Esther Jantzen

I want to introduce you to a worthy, attractive, yet little-known-by-tourists Mexican city. In April 2026, CN and I took a seven-day jaunt to Xalapa (also spelled Jalapa,) in the eastern state of Veracruz. It has plenty of virtues and, IMHO, only one main vice. Here’s the scoop: A big part of Xalapa’s attraction is that it is in the Mexican mainland coastal mountains, receives much rain, and is surrounded by coffee-growing farms and Pueblos Mágicos. It is full of schools and universities and...

There were four of us at the end of the 2020, all in our 70s and 80s, who decided to do two things: 1) inform ourselves about climate issues, and 2) figure out ways to put our bodies, minds, lifestyles, and financial resources on the line in service to supporting climate solutions. We called our group the Elder Activist Readers (EAR). A few others joined us. And between January 2021 and now (end of 2022), we’ve read books which introduced us to new understanding and new priorities. Gradually...

I’ve regarded myself as a climate-activist-in-training for the past two years that I’ve been living in Albuquerque. And that “training” produced plenty of learning: **Everything is inter-connected—gender, air, racism, water, justice, electricity, economics, political power, greed, religion, Earth, insects, agriculture, caste, land, relationships, oceans, war, transportation, social life, media.… **Climate solutions are the most important thing to focus on now. There is great urgency. There...