know for weeks, maybe even months. So please, if the experts are saying that, listen to them.

We must learn to WAIT for news. We can never know the true details instantly, especially in a place this high in the Himalayas. That said, one piece worth reviewing is this: Himalayan Disaster: August 2026 Bhote Koshi Deluge – SANDRP.

In the meantime, another extreme weather event has struck, this time in the Andes region in South America. It’s was only earlier today when this news broke, so expect to hear more heartbreak.

Over here in Asia, Indonesia is on fire. Millions are breathing in toxic smoke, and for those of us in the neighbourhood, we know it’s coming our way soon. I’ve lived through horrendous haze experiences in Singapore and Asia, and if you’ve never experienced it, it’s brutal.

The coming months are expected to be terrible for haze and I’m definitely not looking forward to it. As always, the poorest will suffer the most, and in Indonesia, that has already begun. El Niño and haze always come together.

Extreme events are going to be in the news more and more in the coming months and years, especially with the El Niño building towards its peak, which is expected in November-December.

And because this is expected be such an extreme event, we’re not only going to hear a lot more terrible news, we’ll also experience impacts ourselves, with the scale something we’ve never seen before. We know many people will suffer terribly, and everyone will be impacted in some form or another, as the fallout ripples across supply chains, and costs start to rise. The war in Iran will make it even worse.

Please, prepare for this, don’t walk into it blindly. Stock up on essentials now if you can afford to. Take care of those who can’t.

Some Dolly love

I’ve recommended this for years. It’s a brilliant podcast series and not only do you learn more about Dolly’s story, but you get a musical history education from the Appalachians back through time. Truly sensational: Dolly Parton’s America – Podcast – Apple Podcasts

Something else Dolly gave us, perhaps an anthem in our fight for the future?

Your polycrisis Risk Profile

In the meantime, I’m developing a suite of tools to help people navigate the polycrisis, and this week I launched Your polycrisis Risk Profile. Let’s be honest, the polycrisis can feel abstract when discussed at a global level, but its effects are experienced locally. This tool helps you explore how interconnected risks reach the place where you live.

All you have to do is enter your location and you’ll see a local profile across my 8 Categories of the polycrisis framework, including climate disruption, biodiversity loss, food systems, health, conflict, economics, and social resilience.

The profiles are built from research and data provided by authoritative sources such as NASA, NOAA, the IPCC, WHO, the World Bank, and other public scientific institutions. Every category links back to the evidence and explains the confidence behind the assessment.

This is not intended to predict the future or reduce complex systems to a single number. It is designed to make the evidence easier to understand, connect global patterns with local experience, and help you ask better questions about the world around you.

I would love it if you could provide local feedback based on your search, which you can do directly in the app. That’s the only way to ensure this is a powerful information resource!

Two other tools

And in case we’re only meeting for the first time, I’ve also launched world news the polycrisis site. It’s updated every day, and you can download it to your phone as an app to check in whenever you have a moment to scan the news. This provides all the major news going on around the world, in English, and it’s what I’m reading/watching/listening too.

There’s also The Overshoot Challenge. Sign up sign up, and let’s all start doing our part. We need everyone everywhere living in balance with nature and healing the damage we’ve already created. We need to try, for our kids and grandkids!

Don’t sink into despair and hopelessness, step into action – both personal and community action! It’s all-in now.

Untangling the polycrisis

What it is, why it matters and what we can do about it

If you’re in Singapore on Monday 5th October and would like to attend my workshop, reach out. This is my third run of the workshop, so prices are very low. You can see below what attendees of the last workshop had to say about the day.

The Sh*t Show is back

I said the The Sh*t Show was going to be back this week, but David is still enjoying his summer, so tune in next Friday, 4^th September, and we’re going to take a different approach for the rest of the year, focusing on core topics relevant to the future. Next week we are going to focus on retirement and we’ll look at it from every angle and age group, because the impact on your retirement money is coming, so how do you prepare?

Dig into the news

When you visit the daily news page, remember to save it to your home screen and you can check the news anytime, as it’s updated throughout the day, every day – by a real human, me.

This news curation tool covers news and thought leadership across all issues relevant to the polycrisis, as well as some light stuff, because we can’t be serious all the time. To get to the news, click through on the image below, and a reminder, it goes back weeks, so have a scan and read/watch/listen to whatever jumps out at you. The categories are right on top as well, so you can dig into whatever issue you care about.

Let me know what caught your attention? Or share with me what has your attention now? There’s a lot going on, which means none of us can cover everything. Besides, it’s always great to get feedback so I know I’m delivering something of value.

Cheers

Andrea T Edwards, CSP

Making sense of the forces reshaping our world and what we can do about them

Learn ¤ Know ¤ Act ¤ Feel

If you want to support my work, please share this blog, subscribe to my social channels, or at least buy me a coffee here.

About me

I help leaders make sense of the polycrisis, the interconnected ecological, social, technological, economic and geopolitical challenges shaping our future, and respond with clarity, courage and practical action.

Through strategic advisory, executive coaching, keynote speaking and workshops, I help organizations strengthen leadership, unlock the power of their people and navigate meaningful change.

I’m the author of Uncommon Courage, an invitation and 18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile, co-host of The Sh*t Show, a livestream exploring the realities of the polycrisis and what we can do about it, as well as the podcast, Uncommon Courage.

Connect on social media

LinkedIn ¤ Twitter ¤ Facebook  ¤ YouTube ¤  Instagram ¤ BlueSky ¤ Threads ¤  Amazon and Facebook Group Uncommon Courage.

The Sh*t Show

Feedback

Have I done a great job for you? Can you write a reference on my LinkedIn profile or on my Google Business page? If not for me, why not write one for someone else who inspires you or has helped you? Join the #GivingEconomy.

The post #277 Weekend Reads – it’s been a sad week, so much loss appeared first on Andrea T Edwards.

My greatest concern, as I watch the world move deeper into chaos, is a great wave of despair encircling the globe – a very dangerous place for us to land. We cannot afford to sink into despair; we must focus on the work at hand and turn the tide as much as possible.

But I’ll leave that thought for another week or show, because the issue really alarming me right now is heat. When I arrived in Singapore in 2003, I loved the heat. Many friends and family who visited asked how I coped with it, but I never had an issue. After experiencing winter in the UK and the US, I was totally done with cold, dreary weather.

However, things are changing, and heat in Asia is not the same. The last few years have been horrid, but there is always some respite for a few weeks or even months. Not this year. We might get a day here or there, otherwise it’s just hot and steamy all the time, which leaves me deeply concerned, because El Niño hasn’t even arrived.

With temperatures expected to be 3°C or even 4°C above the norm once the full peak of this event hits in the October/November timeframe, lasting long into next year, can you even imagine how hot it is going to get?

For those of us in the Global South, it’s going to be intense, especially for the poorest, because the expected record level of this event, according to the scientists, is something we have never experienced in human memory.

Concerned for my boys

Before I share some of the recent coverage on this, on a personal level, I am concerned for my boys. They are now both doing National Service here in Singapore, and while they are very well educated on recognizing heat symptoms, while also knowing the Singapore military takes heat VERY seriously, being Caucasian (or ang mohs) they definitely don’t deal with the heat as well as their Asian mates.

The October/November timeframe also worries me. The peak of basic military training is a 24km overnight route march from Changi into the City, and they wear full combat gear on the march. My older son Lex did it nearly two years ago, and it was steamy when he passed us at 10 pm on his way into the city.

My younger son Jax will be doing it in November, and well, that’s when El Niño will be in full force. So yeah, I’m worried about that, BUT I do trust the military to manage it safely. Deaths in NS is not something they want to deal with.  

A recent photo of both boys. This is the first time we saw Jax after two weeks in BMT, and I have to say, he’s had a terrific attitude to this change of life. While many question why we’d put our boys through this (and it was our decision) I am committed to making sure they are strong and resilient for the future that is coming.

Heat and El Niño coverage worth reading

• James Hansen and team published their latest update, which is always worth paying attention to: Super-Duper El Nino and the Bigger Problem
• While a lot of focus has been on extreme heat in the Northern Hemisphere, the extreme heat events in Asia are well established. India is ground zero: City of Sweat • EQUATOR and here’s another research piece: India faces rising uncompensable heat stress, especially during monsoon season
• Two climate scientists who do not do panic, Andrew Dessler and Zeke Hausfather, shared this article, which also contains current graphs: Is this El Niño a glimpse of a future, hotter Earth?
• For anyone arguing that it’s just weather, show them these figures: U.S. Cities Are Seeing More 90-Degree Days Than Ever. Is Yours One of Them? | National Geographic
• The level of alarm that should be happening just isn’t here. For many of the countries in Asia, we will see enormous suffering in the next 12 months, which will impact lives, crops, and nature: Why extreme heat could be Asia’s most underestimated health challenge | News | Eco-Business | Asia Pacific
• Remember the fires in the Amazon during the last El Niño? It’s not good news: El Niño may peak at the worst time for the Amazon – and it should worry us all | Amazon rainforest | The Guardian
• It’s going to get hotter! Call this a hot summer? This phenomenon explains why next year may be worse

Get live updates here: El Niño 2026: Status, Timeline & Forecast — El Niño 2026 Tracker

Featured in the tracker is this chart, which compares the last three strongest events.

Wherever you live, understand the impacts of El Niño, while appreciating it will be a lot more extreme than previous events, and get prepared. We need a whole of society focus here. Don’t wait for governments to do it, everyone needs to be involved and take the threat seriously. I’ll keep you updated on what’s going on as this event builds.

Stay sane and focused

There is a lot going on in the news, and I know it can be hard to see straight, and while sitting in a state of constant outrage is completely understandable, it’s also exhausting and makes you miserable. I put the lens of the climate emergency over everything I pay attention to, and when you do that, most of the idiocy we see from our leaders becomes laughable – in a dark laugh kind of way.

As always, to keep up with the news, please check in on the world news the polycrisis site. It’s updated every day, and you can download it to your phone as an app to check in whenever you have a moment to spare.

Have you signed up to The Overshoot Challenge yet? Everyone keeps asking me what can I do? Start here. I built it to answer that question. Sign up today, get your family and community involved, and help me build the One Billion People movement.  

The Sh*t Show is back

The Sh*t Show is back next Friday, 28^th August. We’re not going to do it every week, but we are still working out how often we do it and if we are going to change our approach. We’ll talk about it more next week, but in the meantime, check out the show. We always appreciate the support.

Dig into the news

When you visit the daily news page, remember to save it to your home screen and you can check the news anytime, as it’s updated throughout the day, every day – by a real human, me.

This news curation tool covers news and thought leadership across all issues relevant to the polycrisis, as well as some light stuff, because we can’t be serious all the time. To get to the news, click through on the image below, and a reminder, it goes back weeks, so have a scan and read/watch/listen to whatever jumps out at you. The categories are right on top as well, so you can dig into whatever issue you care about.

Let me know what caught your attention? Or share with me what has your attention now? There’s a lot going on, which means none of us can cover everything. Besides, it’s always great to get feedback so I know I’m delivering something of value.

Cheers

Andrea T Edwards, CSP

Making sense of the forces reshaping our world and what we can do about them

Learn ¤ Know ¤ Act ¤ Feel

If you want to support my work, please share this blog, subscribe to my social channels, or at least buy me a coffee here.

About me

I help leaders make sense of the polycrisis, the interconnected ecological, social, technological, economic and geopolitical challenges shaping our future, and respond with clarity, courage and practical action.

Through strategic advisory, executive coaching, keynote speaking and workshops, I help organizations strengthen leadership, unlock the power of their people and navigate meaningful change.

I’m the author of Uncommon Courage, an invitation and 18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile, co-host of The Sh*t Show, a livestream exploring the realities of the polycrisis and what we can do about it, as well as the podcast, Uncommon Courage.

Connect on social media

LinkedIn ¤ Twitter ¤ Facebook  ¤ YouTube ¤  Instagram ¤ BlueSky ¤ Threads ¤  Amazon and Facebook Group Uncommon Courage.

The Sh*t Show

Feedback

Have I done a great job for you? Can you write a reference on my LinkedIn profile or on my Google Business page? If not for me, why not write one for someone else who inspires you or has helped you? Join the #GivingEconomy.

The post #276 Weekend Reads – back to work as the world gets hotter appeared first on Andrea T Edwards.

We have known for decades that this is where business as usual would lead us, and we haven’t worked out how to put our foot on the breaks. However, what has surprised many experts is how quickly the conditions have converged, and how unprepared governments, institutions and the public remain.

What is not appreciated, is that of course we’re in an impossible bind. Our politicians avoid necessary action because its costs are immediate and visible, while the benefits more long-term, and because transition policies fail when they’re seen as unfair. There’s this misguided idea that we can continue as usual, including growing our economies, AND deal with the emergency at the same time. We can’t.

High-consuming countries and households need to start doing rapid, deep reductions in energy and material consumption, alongside an expansion of the public services that enable decent lives at far lower resource cost. We also need to urgently replenish nature on land and in the sea. That is the path ahead, it’s a massive job, and no country is adequately prepared for the scale of disruption now becoming apparent.

So here with are, with a mega El Niño on our doorstep, and the impacts of this event will be enormous and incredibly deadly. I encourage you to read a couple of pieces to really understand what’s ahead.

Worth your time

First up this piece by Zeke Hausfather is very important, and we need to remember that Zeke is never alarmist – The Strongest El Niño Ever – by Zeke Hausfather. His conclusions are based on 14 seasonal models and 667 ensemble runs, pointing to a roughly 90% chance that the 2026–27 El Niño will be the strongest observed, potentially peaking near 3.6°C above its Niño 3.4 baseline, far beyond the previous record of 2.75°C.

This forecast is outside the range of observed events. That does not make the outcome certain, because seasonal models have never been tested against an El Niño of this projected magnitude. However, the risk is substantial enough that governments, businesses and households should be preparing now, not after impacts are underway. Living in Asia, this truly frightens me, and I don’t frighten easily.

Next up, ‘Super’ El Niño could cause global food price shock lasting into 2028, analysts say | Global economy | The Guardian. We will see drought, floods, heat, and damaged harvests, including rice, wheat, sugar, soya, corn, palm oil, coffee and cocoa. The estimates see global agricultural output falling by 14.3%, core commodity prices rising 10–50%, and the most exposed crops potentially 50–100%+. This will build and persist into 2028.

Forget empty supermarket shelves, famine, food inflation, food poverty, etc.. are all on the cards. Practical preparedness matters and includes knowing your local risks, building modest household resilience where you can, supporting local food networks, and avoiding panic-buying that makes scarcity worse for others.

Another piece: ‘Climate free fall’: why the biggest risk to our economies is yet to be recognized and the conclusion is what makes this a polycrisis, because it is systemic.

Food systems, energy, finance, public health and political stability are designed around relatively predictable conditions. Without that predictability, we can expect the authoritarian march across the world’s democracies to continue. This is precisely the moment when leaders who deny evidence, scapegoat vulnerable people and promise a return to an impossible status quo become most dangerous.

We have agency

If you feel like having some agency and justice factored in, this is a great read – Can everyone live a ‘good life’ without destroying the planet? | New Scientist.

This argues that a decent life for everyone is still technically possible within planetary limits, but not through universalising high-consumption lifestyles. We need to shift from wasteful private consumption toward universal access to what genuinely improves life: housing, healthcare, education, affordable food, public transport, secure work and resilient local ecosystems.

We’ve got work to do and it requires everyone everywhere doing their part. Governments can’t do this without us getting behind them – that’s impossible. If we continue to have unrealistic expectations about what our governments can do, we are going to end up in a world of hell.

My contribution

This is why I developed The Overshoot Challenge – this is the answer to: What Can I Do? Sign up and get going, then bring everyone with you, because we need to mobilise a billion people to make imperfect but meaningful changes, and to demand the structural changes individuals cannot deliver alone.

Just so you know, I’m making no money from this (it’s costing me), but it’s so important and contains everything I’ve been able to come up with. In it you’ll find more than 300 practical actions across 14 areas, from consumption and food to civic action, community resilience and influencing institutions. Start with one action you can sustain and bring other people with you.

In case you think I cheated and just used AI to do this, in the photo below, you’ll see big pieces of paper with tiny writing. I’ve been brainstorming ideas across government, business, social media/media/influencers and You and I for years now. This is what I stuffed into the backend and carefully crafted every single idea. AI couldn’t do that for me. It was intense.

Do us a favor and download it please. If you can, donate to support this work, because I really want to be able to translate this into multiple languages, but that’s a big cost I can’t carry right now.  

I’m also working on a new site – Where You Live — Your Polycrisis Risk Profile. This is focused on where you live. It’s an information navigator for the age of the polycrisis and all you need to do is enter your location so you can understand your risks.

It’s really comprehensive and links to the data and science in each area. It also ties to my framework “8 Categories of the polycrisis” so it goes well beyond climate change.

I’m looking for feedback on this site. If you do a search on where you live and see issues, please click on the feedback link and let me know so I can improve it. This site will evolve over time and there are other areas to include, like climate justice. It’s coming.

There are more tools I’m working on too, because one way I know I can help is to make sense of information. It’s such a massive and complicated crisis we face, understanding how to navigate the maelstrom of information is important.

With that said, most people won’t ever want this level of detail, and that’s OK. But for those who do, I’m pulling it together.

Time for a break

This coming week, my youngest son, Jax, starts his National Service journey – which is bringing up all sorts of emotions – but I know this will be great for him, especially building his resilience. As a parent, I’ve been very conscious of raising my boys, so they are ready for the future that is coming. My priorities have always been enjoy life, enjoy the moments, and don’t take anything too seriously. But we’ve also focused on helping them build practical skills, so they can be ready and contribute in difficult times.

When they were little, I told them I’d take care of everything, so they could enjoy their childhoods, and they did. Then they got old enough to know that me saying that was the same as believing in Santa Claus. So today, we have very honest and open conversations about the reality of this time. There are no rose-tinted glasses here, but there is also hope in the future, because it’s worth fighting for.

We must face this time with steady resolve, lead with wisdom and integrity, and we absolutely need to get rid of the grifters and destroyers who seem hell-bent on taking us over the edge. That’s why we all must get involved. Everyone has a role to play, please start embracing yours.

Fear is not a plan, and neither is denial. We cannot prevent every impact now locked in, but we can reduce suffering, protect what remains, and build societies better able to withstand what is coming. That work belongs to all of us, not someday, but now.

I’ll be back sometime in August. I don’t know when. This work is really tiring, because it’s a lot of putting stuff out there and getting nothing back. That said, I have been relentless in this work, because I believe we MUST come together and fight like we’ve never fought before, and we need to do it now.

To keep up with the news, please check in on the world news the polycrisis site. It’s updated every day, and like the other two sites above, you can download it to your phone as an app. Here’s the instructions on how to do it.

Friends content and my own

It was our final The Sh*t Show for the season and we had Kenny Lim, The China Whisperer join us. It was such an insightful conversation and if you want to get a handle on China, please have a listen. Kenny is terrific. Also attend his events or book him for your executive team. He’s a man on a mission.

A big shout out to my co-hosts too – Joe, David and Richard. It’s a lot of work doing this show, but the chance to speak with people who care deeply is something I really value. It really does keep me sane.

Your daily dose of courage

Dig into the news

When you visit the daily news page, remember to save it to your home screen and you can check the news anytime, as it’s updated throughout the day, every day – by a real human, me.

This news curation tool covers news and thought leadership across all issues relevant to the polycrisis, as well as some light stuff, because we can’t be serious all the time. To get to the news, click through on the image below, and a reminder, it goes back weeks, so have a scan and read/watch/listen to whatever jumps out at you. The categories are right on top as well, so you can dig into whatever issue you care about.

Let me know what caught your attention? Or share with me what has your attention now? There’s a lot going on, which means none of us can cover everything. Besides, it’s always great to get feedback so I know I’m delivering something of value.

Cheers

Andrea

If you want to support my work, please share this blog, subscribe to my social channels, or at least buy me a coffee here.

The Sh*t Show

The Sh*t Show is a Livestream happening every Friday, where Andrea T Edwards, Dr. David Ko, Richard Busellato and Joe Augustin, as well as special guests, discuss the world’s most pressing issues across all angles of the polycrisis, working to make sense of the extremely challenging and complex times we are all going through, plus what we can do about it. Help us move the needle so we can change the name of the show to something more genteel when (or if) it is no longer a sh*t show.

Uncommon Courage: an invitation

Uncommon Courage is an invitation to be your courageous best self every day. It’s also an antidote to the overwhelm, fear, and rage rolling around the world. But it’s more than a book; it’s an invitation to join an inclusive community that wants to better understand humanities challenges – both global and personal – in order to take courageous action and create a better world for everyone.

You can buy it on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Booktopia, Smashwords, Kobo, Gardners, Odilo, Indie Bound, BookShop by BookTrib and Scribd.

Better yet, order it from your local bookstore, so you can #SupportLocal.

You can read the reviews, including a new five-star review on Book Commentary, another five-star review on ReaderViews, a review on BookTrib, and three more on Booklife, another on Book Commentary and Blue Ink Reviews. I’m also collating reviews on my Website too. Have a look and grateful to everyone who has written or recorded one.

Come and join the conversation in my Facebook Group One Billion People with Uncommon Courage.

Listen in to the Uncommon Courage, the podcast on Apple, Spotify and everywhere podcasts are published.

18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile 

Listed by Book Authority in the 100 Best LinkedIn Books of All Time and 22 Best New LinkedIn eBooks To Read In 2021 and 2022 categories. Grab it today if you want to take your professional presence to the next level! When it comes to LinkedIn, it really is time to ask — can you really afford not to have this book in the hands of every employee?

Are you a Social CEO? The Social CEO: How Social Media Can Make You A Stronger Leader. 

Want to claim your stage? Unleash Your Voice – Powerful Public Speaking for Every Woman 

Feedback

Have I done a great job for you? Can you write a reference on my LinkedIn profile or on my Google Business page? If not for me, why not write one for someone else who inspires you or has helped you? Join the #GivingEconomy.

The post #275 Weekend Reads – the future we warned about is here. Will we finally act? appeared first on Andrea T Edwards.

This was the first media interview I saw him do. Brilliant!

A classic example of the absurdity of our times. The Republican Senator, Mitch McConnel is missing in action, after apparently suffering a heart attack. He’s 84 and has experienced a bunch of health episodes in recent years, but the question should surely be – why the hell is he still in politics? Yes, he’s retiring, but are people in their 80s the best politicians for this time? I’d suggest not, because they won’t be around for any of the issues we will face. Time for age limits.

Anyhoo, this is why the McConnel news is important, just in case you’re interested in US politics. The GOP is accused of hiding the severity of Mitch McConnell’s medical condition to prevent a special election before the November primaries, which could mean Rep Thomas Massie can put himself forward as an independent candidate, despite recently losing his House primary. BUT this can only happen if McConnell is declared incapacitated before an August 3^rd deadline.

If it happens, it will pit mainstream Republicans, who back nominee Andy Barr, against a Massie candidacy, which would likely split the conservative vote, and that means handing the seat to a Democrat. Kentucky is a deep red state. Therefore, by keeping McConnell officially in office past that early August deadline, the GOP establishment is apparently trying to avoid this scenario. So, there you have it, fun and games in politics.

The Overshoot Challenge

Before we move on, I launched The Overshoot Challenge a couple of weeks ago, because everyone is always asking me What Can I Do? So, this challenge answers that question, but only 171 people have signed up so far. Does that mean people don’t really want the answer at all?

We need to mobilize one billion people into massive action, so let’s get going huh? I’ve got more tools coming, but I need your support, and in this case, it means setting up an account and having a conversation. I’m not asking too much, am I?

More news

Well, unsurprisingly, it looks like we have a mega El Niño on the way – terrific!

1. If you like your data, this is handy. As an aside, there’s been a lot of reporting that these heat extremes were not expected by scientists until 2070… yes, 2070 – ‘Hotter and hotter and hotter’ – Europe’s new climate in seven charts.
2. Future beings will look at our record and wonder how we were so bloody stupid – An impenetrable steel ‘Black Box’ will record ‘every step’ humanity takes toward catastrophe | CNN.
3. If there is one read worth it this week, it’s definitely this – On Climate Denial and Free Market Fundamentalism | Current History | University of California Press. Understanding the human mind is what we need to do. Here’s the summary of what it’s about:

“The failure to respond to decades of scientific evidence regarding climate change is examined through the lens of free market fundamentalism and the systematic loathing of government intervention. This analysis explores how the myth of the self-regulating market has historically blocked the governance structures necessary to limit carbon emissions, leading to widespread environmental and social damage. By drawing parallels to historically successful reconstruction efforts, a case is made for a comprehensive rebuilding of the American economy. Such a transformation would prioritize the creation of dignified labor, the overhaul of toxic agricultural systems, and the restoration of public faith in collective action. Ultimately, recognizing the interrelated nature of these crises provides a unique opportunity to design a more resilient and equitable future.”

This is so sad, little poppets! They just don’t have access to vaccines.

1. There are absolutely NO good options, none. The implications of this war will be devastating, way beyond the battlefield. We need wise and compassionate leaders for these times, and we don’t have that – Trump’s options in Iran are now both limited — and all bad | CNN Politics.
2. Asia will get an absolute hammering over the next 12 months – typhoons, rain, droughts, crop failures, and then the heat. I am not looking forward to the hot season, but people with far less will be in far more trouble – Exclusive | Asia’s top climate scientist warns of ‘humanitarian disasters’ as Earth teeters | South China Morning Post.
3. Last week it was Google and Amazon reporting massive emission leaps, this week it’s Microsoft – Microsoft adjusts climate agenda as emissions leap.

Coming face-to-face with Cobras was a common experience living in Thailand, along with other, less venomous species. But you must check this out – yikes!

1. There is a lot of talk out of Australia that Pauline Hanson’s One Nation will win the next election. I highly doubt it, regardless of the media reporting (remember 70% is owned by Murdoch AND there’s a co-ordinated and funded foreign social media campaign) so this piece gave me hope – Gen Z is not ageing into the old Australia | Pearls and Irritations.  
2. This would be a very very bad day… Ryanair Passenger Partially Sucked Out of Window in Terrifying Mid-Flight Emergency.
3. The great Bonnie Tyler has left us – Bonnie Tyler, known for hit song ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart,’ dies age 75 | CNN.
4. Does anyone else get bothered by the word ‘belief’ when it comes to climate change? It’s not religion, it’s science – Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes, Spring 2026 – Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.
5. The tech broligarchy aka the Nerd Reich, are finally getting mainstream news coverage about their evil plans. This is not a reality where we can afford a failure of imagination. The time will come when we won’t be able to do anything to stop it – Meet the crypto billionaires building a world where money buys you a vote.
6. When this article was shared, there were loads of laughter emojis, which I always find interesting when it comes to anything to do with vaccines, in particular, mRNA vaccines. Worth understanding – Six Years After the First COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines, Billions of Doses Clarify Their Protection and Rare Risks | Discover Magazine

A big shout out to local Phuket super star Nene. She took the big stage at America’s Got Talent and ROCKED it! The first time I saw her perform she was 11 and everyone in the band was the same age or younger. She hasn’t stopped and my heart was beating with pride watching her. I have no doubt she will be the super star she wants to be.

That’s enough for now, but plenty more on the world news the polycrisis site. Check in often, it’s updated every day.

Friends content and my own

It was just Dr David Ko, Joe Augustin and I on The Sh*t Show this week, which means we got to cover a lot more news. From politics to extreme heat and other weather impacts, we covered a lot. Next week is our last show for the season, why not join us?

Your daily dose of courage

Dig into the news

When you visit the daily news page, remember to save it to your home screen and you can check the news anytime, as it’s updated throughout the day, every day – by a real human, me.

This news curation tool covers news and thought leadership across all issues relevant to the polycrisis, as well as some light stuff, because we can’t be serious all the time. To get to the news, click through on the image below, and a reminder, it goes back weeks, so have a scan and read/watch/listen to whatever jumps out at you. The categories are right on top as well, so you can dig into whatever issue you care about.

Let me know what caught your attention? Or share with me what has your attention now? There’s a lot going on, which means none of us can cover everything. Besides, it’s always great to get feedback so I know I’m delivering something of value.

Cheers

Andrea

If you want to support my work, please share this blog, subscribe to my social channels, or at least buy me a coffee here.

The Sh*t Show

The Sh*t Show is a Livestream happening every Friday, where Andrea T Edwards, Dr. David Ko, Richard Busellato and Joe Augustin, as well as special guests, discuss the world’s most pressing issues across all angles of the polycrisis, working to make sense of the extremely challenging and complex times we are all going through, plus what we can do about it. Help us move the needle so we can change the name of the show to something more genteel when (or if) it is no longer a sh*t show.

Uncommon Courage: an invitation

Uncommon Courage is an invitation to be your courageous best self every day. It’s also an antidote to the overwhelm, fear, and rage rolling around the world. But it’s more than a book; it’s an invitation to join an inclusive community that wants to better understand humanities challenges – both global and personal – in order to take courageous action and create a better world for everyone.

You can buy it on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Booktopia, Smashwords, Kobo, Gardners, Odilo, Indie Bound, BookShop by BookTrib and Scribd.

Better yet, order it from your local bookstore, so you can #SupportLocal.

You can read the reviews, including a new five-star review on Book Commentary, another five-star review on ReaderViews, a review on BookTrib, and three more on Booklife, another on Book Commentary and Blue Ink Reviews. I’m also collating reviews on my Website too. Have a look and grateful to everyone who has written or recorded one.

Come and join the conversation in my Facebook Group One Billion People with Uncommon Courage.

Listen in to the Uncommon Courage, the podcast on Apple, Spotify and everywhere podcasts are published.

18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile 

Listed by Book Authority in the 100 Best LinkedIn Books of All Time and 22 Best New LinkedIn eBooks To Read In 2021 and 2022 categories. Grab it today if you want to take your professional presence to the next level! When it comes to LinkedIn, it really is time to ask — can you really afford not to have this book in the hands of every employee?

Are you a Social CEO? The Social CEO: How Social Media Can Make You A Stronger Leader. 

Want to claim your stage? Unleash Your Voice – Powerful Public Speaking for Every Woman 

Feedback

Have I done a great job for you? Can you write a reference on my LinkedIn profile or on my Google Business page? If not for me, why not write one for someone else who inspires you or has helped you? Join the #GivingEconomy.

The post #274 Weekend Reads – thanks for the laughs, Count Binface appeared first on Andrea T Edwards.

Extreme heat is the talk of the world right now, which is why we spent a LOT of time talking about heat on the show yesterday. We also discussed how it’s so obvious events of this magnitude would be upon us, and yet everywhere we look, governments are underprepared. Even the countries which did prepare (like France) underestimated potential impact.

Apparently, this would be a once every 26,000 years event if it happened 20 years ago, but today it’s a once every 20 years event. Yep, that’s how fast things are changing and our governments are not keeping up at all. Maybe it’s time to listen to the people who are actually understanding the risks we face?

The whole conversation happening right now is on the immediate impacts, but we have many future scenarios we’ll be facing in the months ahead, like food scarcity, inflation and famine due to the long-term damage. For now, we are tallying the numbers of humans who have died.

Estimates are 2000+ in France, 1,000 in Spain, and Zenodo released a report suggesting more than 20,000 have died in Europe due to heatwaves this June. This article also said there were more than 20,000 deaths, but went on to attribute 5,210 deaths in France, 4,543 in Germany, 3,163 in Spain, and 2,709 for Italy. Regardless, we will never know the true number of deaths because with extreme heat, we never do, and that’s why we are not alarmed enough.

Meanwhile in the US, today marks 250 years since Independence (in case you somehow missed that fact) and celebrations across the country have been cancelled or are opening later, due to extreme heat. No problem though, Donald Trump is going to give “a really long speech, just to show that I can do anything” later today. I mean, an 80-year-old man, in 107°F heat, what could possibly go wrong? Listen to him say it himself here.

The Overshoot Challenge

This week I launched The Overshoot Challenge, which answers the question – What Can I Do? This is something EVERYONE asks me all the time, and if I answer that question, they don’t like it.

The reason they don’t like it is because the answer stirs up very strong emotions – and of course it does. It doesn’t make it less true that we need to get out of Overshoot – which basically means we’re taking more than the planet can provide, and we’ve been in Overshoot as long as I’ve been alive! So not only do we need to get out of Overshoot, we also have a debt to pay too.

Once you get this message, you really start to see how you are contributing to the problem, and the truth is, if you’re reading this, you’re on technology, and that almost certainly guarantees you are in Overshoot, so we’re all in this together.

When you go into the deck and see the options I’ve suggested, there will be actions you just don’t want to do, and there will be actions that are easy to do. Start with the easy, because once you start, you’ll want to do more. The Overshoot Challenge gives you more than 300 ideas, across 14 categories, and it’s all about starting where you can, no guilt, no perfection, just action.

The real focus behind the challenge is to recruit one billion people into action and collectively, we take the reins to build our future, from the middle-class up. There are more than 4.3 billion middle class people on this planet, and it’s time we used that power. It starts by all of us massively reducing our energy and material consumption and regenerating nature around us.

Join me on The Overshoot Challenge and let’s mobilize one billion people into action, and together, we change the direction of humanity. We are the only ones who can lead this change, so I ask you – are you in?

More news

Because we didn’t get to talk much beyond heat on the show yesterday, I wanted to share articles from that, as well as others we didn’t have time discuss. Then, as always, go and check out the reads.

1. An alarming fact I was unaware of – Rising summer heat linked to higher US youth suicide rates, especially ages 15 to 24
2. A slightly more nuanced conversation Vs the politicisation we’re seeing in the media – As Europe braces for a second heatwave, the EU’s Green Deal faces crucial summer test | Euronews
3. This is the news that really scares me – World’s oceans experience hottest June ever, scientists say more heat ahead | Climate News | Al Jazeera
4. The anti-datacentre and AI movement is sure to get stronger momentum if people start dying because of grid pressure from these beasts – As Heat Wave Spreads Across the US, Data Centers Strain Electrical Grids | Truthout
5. One of my spinouts is watching the tech industry – which used to be the greenest industry of them all – turn its back on its commitments. Check this growth at Google – Google’s exponential path to climate-wrecking digital bloat – Ketan Joshi
6. The impact of the Venezuela earthquake has been devastating, with a few moments of joy following miracle rescues, but I keep scratching my head about why the Venezuelan Government is not being truthful about numbers of dead? Estimates are predicting 68,000 missing, what benefit is there in not admitting to that? More than 68,000 people still missing in Venezuela after devastating earthquakes | Euronews
7. If you didn’t watch this interview, do! Bizarre – Exclusive: The whistleblower silenced by Facebook hits back | The News Agents
8. This is an important read on all the ways climate change impacts the body – all organs covered – Here’s how climate change is affecting every system in your body | Grist

Plenty more on the world news the polycrisis site. Check in often, it’s updated every day.

Friends content and my own

We discussed cybersecurity insurance on The Sh*t Show yesterday with Alessandro Lezzi, Group Head of Cyber Risks at Beazley, and if you haven’t watched it, go and watch it. This was such a fascinating conversation, because it’s not just governments and businesses at risk, it’s all of us and the speed of risk is down to seconds. Understanding this so we can protect ourselves is vital, and if you think governments are going to do it, check out how they’re preparing for extreme heat!

Interestingly, this article popped up, which is something we talk about all the time. The so-called geniuses driving these changes are missing fundamental risks to their businesses – weather impacts AI data centers face heatwave and severe weather climate risks.

I published this, after seeing a lady using manosphere terms within the context of personal growth (it was ironic really). Anyhoo, I’d been writing the blog for a while but realized I had to get this out. Know the language of the manosphere and then never EVER use it. This is important – Why we can’t afford to use the language of the manosphere – Andrea T Edwards.

If you haven’t checked out The Sh*t Show before, Joe’s summary nicely encapsulated the week and gives you a flavour of all the topics we cover – if we don’t run out of time!

Your daily dose of courage

Dig into the news

When you visit the daily news page, remember to save it to your home screen and you can check the news anytime, as it’s updated throughout the day, every day – by a real human, me.

This news curation tool covers news and thought leadership across all issues relevant to the polycrisis, as well as some light stuff, because we can’t be serious all the time. To get to the news, click through on the image below, and a reminder, it goes back weeks, so have a scan and read/watch/listen to whatever jumps out at you. The categories are right on top as well, so you can dig into whatever issue you care about.

Let me know what caught your attention? Or share with me what has your attention now? There’s a lot going on, which means none of us can cover everything. Besides, it’s always great to get feedback so I know I’m delivering something of value.

Cheers

Andrea

If you want to support my work, please share this blog, subscribe to my social channels, or at least buy me a coffee here.

The Sh*t Show

The Sh*t Show is a Livestream happening every Friday, where Andrea T Edwards, Dr. David Ko, Richard Busellato and Joe Augustin, as well as special guests, discuss the world’s most pressing issues across all angles of the polycrisis, working to make sense of the extremely challenging and complex times we are all going through, plus what we can do about it. Help us move the needle so we can change the name of the show to something more genteel when (or if) it is no longer a sh*t show.

Uncommon Courage: an invitation

Uncommon Courage is an invitation to be your courageous best self every day. It’s also an antidote to the overwhelm, fear, and rage rolling around the world. But it’s more than a book; it’s an invitation to join an inclusive community that wants to better understand humanities challenges – both global and personal – in order to take courageous action and create a better world for everyone.

You can buy it on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Booktopia, Smashwords, Kobo, Gardners, Odilo, Indie Bound, BookShop by BookTrib and Scribd.

Better yet, order it from your local bookstore, so you can #SupportLocal.

You can read the reviews, including a new five-star review on Book Commentary, another five-star review on ReaderViews, a review on BookTrib, and three more on Booklife, another on Book Commentary and Blue Ink Reviews. I’m also collating reviews on my Website too. Have a look and grateful to everyone who has written or recorded one.

Come and join the conversation in my Facebook Group One Billion People with Uncommon Courage.

Listen in to the Uncommon Courage, the podcast on Apple, Spotify and everywhere podcasts are published.

18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile 

Listed by Book Authority in the 100 Best LinkedIn Books of All Time and 22 Best New LinkedIn eBooks To Read In 2021 and 2022 categories. Grab it today if you want to take your professional presence to the next level! When it comes to LinkedIn, it really is time to ask — can you really afford not to have this book in the hands of every employee?

Are you a Social CEO? The Social CEO: How Social Media Can Make You A Stronger Leader. 

Want to claim your stage? Unleash Your Voice – Powerful Public Speaking for Every Woman 

Feedback

Have I done a great job for you? Can you write a reference on my LinkedIn profile or on my Google Business page? If not for me, why not write one for someone else who inspires you or has helped you? Join the #GivingEconomy.

The post #273 Weekend Reads – T&T, extreme heat and Trump’s longest ever speech? appeared first on Andrea T Edwards.

It’s also a word used so liberally, I can’t help but lose respect for people when they use it, because we are better than that. But like many fights, I lost that one, so this time round, I’m going to put a firmer stake in the ground on the language of the manosphere.

Woke, as a term, was stolen and redefined to suit a political narrative, and the manosphere is doing exactly the same thing in reverse, by taking normal human interactions and redefining them as market transactions.

Why now?

Because the language of the manosphere is infiltrating our societies everywhere, and this is NOT a positive direction if we want to work out how to pull ourselves back together and solve the terrible divisiveness in our societies.

I’m also a mother of two young men, and I see the world through their eyes, but I’m also very grateful this way of thinking is not infecting them. I’m sure they’d be considered simps, but then they’d be as proud to be simps as I am of being woke, BUT did you see what I did there? I used the language of the manosphere!

By using the word simp I’m buying into what I’m arguing against here, and if there’s one take-away I want to leave you with it is this. You might think it’s funny, cool or ironic to use these words in regular everyday conversation, BUT if we normalize it, the person using it with the misogynistic intention behind the words, can use these terms liberally too.

Of course, if you question them when they use the words, they can say: I was only being funny! If you doubt they were being funny, you’ll be accused of being too sensitive, policing language, embracing cancel culture, etc.. That’s gaslighting in action and it’s everywhere.

The challenge here is they were not being funny, they were being misogynistic and standing against all that is great about being human (like being empathetic), which is why we must be honest about these words and what they mean, and then commit to not using them OK?

Interestingly, I was inspired to share this blog today (when I’m more focused on an extreme heat series), because I saw a young lady using red pill and blue pill to make a statement about personal growth. She completely made my point and has no idea she’s contributing to something that isn’t in her interest – aka misogyny.

We must all fight this

If we do not address the negative aspects of the growing manosphere movement, we will ALL be unhappier, but it’s beyond influencers and algorithms spreading it where the real challenge lies, and that challenge starts with language.

When fringe ideas, expressed as language, move into workplaces, schools, and politics, that’s when we know we’re losing the fight! However, the use of these words, as we saw with woke, reveal that most people using them have no idea what they even really mean.

The underlying worldview behind the words once unleashed, starts to infect us all like a virus. That’s what we must be aware of right now.

This is the article that initially got my attention: The “manosphere” has infiltrated the workplace – Fast Company.

And please, before anyone says anything, this isn’t about policing speech, it’s about recognizing patterns early enough, so we can intervene intelligently BEFORE they take hold and contribute to worsening societal division. I’ve had enough of that, haven’t we all?

Common manosphere words + meanings

To start with, and to ensure we’re all on the same page, let’s have a look at 29 manosphere terms, what they mean, and why they’re not neutral. Incidentally, spend some time with these words and understand them.

It’s a fascinating journey into language, and trust me, once you know what these words mean, you’ll hear them everywhere: at home, at work, on the street. If you know what they really mean, you’ll be much better equipped to address them in real time.

Most have no appreciation for the real meaning, or the impact of these words, so this provides an opportunity for all of us to take responsibility and bring it up in conversation. In this case, ignorance is not bliss, it just means we miss something dangerous festering in our societies.

Onto the words

1. Alpha: yeah, it’s been around a long time, has been disproven in its current usage, but it means a dominant, high-status male.

Why it matters: reduces human relationships to dominance hierarchies. Encourages aggression and suppresses cooperation.

2. Beta: a subordinate, weaker male.

Why it matters: it’s a word that essentially shames empathy, collaboration, and emotional intelligence, traits we need for functioning societies.

3. Sigma: the “lone wolf” who sits outside the hierarchy but is still superior.

Why it matters: this word rebrands isolation as strength, which undermines social cohesion while preserving hierarchical thinking.

Explanation: What Does Sigma Mean? 2025 Slang Explained | HuffPost UK Parents

4. Chad: a genetically gifted, attractive, sexually successful man.

Why it matters: for men it fuels resentment and fatalism, it also encourages comparison instead of development.

Definition: What Does “Chad” Mean? Gen Z Slang & Origins

5. Stacy: a stereotypically attractive woman who only wants “Chads.”

Why it matters: this dehumanizes women into caricatures and justifies hostility.

Wondering if it’s good to be a Stacy? Stacy – What is a Stacy?

And it’s not just Stacy: “Karen” vs. “Becky” vs. “Stacy”: How Different Are These Slang Terms? | Dictionary.com

6. Looksmaxxing: extreme self-optimization of physical appearance – aka the types smashing their faces with hammers to get a better jawline (hint: it doesn’t work)

Why it matters: turns identity into a project of constant optimization. Links self-worth to aesthetics and status.

Good read: What Is Looksmaxxing? The Toxic Internet Trend Obsessed With Male Aesthetics and probably the most famous Looksmaxxer, Clavicular, is not a role model you want for your boys Looksmaxxer Clavicular shares daily drug cocktail he takes to achieve his ideal physique.

Apparently his recent nose job didn’t go down too well

7. SMV (Sexual Market Value): ranking people based on perceived desirability.

Why it matters: commodifies human relationships. Replaces mutual respect with transactional thinking.

Definition: Sexual Market Value (SMV) Explained – All You Need To Know. BTW if you want to increase your value, plenty of info available, but don’t bother if you’re 30+ ladies, and 40+ fellas.

8. Red pill: “waking up” to supposed truths about gender dynamics.

Why it matters: it’s a gateway concept and the show “Adolescence” brought it to life. It often leads to increasingly rigid and adversarial worldviews.

9. Blue pill: someone unaware or in denial of these “truths.”

Why it matters: creates an in-group/out-group dynamic that blocks dialogue. This is basically another form of gaslighting against anyone who has a different worldview.

Solid read on red and blue pill: Red pill meaning, manosphere, misogyny and other terms explained. If we don’t know the language, we don’t know we have a problem, right?

10. Black pill: fatalistic belief that genetics determine everything.

Why it matters: leads to nihilism, disengagement, and in extreme cases, radicalization.

Important definition to know: Why ‘black pill’ is most dangerous incel sign after Adolescence reveals ‘blue pill’ and ‘red pill’ meanings

11. Hypergamy: the idea that women always seek higher-status partners.

Why it matters: oversimplifies human behavior and justifies distrust and control narratives.

More: Hypergamy – What is hypergamy?

12. High-value male: a man with status, wealth, and influence.

Why it matters: collapses human worth into economic and social metrics.

Definition: Urban Dictionary: High value male

13. Low-value male: a man lacking status or success.

Why it matters: reinforces exclusion and shame rather than addressing structural issues.

Not a pleasant read, but now you know the message LVM receive: 10 Signs of a Low-Value Man and How to Overcome Adversity – Knowledge For Men

14. Simp: a man who shows attention or care toward women.

Why it matters: punishes basic decency and reinforces emotional suppression. I mean, imagine a world where men showed care towards women?

Ugh! What Is A ‘Simp’? The New Online Slang For ‘Nice Guys,’ Explained

15. Cuck: an emasculated or submissive man.

Why it matters: polices masculinity through humiliation.

Some history: Understanding ‘Cuck’ from Urban Dictionary: A Cultural Exploration – SlangSphere.com

16. Friendzone: being rejected romantically but kept as a friend.

Why it matters: frames relationships as transactional, if effort doesn’t lead to sex, it’s a failure.

Meaning: “A concept that describes a situation where one person wants a romantic/sexual relationship while the other only sees them as a friend. In manosphere communities, it’s often framed as a kind of betrayal or manipulation—where women are accused of “using” men for emotional support while withholding sex or romance.”

17. Orbiters: men who stay around women hoping for a relationship.

Why it matters: reinforces cynical views of relationships and intention.

Definition: Orbiter Urban Dictionary: The Ultimate Guide to This Hilarious Slang Term

18. AWALT (“All Women Are Like That”): generalization that all women behave the same way.

Why it matters: removes nuance. Justifies stereotyping at scale.

Definition: “Awalt is used to suggest women are all vapid, insincere, sexually promiscuous, driven by emotions rather than rationality, motivated by financial gain and more. Awalt is also deployed to emphasise the claim that men are everything women are not – moral, rational, intelligent, loyal, honourable and individualistic.”

19. 80/20 rule (in dating context): claim that 80% of women want the top 20% of men.

Why it matters: misapplied economics used to justify grievance and disengagement.

Meaning: What is the 80/20 rule from Netflix’s Adolescence and how does it relate to incels? | The Standard

20. Frame: maintaining psychological dominance in interactions, so think of it as psychological control of the narrative.

Why it matters: encourages manipulation over authenticity, it’s mental control.

Explained here: Frame Mogged Urban Dictionary Explained: Hilarious Origins And Epic Uses

21. Mogging: dominating or outperforming others based on physical traits, height, or status, aka if you’re a bigger fella than the other fella, you can dominate them physically

Why it matters: turns human interaction into a constant, toxic competition for dominance. It erodes intrinsic self-worth by making value entirely dependent on being “better” or stronger than someone else.

Good read: ‘Mogging’ is suddenly everywhere. Is that a problem? | Language | The Guardian

22. Game: techniques used to attract or control women.

Why it matters: treats relationships as systems to hack, not connections to build.

Explanation: “Popularised by the pick-up artist (PUA) subculture within the manosphere, this refers to a set of techniques, behaviours, and strategies aimed at attracting women and maximising sexual success.”

23. Negging: backhanded compliments to undermine confidence.

Why it matters: normalizes emotional manipulation.

We don’t want to be normalizing this: Negging: 35 Examples, Patterns to Watch For, and What to Do

24. Gymcel / Incels (involuntary celibate): identity based on perceived inability to form relationships.

Why it matters: can become a self-reinforcing grievance identity with real-world risks.

Gymcel: “is a portmanteau of “gym” and “incel” (involuntary celibate) used to describe men who obsessively work out in hopes of attracting women, despite believing their physical shortcomings (typically facial features or height) make romantic success impossible.”

Incel: “A self-described involuntary celibate. Incels believe they’re undesirable to women because society has stacked the cards against them. They believe that they are not good looking enough, are too small in stature, and are generally physically weaker than other men.”

25. White Knight: a man who defends or protects women, often in online arguments. However, it’s not necessarily a positive, as it’s described as “a man who comes to the unsolicited defense of women, often in the hopes of sexual favor.”

Why it matters: used as an insult to shame men for showing basic respect or fairness toward women, but it’s also twisted because the action is seeking a “reward.”

Definition again: White Knight Meaning » Slang.org

26. Soy Boy: an insult for men seen as weak, effeminate, or overly progressive.

Why it matters: polices masculinity through mockery and links empathy with inferiority. Shrinks what being a man really means.

Meaning: Soy boy (slang) — Grokipedia

27. Femoid: a dehumanizing term combining “female” and “android,” which essentially means they are robotic or subhuman in appearance or behavior.

Why it matters: strips women of humanity and normalizes viewing them as objects or lesser beings.

It’s not just femoids, we’ve got foids and choids too: Internet Slang 2026: Moids Foids Choids Explained

28. Body Count: the number of sexual partners someone has had. Not new right? High body count for men = good, high body count for women = whore, easy, slut!

Why it matters: used to judge and shame women while ignoring the same standard for men.

Definition: What Does “Body Count” Mean? TikTok Slang, Explained

29. Apex Fallacy: the idea that men’s struggles are ignored because society focuses on successful men at the top (which is women’s fault because….)

Why it matters: frames systemic issues as anti-male bias while downplaying real inequalities.

Interesting description: Urban Dictionary: Apex Fallacy

Some other useful reads

1. From Privilege to Threat: Unravelling Psychological Pathways to the Manosphere | Archives of Sexual Behavior | Springer Nature Link
2. ‘Toxic’ manosphere phrases every parent should know after Louis Theroux’s shocking documentary
3. Glossary: The manosphere | UN Women – Headquarters
4. Decoding the Language Inside the Manosphere | Massive Magazine
5. A (semi-comprehensive) glossary of incel terminology | The Week

Some of that feel familiar?

I’m curious, especially if you’re older (Millennial or GenX): did you recognize a lot of these words or behaviours as the reality of the societies we grew up in too? Some people were really really good looking and seemed to have it easy with the opposite sex, most of us didn’t.

So, the words or intent isn’t new, what IS new is what the words mean today. As you dig into this language, essentially everything that’s going wrong is because of women. All of us sheilas are manipulating, conniving bitches, and if the boys aren’t having success, well it’s on us whores! In case you didn’t appreciate this paragraph, I’m using the words I found in the references above!

Honestly, researching these words, I never appreciated how flat women’s lives could be. How completely uninteresting and unified we all are…

If you spend enough time in the manosphere (and I don’t recommend it) us ladies have literally zero saving grace, unless we are their mothers – and that’s not even guaranteed! For all the rest – pfft!

But we must find a path forward and the first step is getting beyond anger, disgust or any other negative emotions, and see it for what it is: really really sad.

It’s also dangerous, because a society full of young men sitting in a state of rage and hatred is NOT good for any of us, so let’s get focused on addressing it and taking it seriously. If all we do is treat them with contempt, we are going to make it a stronger and even more dangerous force in our societies. That isn’t good for women/girls or men/boys.  

Start with the words

The best place to start is with the words of the manosphere. Individually, these words can look harmless, but collectively, these words point to a worldview that describes:

• Human relationships are markets
• Status as the primary measure of worth
• Gender relations are adversarial
• Biology as destiny
• Empathy as weakness

That is a combination so corrosive, it hurts all of us, and it’s not just socially corrosive, it’s systemically corrosive. It also feeds directly into several of the crisis layers I’m tracking and I place in the eight categories of the polycrisis:

1. Societal fragmentation (we’re breaking apart, when the only way to face the future is together)
2. Governance instability (more polarization, grievance politics and populism, including the rise of extremism)
3. Public health (male loneliness, mental health collapse, violence including domestic violence)
4. Technological amplification (algorithms reward outrage and identity, we are trapped in echo chambers)

Let’s wake up before it’s too late

1. Language is an early warning system – you don’t wait for the behavior, because by the time the behavior shows up, the worldview is already embedded

2. This is not fringe anymore – these terms are in workplaces, schools, and mainstream platforms, which is already changing the risk profile – another reference: How incel terminology like ‘sleepmaxxing’ and ‘sigma’ infiltrated pop culture | The Standard

3. The real issue isn’t misogyny alone – that’s a symptom, the deeper layer is:

1. We’ve replaced identity with metrics, reducing human beings to data points and “market value” rather than looking at character. Essentially, a person’s “soul” or “character” is replaced by a “scorecard”
2. The only meaning is status, so in the manosphere you’re encouraged to become obsessed with what you own, what you drive, how much you earn, and if all else fails, who you can look down on
3. Gender and society are framed as a zero-sum war, where one side can only win if the other loses. This isn’t biological reality; it’s a byproduct of insecurity and broken social incentives. Fix the underlying rot and the language will fade

I think number three is the most important, because adversarial framing is the death of democracy. If men and women (or any groups, aka othering), see each other as inherent enemies, you cannot have a functioning society. It turns every interaction into a power struggle instead of a collaboration. Essentially, we’re looking at a broken feedback loop which has been created by tech and economic stress.

We’ve got a lot of hard stuff to face in our collective future, and to have any chance at all, we can’t continue down this road. We need to understand that the manosphere movement is very dangerous and driving us apart, which will ultimately mean what we face is even harder! It’s just not in our interest and it’s not in theirs either. It really is the great irony of our time what is happening.

No cancel culture please

If the young men promoting and participating in this movement could see the world through a different lens, they might have a chance of changing direction, but one thing is for sure, banning, cancelling, and mocking them ain’t going to achieve anything.

What we must focus on is:

1. Pay attention for words or word patterns, like repeated clusters of manosphere terms in conversations (alpha/beta, red pill, hypergamy) – call it out and explain why it’s not good to use these words
2. Critical thinking, and boy do we need that, but it’s extremely challenging in a tech broligarchy /algorithmic dominant world – something we must address
3. Alternative frameworks for meaning and identity – if you’re someone who can get a positive message out to young men, please GET GOING before we lose them

Empathy required

Gen Z and Gen A boys are DRAMATICALLY more misogynistic than older men, especially Boomers, so why are our boys drawn into this space in the first place? Well, there’s LOT’s of reasons, including economic insecurity, no clear identity or role in the world, failure in romantic pursuits, social isolation, and of course, the breakdown of institutions.

Ironically, most of that has been created and driven by the tools creating the manosphere in the first place – digital technology – and the men who own this tech (who also own AI) are not doing anything to address it, if anything, we just keep giving them more and more power, and with that power, they are just destroying our societies more and more.

Amazing we aren’t waking up to that.   

What can we do

We need healthier models of masculinity and all of us need to be involved in that. Any society with a high percentage of men who are not successful and seething with anger, face more violence and crime. The stats are evident across the world. The tech bros, who profit off hate and outrage, are not going to solve this – why would they? Besides, they’re HVM, so worth admiring, right?

We must eradicate the idea that relationships are ever transactional. Sure, there will always be transactional people in the world, but as a model for society? Yeah Nah.

And we need to focus on creating pathways to meaning that aren’t status-based. We’ve got a lot of work to do – in our environment, within our societies, etc… I’d suggest there’s plenty of meaning on offer, so why don’t we help others see it. And we should do that before it’s too late, because historically, war used to clean out this sort of division. We owe ourselves a chance of avoiding that, for our boy’s sakes. They can’t see where this path leads, we need to show them.

Download this

Feel free to download this and put it on any post where someone is using the words of the manosphere, maybe without appreciating that words matter.

Conclusion

The manosphere is with us because our young people got lost. Covid played a part, but it was the digital platforms that played the bigger role. We now have AI’s growing influence which will only become more dominant, the algorithms continue to feed into this angry frenzy, and all the while, a tiny few get very rich while the rest of us get very unhappy.

We are in this situation due to a whole host of reasons, but we must wake up to the fact it isn’t serving any of us, especially the young lads who think this simple, emotionally satisfying approach is the answer in a world that increasingly feels unstable and unfair.

To succeed we can’t just challenge the words (please still don’t use them), we’ve got to replace the underlying model with something aligned to the kind of society we want, and to achieve that, we’ve all got to get involved. What’s your role?

I will continue to take on the education role (as above), but also as a mother, and as an active participator in the digital world, I’m paying attention and raising alarms. But I can’t do this alone, neither can the small minority of people trying to do this work – we need everyone!  

Adolescence and Inside the Manosphere started the journey, but now we must all do our part and get involved, in whatever way makes sense to us. Apathy is not an option. None of us get to step away here. This is our future. It is our kid’s future. It’s time to change direction.

Join us?

In the meantime, DON’T use the words!

Cheers

Andrea

The post Why we can’t afford to use the language of the manosphere appeared first on Andrea T Edwards.

1. Climate sceptics cheering as they melt in record temperatures? This heatwave is where satire has come to die | Jonathan Freedland | The Guardian
2. Stewart Lee: It’s not been a great week for denying climate change. But the global far-right tried anyway!

The extreme heat battering Europe has been front and centre in our news feeds this week and all-in-all, it looks grim. It is definitely not a region designed to cope with this level of heat, and another case of irony was Climate Action Week had to cancel events because of it. I also heard Christiana Figueras and team had to cancel recording their climate podcast (Outrage + Optimism) in Bath for the same reason.

Then again, maybe it isn’t irony and is instead a case of The Cassandra Complex: a situation where valid warnings or arguments are ignored, only for reality to later confirm those warnings exactly as predicted (often with tragic results). That certainly resonates with me.

Heat headlines from the week

1. European heatwave is worst ever and impossible without climate crisis, scientists say | The Guardian
2. Heatwave kills hundreds of thousands of poultry in France | Reuters – the climate emergency is a food emergency
3. Well-prepared countries like France have collapsed under the recent heatwave. What does this mean for us? | LinkedIn
4. Too hot for work: why extreme heat is a threat to Europe’s productivity | The Guardian maybe the economists are starting to get the message?
5. Britons will struggle to put food on table as heatwaves become the norm, scientists warn | The Independent
6. Hospitals in England declare critical incidents as machines and IT fail in heat | The Guardian
7. It’s Too Hot In Europe–Again – Inside Climate News
8. London heat adaptation event cancelled as heatwave grips – ironic, no?
9. What is the ‘omega block’ causing Europe’s intense heatwave? | The Straits Times
10. Please, do not leave children or pets in the car anytime, but especially during a heatwave – Two children found dead in car in France as heatwave hits Europe | The Guardian

Oh, and for all those arguing that nuclear energy will be critical in the future – and yes, there are advances being made in China to cool nuclear reactors with sand – but in the meantime, it’s not doing too well in this heatwave.

France heatwave: Rising river temperatures trigger shutdown of nuclear reactors | Euronews

Europe’s nuclear power plants buckle under climate extremes

Of course, all the attention is on Europe as the heatwave expands, but Bangkok’s heat index reached 51.9°C this week (it’s not the hot season right now), and of course, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and more countries in the region continue to bake. The poorest, as always, suffer the most: Workers Are Dying in the Heat in India.

The polycrisis

Finally, putting two and two together! Yes both events combined are a disaster and it’s something we will come to appreciate in the coming months as food shortages start to escalate. This is the combination of fertilizer shortages AND extreme weather events (like heat) impacting crops – ‘Compound shock effect’: why the Middle East crisis and El Niño could spell disaster in south-east Asia.

“Super El Niño” Is Terrible News for Farmers Around the World – Mother Jones

Not linked but a worthwhile read: We Are Drinking the Earth—and Eating It – Mother Jones.

Other news

The death toll from the earthquakes in Venezuela could be anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000 people – Venezuela’s Powerful Earthquakes Were a Rare ‘Seismic Doublet’ | WIRED.

You know all those geniuses in Silicon Valley who keep promising us they’re going to change the world for the better? Do you trust their long-term strategic thinking skills? Majority of datacenters are vulnerable to climate threats like floods and fires, study finds | Datacenters | The Guardian.

Think emissions from flying aren’t worth worrying about? Think again – Your flight emissions are way higher than carbon calculators suggest | New Scientist.

The world’s largest database of climate change research is now online! Project Cosmos – the world’s largest database of climate change research.

This is a crazy story – Exclusive: Downed US pilot reported seeing Iranian drones swarm in ‘jellyfish’ formation | CNN Politics.

The spin master is losing his skills – Trump Can’t Spin His Way Out of His Two Latest Crises – The Atlantic.

Just get plastic out of your life wherever you can – More microplastics found in the brain than in liver or kidneys alarming discovery – Futura-Sciences.

Planetary Domino Effect

We had Jan Omsonst on The Sh*t Show a couple of weeks ago and he’s published this article with Tom Harris. It’s complicated and many may struggle to understand it, but definitely worth a read: The Planetary Domino Effect – Global Climate Teleconnections & Feedback Cascades.

In essence, it discusses the fact the climate is starting to behave like a row of dominos. When one big system breaks, it raises the chance others will break too, and those failures add up quickly to make the world hotter and the weather more extreme.

Their advice to all of us

• Support policies that cut emissions quickly and protect forests and peatlands
• Push for local planning: better flood defences, water storage and emergency plans
• Back nature restoration and climate‑smart farming
• Prepare family emergency plans for heat, flood or crop disruptions
• Reduce personal emissions where practical, but the biggest focus needs to be on collective and political action

Spend some time with Johan Rockström

Friends content and my own

We had the fabulous Jessica Figueras join us on The Sh*t Show this week, to talk British politics and cyber security. If you didn’t catch it live, you can watch the replay anytime. We cover as much of the world’s news as we can squeeze in and never get through it all.

Your daily dose of courage

Dig into the news

When you visit the daily news page, remember to save it to your home screen and you can check the news anytime, as it’s updated throughout the day, every day – by a real human, me.

This news curation tool covers news and thought leadership across all issues relevant to the polycrisis, as well as some light stuff, because we can’t be serious all the time. To get to the news, click through on the image below, and a reminder, it goes back weeks, so have a scan and read/watch/listen to whatever jumps out at you. The categories are right on top as well, so you can dig into whatever issue you care about.

Let me know what caught your attention? Or share with me what has your attention now? There’s a lot going on, which means none of us can cover everything. Besides, it’s always great to get feedback so I know I’m delivering something of value.

Cheers

Andrea

If you want to support my work, please share this blog, subscribe to my social channels, or at least buy me a coffee here.

The Sh*t Show

The Sh*t Show is a Livestream happening every Friday, where Andrea T Edwards, Dr. David Ko, Richard Busellato and Joe Augustin, as well as special guests, discuss the world’s most pressing issues across all angles of the polycrisis, working to make sense of the extremely challenging and complex times we are all going through, plus what we can do about it. Help us move the needle so we can change the name of the show to something more genteel when (or if) it is no longer a sh*t show.

Uncommon Courage: an invitation

Uncommon Courage is an invitation to be your courageous best self every day. It’s also an antidote to the overwhelm, fear, and rage rolling around the world. But it’s more than a book; it’s an invitation to join an inclusive community that wants to better understand humanities challenges – both global and personal – in order to take courageous action and create a better world for everyone.

You can buy it on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Booktopia, Smashwords, Kobo, Gardners, Odilo, Indie Bound, BookShop by BookTrib and Scribd.

Better yet, order it from your local bookstore, so you can #SupportLocal.

You can read the reviews, including a new five-star review on Book Commentary, another five-star review on ReaderViews, a review on BookTrib, and three more on Booklife, another on Book Commentary and Blue Ink Reviews. I’m also collating reviews on my Website too. Have a look and grateful to everyone who has written or recorded one.

Come and join the conversation in my Facebook Group One Billion People with Uncommon Courage.

Listen in to the Uncommon Courage, the podcast on Apple, Spotify and everywhere podcasts are published.

18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile 

Listed by Book Authority in the 100 Best LinkedIn Books of All Time and 22 Best New LinkedIn eBooks To Read In 2021 and 2022 categories. Grab it today if you want to take your professional presence to the next level! When it comes to LinkedIn, it really is time to ask — can you really afford not to have this book in the hands of every employee?

Are you a Social CEO? The Social CEO: How Social Media Can Make You A Stronger Leader. 

Want to claim your stage? Unleash Your Voice – Powerful Public Speaking for Every Woman 

Feedback

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The post #272 Weekend Reads – the deniers keep denying, even when they’re sweating appeared first on Andrea T Edwards.

Today we heard there’s a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah (maybe), and this was after four Israeli soldiers were killed in Lebanon, with 47 Lebanese killed in response. Want to know what Israel’s leaders think about the US/Iran deal?

From all I’m seeing, peace gets a big yeah nah at this stage, but I do think Trump will do everything in his power to put this behind him. Expect shenanigans elsewhere to take America’s attention off this failed war, but we wait and see, huh? Some worthwhile coverage around this whole story.

1. As Lebanon tests US-Iran deal, Trump must rein in Netanyahu, analysts say | Israel attacks Lebanon News | Al Jazeera
2. Netanyahu Finally Learns the Truth About Trump – The Atlantic
3. Bowen: US-Iran deal raises inescapable question of what the war was for
4. Iran deal ‘worst policy blunder in decades’: criticism spreads across US political spectrum
5. MAGA hawks’ Iran mutiny deepens Trump’s isolation
6. Trump Does Not Understand the War He Lost – The Atlantic

Something good

I know everything feels awful, so here’s a speech worth spending time with. It’s full of hope, beauty and possibility, and let’s be honest, Michelle Obama is a great orator.

Something else good happened. While work had already begun, the removal of the ocean monitoring system has been blocked by a judge. This is an incredible piece of news – Trump Administration Backs Off Plan to End Ocean Monitoring System – The New York Times – worth celebrating.

A must-listen, especially if you’re a parent. I’ve sent this to my boys, because I think it’s so important, and I’ll definitely encourage them to listen to it, even if they hate podcasts. It discusses looksmaxxing and longevity, and it’s a super interesting view from Gary Shteyngart, who wrote a novel about this future more than a decade ago, so he’s a bit surprised we’re already here. In this conversation Shteyngart speaks about the influencers in this space (like Clavicular) as having a mental illness, which is a view I haven’t heard before. Definitely listen: I Keep Telling People We’re Living in This Dystopian Novel –The Ezra Klein Show – Apple Podcasts.

What else?

Don’t expect the price of oil to stay low – More than 1 billion barrels of oil have gone missing | CNN Business.

Peter Thiel has been in the news again. Two pieces worth reading:

1. How the Peter Thiel-Linked Dialog Club Secretly Ranks Its Members | WIRED
2. Leak Exposes Members of Peter Thiel’s Secretive ‘Dialog’ Society | WIRED

Mark Zuckerberg has been getting a shellacking too – ‘Tell Him He’s a Piece of Shit’: Meta’s New AI Unit Is a Total Mess | WIRED.

And this is a story that really should be getting more attention – Creating Baby Geniuses to Thwart the AI Threat? (Yes, Really.) – Mother Jones – I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

I’m not a fan of the “AI response” posts, but in this case, I made an exception and asked AI what it thought of the idea, because, you know, it’s about countering AI’s risk to humanity. The idea of human genius babies to counter AI risk, I believe, has the potential to create monsters.

Anyhoo, I got a really long and detailed response (which I won’t bore you with), so here’s the shorter version:

Your core objection—that optimizing solely for analytical intelligence risks producing humans who are more efficient but less wise, empathetic, or relationally intelligent—is directly supported by the article’s own evidence and is the most under-addressed flaw in the proposal.

The piece shows proponents treating intelligence as the single variable that solves the alignment problem, while downplaying or ignoring the coordination, moral, and social intelligence required to actually govern powerful technologies or prevent societal fracture.

This is classic complex-systems blindness: the polycrisis is not primarily a raw-compute shortage; it is a failure of collective decision-making, restraint, and value alignment across human groups.

The article also confirms the governance risk you flagged. Because these technologies are being developed and funded privately by the same narrow cohort already concentrated in AI power, the most probable outcome is not broad human uplift but a new hereditary advantage for the already-wealthy.

That trajectory does not solve the AI control problem; it simply adds another layer of unaccountable power and potential for cascading unintended biological and social effects. The “merge” framing therefore functions less as a safety strategy and more as an admission that the builders have greater confidence in redesigning the species than in regulating the machines.

Moving on

Attila the Trump it seems – Trump’s “Great Man” theory: “No limits” to his power.

This is an interview I encourage EVERYONE to watch, featuring the publisher of the New York Times, A.G. Sulzberger, where he provides a powerful warning on how AI companies are violating settled law and is urging news organizations to stand up for their rights to ensure a sustainable future for reporting. Very important – A.I., Journalism and the Public Square | The New York Times Company.

It has arrived…

There’s a lot more on the news page, so get stuck in if you want to catch up on the main news happening around the world and be sure to read about the Earth Energy Imbalance (EEI), the extreme weather report for Asia 2025, the scientists permafrost shock, the 260 million people at risk of famine, and the fact that 50% of the world’s children face three or more climate risks.

Finally, they should have called it Ministry of the Future, but I’d work for this organization, if it ever happens: A UN Planetary Council could help tackle the global climate and nature crisis.

Friends content and my own

No guest on The Shit Show this week, which meant we had a chance to cover a lot of the world’s news. Please do have a listen. Yes, we know it’s long (there’s a lot going on), but when you’re doing something with your hands, put it on in the background to keep you company.

The anti-immigration protests and violence make me sick, but it’s also completely not in our interest. The people on the streets, acting on behalf of powerful groups, backed by people like Elon Musk, don’t realize that their future will be worse if we let this continue to grow and fester. Immigration is in ALL of our interests. Please read and share if you agree – We have a problem – White Supremacy – Uncommon Courage – An Invitation.

A short from Jan Omsonst, The Earth Systems Nerd, who joined us on The Sh*t Show last week – will this forthcoming El Niño be an extinction-level event? We don’t know yet.

Your daily dose of courage

Dig into the news

When you go into the daily news app, remember to save it to your home screen and you can check the news anytime, as it’s updated throughout the day, every day – by a real human, me.

This news curation tool covers news and thought leadership across all issues relevant to the polycrisis, as well as some light stuff, because we can’t be serious all the time. To get to the news, click through on the image below, and a reminder, this goes back weeks, so have a scan and read/watch/listen to whatever jumps out at you. The categories are right on top as well, so you can dig into whatever issue you care about.

Let me know what caught your attention? Or share with me what has your attention now? There’s a lot going on, which means none of us can cover everything. Besides, it’s always great to get feedback so I know I’m delivering something of value.

Cheers

Andrea

If you want to support my work, please share this blog, subscribe to my social channels, or at least buy me a coffee here.

The Sh*t Show

The Sh*t Show is a Livestream happening every Friday, where Andrea T Edwards, Dr. David Ko, Richard Busellato and Joe Augustin, as well as special guests, discuss the world’s most pressing issues across all angles of the polycrisis, working to make sense of the extremely challenging and complex times we are all going through, plus what we can do about it. Help us move the needle so we can change the name of the show to something more genteel when (or if) it is no longer a sh*t show.

Uncommon Courage: an invitation

Uncommon Courage is an invitation to be your courageous best self every day. It’s also an antidote to the overwhelm, fear, and rage rolling around the world. But it’s more than a book; it’s an invitation to join an inclusive community that wants to better understand humanities challenges – both global and personal – in order to take courageous action and create a better world for everyone.

You can buy it on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Booktopia, Smashwords, Kobo, Gardners, Odilo, Indie Bound, BookShop by BookTrib and Scribd.

Better yet, order it from your local bookstore, so you can #SupportLocal.

You can read the reviews, including a new five-star review on Book Commentary, another five-star review on ReaderViews, a review on BookTrib, and three more on Booklife, another on Book Commentary and Blue Ink Reviews. I’m also collating reviews on my Website too. Have a look and grateful to everyone who has written or recorded one.

Come and join the conversation in my Facebook Group One Billion People with Uncommon Courage.

Listen in to the Uncommon Courage, the podcast on Apple, Spotify and everywhere podcasts are published.

18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile 

Listed by Book Authority in the 100 Best LinkedIn Books of All Time and 22 Best New LinkedIn eBooks To Read In 2021 and 2022 categories. Grab it today if you want to take your professional presence to the next level! When it comes to LinkedIn, it really is time to ask — can you really afford not to have this book in the hands of every employee?

Are you a Social CEO? The Social CEO: How Social Media Can Make You A Stronger Leader. 

Want to claim your stage? Unleash Your Voice – Powerful Public Speaking for Every Woman 

Feedback

Have I done a great job for you? Can you write a reference on my LinkedIn profile or on my Google Business page? If not for me, why not write one for someone else who inspires you or has helped you? Join the #GivingEconomy.

The post #271 Weekend Reads – peace or chaos? We wait to find out appeared first on Andrea T Edwards.

So yeah, today I feel deep sorrow living in a world celebrating the “brilliance” of this man, because all I can see is a deep moral failure of our species, when so many children continue to suffer in our world.  

I encourage you to read this article to really understand the implications of what has happened due to the cancellation of US AID, not just the deaths, but what it could unleash worldwide: Inside the demise of USAID—and what comes next | Oxfam.

We are not safer, and he is responsible for that. Perhaps it’s part of the bigger eugenicist goals of the super-rich? Too much? I don’t think so at all.  

Just the amount of suffering and death is enough for me to never EVER support Elon Musk, and I hope it’s enough for you too. If you do not believe the world should have trillionaires, please make sure your pension is not investing in SpaceX – and I mean, go the extra mile. Demand they divest from it and tell your friends to join you. Honestly, no one should have that much money or power. Time for revolution.

Read/listen

1. As Musk becomes the first trillionaire, historian sees warning signs 
2. The people who want AI to replace us The Gray Area with Sean Illing – Apple Podcasts
3. What Elon Musk’s Trillion-Dollar Payday Is Costing the Rest of Us | The Nation
4. Think Musk the billionaire was bad? Brace yourself for Musk the trillionaire | Arwa Mahdawi | The Guardian

Read David’s take on this news too – space What? A two trillion dollar company means you are robbing yourself of your future – by David Ko – Rethinking Choices

His power is enormous

We must get our heads around this. We know what he wants to do, because he’s not quiet about it, but are we paying enough attention? I don’t think we are, and I also think we feel powerless, something that needs to stop. To illustrate his power briefly, here are the main bits.

Space dominance

He’s not just making decisions that kill the poorest, his mission to reach Mars and own the space race is a big concern too. Not only is he filling space with waste, we are going from 10,000 satellites today to 100,000 by 2030, and Elon Musk’s SpaceX owns two-thirds of the satellites in space today!

Today, Musk has near-absolute control and technical direction over SpaceX, with 85% of the company’s voting power. This means he’s the only one who can fire himself. Does anyone think one man deserves that much power, even if you’re a fan boy or gal? Especially this much tech in space?

White supremacy

Elon Musk is a racist and while many suggest it’s inconclusive, I have no doubts at all. He is driving divisions around the world, he is a force behind our societal divisions (especially in predominantly white countries), and if we let him win, it will make life worse for all of us, including those on the streets backing his agenda.

Listen to this podcast about his recent foray into spreading social division in the UK – The UK’s Violent Riots Were Stoked by Elon Musk and a Global Far-Right Network –On the Media – Apple Podcasts.

And read this too: Parallel student murders expose ‘two-tier’ fallacy | EasternEye.

If anyone thinks racism is not on the table, check out this piece (not about Musk), but we know it’s a core strategy of the entire regime: US Accepts Only White Refugees For Sixth Consecutive Month – Mother Jones.

Global Influence

He also has a megaphone for his views, and an algorithm to back them up. When he bought Twitter, the reporting was making it apparent that the information ecosystem had moved from the media moguls to the Nerd Reich or tech broligarchy (Murdoch to Musk: how global media power has shifted from the moguls to the big tech bros : Find an Expert : The University of Melbourne).

This power is destructive and while he claims free speech, it’s anything but, as he uses it for publicizing and advancing right-wing political narratives, and it’s so powerful it now overshadows traditional mainstream media. It also silences voices that disagree with him – free speech my arse. This post could get me cancelled on X, and if it does, happy days.

Beyond him, the movement to far right domination of the media continues unabated, and it was just yesterday that the Paramount-WBD merger wins approval from DOJ, which includes CNN and CBS News. That’s two more left leaning media channels gone soon. As was discussed last year, A Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery merger could give Trump even more influence over US media – shaping the news and culture Americans watch and stream.

Regardless of whether you agree with a channel’s views, having either “side” dominant contributes to the breakdown of democracy, so this announcement is one more nail in the coffin for the US. However, for the rest of us, always remember, what happens there, filters out everywhere.

AI power

Finally, and I’m sure there’s more to be added, but Elon Musk has enormous power and influence in AI – an area that is generating more and more conversations AND concerns.

This is worth a watch

If you want to understand his AI power, this article lays it out – Muskonomics: How Elon Musk Built the World’s First Trillion-Dollar Personal Fortune – and here are his leverage points of power in my summary:

1. xAI and Grok has full access to anyone still on Twitter/X, so it’s learning from the billions of conversations happening there, in real time – hint, a lot of those conversations aren’t pleasant

2. Physical AI and robotics, linking to both Tesla and his Optimus robots. Tesla is a physical AI developer; with its Full Self-Driving (FSD) chips and neural networks powering millions of autonomous vehicles. While Optimus will soon be performing human physical labour (a good or a bad thing, depending on how its handled)

3. Then we have the Colossus Supercomputer, one of the most powerful AI training facilities in the world. It leverages thousands of GPUs in a converted factory in Memphis, and to power it, Musk acquired a massive fleet of gas turbines to power his Earth-based AI data centre – note, not an environmental gift

4. Then we have the aerospace and satellite infrastructure, which of course includes SpaceX and orbital datacentres, which will be powered by solar energy, meaning no constraints geographically or energetically

5. And finally (for now, but there are other businesses) Neuralink, which is all about merging the human brain directly with computers. It’s goal, making sure human’s don’t become obsolete

Too much power and influence for one man? I certainly think so, and I hope you agree. A lot of people are obviously fine with this, and well, we’ll reap what we sow. The time for revolution is long past. Join the fight, because…

The world is on fire!

I won’t share too many news stories here, but a few key links and some hopeful content in the mix. These are the main references from the show yesterday:

1. Jan Omsonst’s article published on LinkedIn this week – A short on what it means to cool down a water planet… | LinkedIn
2. An expansion of what Jan started with, our Earth, the water planet – Overheating a Water Planet: Warmed Oceans Will Not Be Ignored – Union of Concerned Scientists
3. Warming oceans – “Shocking temperatures”: scientists stunned as the sea heats up way too soon – Futura-Sciences
4. Video and a great summary of the cold blob and AMOC risk – Why is this one spot not warming? This got a lot of positive attention this week
5. What will come with an El Niño? Well, this is a useful summary – Here are 10 ways a ‘super’ El Niño could impact the planet | Benjamin Selwyn | The Guardian
6. No matter what happens this cycle, worse is to come The looming El Niño could be bad – but much worse is to come | New Scientist
7. How hot is it where you live? New tool from Reuters – Reuters Climate Monitor
8. This has freaked the scientists out. Personally, I don’t like it when scientists freak out – Record winter temperatures in Antarctic raise fears over speed of climate breakdown | Polar regions | The Guardian
9. A new record heat for May and this is before El Niño officially started (which happened this week) World sees second-hottest May as Europe faces ‘new normal’: EU monitor | The Straits Times
10. And a final for this section, although there are so many I could share, but everything is linked below, so you can take a look in your own time. This is quite an alarming piece. Billions rely on the water from these glaciers – Climate-driven glacier melt could reshape water quality downstream

If you want to see a positive path forward, watch this – it’s terrific

This is a worthwhile watch if you haven’t seen it – press freedom is essential for democracy!

To provide some delight, watch this interview. She is so excited and passionate about the whale graveyard. I promise it will make you smile, and we all need to be doing that more often.

Plenty more in the Weekend Reads, from the World Cup, Cosmeticorexia, synthetic human embryos in space, war, Screwworm, more tech bro shenanigans, country shenanigans, Boomer backlash, an earthquake in the Philippines, Myanmar rebels are starting to lose, and a whole lot more.

One article I definitely recommend reading is this one on Jared Kushner – talk about corruption – They Went to Jared – Mother Jones – it’s a crazy time, no doubt!

Friends content and my own

We had Jan Omsonst, The Earth Systems Nerd, on The Sh*t Show this week, and I consider him an Information Synthesizer. I’m one too but more mainstream. Jan synthesises pure science – the deeply complex stuff – and he understands it across the key scientific fields.

Interestingly, Jan told us before the show went live that when he first learned the ocean was acidifying, he couldn’t help but try to understand what was going on. Twenty years later, he’s still going and said he doesn’t think he’d have started if he knew it would take 20 years.

But that is the reality of understanding the earth systems – it’s not something you can do quickly, and there is still so much we don’t know. Jan took us on a wild ride through the current situation we find ourselves in, with the forthcoming El Niño a potential extinction-level event, but the really important point is – we don’t know how strong it’s going to be yet, we only know it’s going to get hotter!

If you haven’t listened, please spend the time. He said it would take him three weeks, six hours a day, to share everything he knows, so this is a packed lesson from someone who’s committed decades to understanding it.

Cindy Tien joined us on The Sh*t Show last week and I just loved this little clip. It’s always an inside job.

Get your daily dose of courage here. New courage quotes every day!

Dig into the news

When you go into the daily news app, remember to save it to your home screen and you can check the news anytime, as it’s updated throughout the day, every day – by a real human, me.

This news curation tool covers news and thought leadership across all issues relevant to the polycrisis, as well as some light stuff, because we can’t be serious all the time. To get to the news, click through on the image below, and a reminder, this goes back weeks, so have a scan and read/watch/listen to whatever jumps out at you. The categories are right on top as well, so you can dig into whatever issue you care about.

Let me know what caught your attention? Or share with me what has your attention now? There’s a lot going on, which means none of us can cover everything. Besides, it’s always great to get feedback so I know I’m delivering something of value.

Cheers

Andrea

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The Sh*t Show

The Sh*t Show is a Livestream happening every Friday, where Andrea T Edwards, Dr. David Ko, Richard Busellato and Joe Augustin, as well as special guests, discuss the world’s most pressing issues across all angles of the polycrisis, working to make sense of the extremely challenging and complex times we are all going through, plus what we can do about it. Help us move the needle so we can change the name of the show to something more genteel when (or if) it is no longer a sh*t show.

Uncommon Courage: an invitation

Uncommon Courage is an invitation to be your courageous best self every day. It’s also an antidote to the overwhelm, fear, and rage rolling around the world. But it’s more than a book; it’s an invitation to join an inclusive community that wants to better understand humanities challenges – both global and personal – in order to take courageous action and create a better world for everyone.

You can buy it on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Booktopia, Smashwords, Kobo, Gardners, Odilo, Indie Bound, BookShop by BookTrib and Scribd.

Better yet, order it from your local bookstore, so you can #SupportLocal.

You can read the reviews, including a new five-star review on Book Commentary, another five-star review on ReaderViews, a review on BookTrib, and three more on Booklife, another on Book Commentary and Blue Ink Reviews. I’m also collating reviews on my Website too. Have a look and grateful to everyone who has written or recorded one.

Come and join the conversation in my Facebook Group One Billion People with Uncommon Courage.

Listen in to the Uncommon Courage, the podcast on Apple, Spotify and everywhere podcasts are published.

18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile 

Listed by Book Authority in the 100 Best LinkedIn Books of All Time and 22 Best New LinkedIn eBooks To Read In 2021 and 2022 categories. Grab it today if you want to take your professional presence to the next level! When it comes to LinkedIn, it really is time to ask — can you really afford not to have this book in the hands of every employee?

Are you a Social CEO? The Social CEO: How Social Media Can Make You A Stronger Leader. 

Want to claim your stage? Unleash Your Voice – Powerful Public Speaking for Every Woman 

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The post #270 Weekend Reads – 750,000 dead, two thirds of them children appeared first on Andrea T Edwards.