What I've been reading in June

I'm a big fan of resource sharing, and one type of blog post I like is those that do just as this one is going to do; shares online only articles, posts and news which can be on any number of topics, the writer has come across that month. It's too easy to see the big headlines, and all end up reading the same stuff, but when we all scratch between the surface of whatever we as individuals are interested in, and then share with others that might never have found it, but can still be appreciateive of it, that's awesome. So here is the first of many: There was this interesting post on renaming native species in Australia and Tasmania using the Aboriginal language, which were squashed out when Colonial explorers decided to name the creatures that were new to them, with names that were more familiar with, using terms depicting species that were native to England like the moice, cats and many types of birds. This is evident in some of the clumsy doubled barrelled names like magpie-lark.

There were approximately 250 Aboriginal languages orginally had with the mass extinction of many of the natives, and ongoing discouragement of keeping anything of the native culture alive, there are now only about 13 in existence. I'm not sure how someone would go about picking which name from which language, but regardless, the recapturing of the orginal terms is a beautiful endeavor, and though it will never right the many wrongs that happened in this continent when Western explorers started colonising, it's certainly a step that will see to justly remove some of the ill gotten legacies that remain.

Leading on from this, I found this old map of the many names that are given to woodlice around the UK. We should work hard to keep dialect like this alive. A standardised language across the land is boring enough, and a standardised use of that said language will surely eradicate a lot of the culture, history and vibracy in the world. It's always a pleasure when people of different regions discuss their names for the same item or term. I see them as secret language gems, that only the locals know. In my constant quest for new books to read, I found this piece written in May that lists 8 of the 'best' ones talking about the Geen New Deal, an essential piece of legislation that will pave the future for a greener world, and ultimately dictate the future for everyone in the UK. I've already got The Future We Choose staring at me from the pile of books I want to get through, but I'm still working my way through others! And if you're interested in less climate change specific books, but still with an environmental focus, Book Riot has another list here. If the non-fiction reading list is getting too heavy, there are some wicked fiction options too.

How the issue of climate change is covered in the media is talked about in this post which I found super interesting; midway it touches on the intesectionality elements I agree are missing like not just hearing from white male news sources. It also give immediate tips like, talking in the present, not as if climate change is something relevant to the future, focussing at a hyper local and community level to achieve true support and active engagement and listening to the voices of youth, without patronising them. From an American magazine called Yes! there's a nice piece on Mutual Aid project Common Ground. It draws comparisions to how the current COVID-19 situation has highlighted huge economic and social inequalities, and how mutual aid groups that rise out of crises adapt as needs change.

Then to end, this is not quite reading, but I found a site with adventure and wild films on the New York Wild Film Festival. So if you're sick of all this screen reading, maybe get in some screen watching... or I don't know, you could also do something wholesome; go for a walk, do the laundry, bake some bread!