Dana R. Fisher (aka the Apocalyptic Optimist)
banner
fisherdanar.bsky.social
Dana R. Fisher (aka the Apocalyptic Optimist)
@fisherdanar.bsky.social

Director, Center for Environment Community, & Equity and Professor, AU | NonRes Sr Fellow, Brookings | IPCCWG3 AR6 | www.danarfisher.com | TED Talk on being an Apocalyptic Optimist : go.ted.com/danarfisher

Dana R. Fisher is an American sociologist, professor of sociology, public speaker, and author. She is the director of the Center for Environment, Community, and Equity and a professor in the School of International Service at American University. Her areas of research and expertise are activism, democracy, the climate crisis, and environmental policy. .. more

Political science 27%
Environmental science 23%
Pinned
My TED Talk on Saving Ourselves is OUT! Tune in to learn why we ALL need to be apocalyptic optimists: Prepared for the climate shocks that are coming and ready to rally as activists, disruptors, and bridge-builders to save ourselves from the climate crisis. go.ted.com/danarfisher

More from @mayorfrey.com 🤩🤩
Frey: "You cannot drag pregnant women through the snow. You're not allowed to take teenagers out of their car and detain them when they are in fact American citizens. That is against the law in every state. That is against our US Constitution."

Reposted by Dana R. Fisher

BREAKING:

A judge has once again allowed Orsted to resume construction on its Revolution Wind project.

Here's @jael.bsky.social with the details:

heatmap.news/sparks/trump...
How Trump’s Case Against Revolution Wind Fell Apart (Again)
A federal court has once again allowed Orsted to resume construction on its offshore wind project.
heatmap.news
Frey: "You cannot drag pregnant women through the snow. You're not allowed to take teenagers out of their car and detain them when they are in fact American citizens. That is against the law in every state. That is against our US Constitution."
Trump's thugs are going hog wild and tossing gas around in one of the busiest commercial districts in Minneapolis, just a mile or so from where I live. Complete insanity.

(vid via Ford Fischer on X)

It is!!

I heard a journalist refer to the type of activism that Renee Good and others was engaging in as "First Amendment protected taunting" and it makes me think about birddogging and how it's similar and different. Thoughts?

👀👀
New: Sen. Elizabeth Warren lays out vision for a 'big tent,' telling Democrats not to cater to wealthy donors

In an unusual move, she calls out figures in the party she considers part of the problem — including the DSCC, Kyrsten Sinema and Reid Hoffman.

www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...
Sen. Elizabeth Warren lays out vision for a 'big tent,' telling Democrats not to cater to wealthy donors
The former presidential candidate called out a "tepid, nibble-around-the-edges approach" to economic policy and criticized specific figures in the party by name as part of the problem.
www.nbcnews.com

For anyone thinking the US is the only advanced industrialized nation to crack down on civil liberties and the right to protest, think again.

www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
Civil society groups condemn ‘dangerous’ plans for more anti-protest powers
Dozens including TUC join force to oppose ‘wide-ranging’ move to increase police powers in England and Wales
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Dana R. Fisher

New: Sen. Elizabeth Warren lays out vision for a 'big tent,' telling Democrats not to cater to wealthy donors

In an unusual move, she calls out figures in the party she considers part of the problem — including the DSCC, Kyrsten Sinema and Reid Hoffman.

www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...
Sen. Elizabeth Warren lays out vision for a 'big tent,' telling Democrats not to cater to wealthy donors
The former presidential candidate called out a "tepid, nibble-around-the-edges approach" to economic policy and criticized specific figures in the party by name as part of the problem.
www.nbcnews.com

The protests we're seeing in Iran are qualitatively different from a one day legally permitted demonstration like NO KINGS 1 or 2.
I see this take around from time to time and totally disagree. ICE just murdered a woman standing up to them. No Kings is among the largest protests in history.

The complacency is coming from elites in media, business, universities, and the Democratic leadership

Reposted by Dana R. Fisher

"It should be assumed that a cover-up conspiracy is in the works at the highest level." prospect.org/2026/01/12/i...
There Must Be Justice for Renee Good - The American Prospect
Minneapolis and Minnesota authorities can’t let the Trump regime suppress the truth. They can and should do their own investigation into the killing.
prospect.org

Yup, that’s he most recent. You may also be interested in the one before that: American Resistance cup.columbia.edu/book/america...
American Resistance | Columbia University Press
Since Donald Trump’s first day in office, a large and energetic grassroots “Resistance” has taken to the streets to protest his administration’s plan... | CUP
cup.columbia.edu

Which book?

I wanted the final fully edited version--got it from the library but it involved so many steps...

Getting a pdf of a chapter of MY BOOK (which is available on Amazon as a free sample) to share with my students should not take this long!
a close up of a woman making a funny face with her hands in the air .
ALT: a close up of a woman making a funny face with her hands in the air .
media.tenor.com

Reposted by Rupert Read

MUST READ for anyone thinking about which climate actions are most likely to be successful! @r-thombs.bsky.social and @akjorgenson.bsky.social analyze which types of climate policies are most effective at decoupling of carbon emissions from economic growth. academic.oup.com/sf/advance-a...
Does stringent climate policy decouple economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions?
Abstract. A foundational question in environmental sociology is whether economic growth can be sufficiently decoupled from greenhouse gas emissions. Schola
academic.oup.com

👏👏👏
It’s been one month since 100% of the Epstein files were due by Act of Congress. Thus far they’ve only released .6% of them and are using murder and war to distract you from this fact.
"A guidebook on observer protocol includes advice for participants to say why they are watching, avoid any physical contact, record events with photos and videos, and ask questions to ICE and witnesses about what is happening..."

www.wsj.com/us-news/insi...
Inside Minneapolis’s Sprawling Network of ICE Watchers
Renee Nicole Good lived in a community where residents by the thousands are using text alerts, whistles and Google documents to shadow federal agents
www.wsj.com
I see this take around from time to time and totally disagree. ICE just murdered a woman standing up to them. No Kings is among the largest protests in history.

The complacency is coming from elites in media, business, universities, and the Democratic leadership

Thousands out demonstrating in NYC today 👇

Absolutely agree—we are starting to see some real fire at the local level, but this is the energy that ALL Dems need right now to show they are representing their constituents and deserve to stay in office

Reposted by Dana R. Fisher

And these judges have lifetime appointments.

www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/u...
Trump’s ‘Superstar’ Appellate Judges Have Voted 133 to 12 in His Favor
www.nytimes.com

She’s going on the record, which will be useful in the future.

Yup. @jaketapper.bsky.social is pulling no punches 💪💪

💯👇
Tapper to Noem: "I just showed you video of people attacking law enforcement officers on J6. Trump pardoned them all. You said Trump is enforcing all the laws equally. That's just not true. There's a different standard for LEOs being attacked if they're being attacked by Trump supporters."

Mayor Frey (@mayorfrey.com) is en fuego 🔥🔥
Frey on Noem: "That was some wild and crazy stuff. It sounds like she doesn't believe a single word she's saying right now. And I don't know if Donald Trump was drinking a glass of water if she'd actually be able to speak."

Reposted by Dana R. Fisher

Frey on Noem: "That was some wild and crazy stuff. It sounds like she doesn't believe a single word she's saying right now. And I don't know if Donald Trump was drinking a glass of water if she'd actually be able to speak."
Tapper to Noem: "I just showed you video of people attacking law enforcement officers on J6. Trump pardoned them all. You said Trump is enforcing all the laws equally. That's just not true. There's a different standard for LEOs being attacked if they're being attacked by Trump supporters."

It will be fascinating (and depressing) if countries in Europe take steps to resist Trump and his Administration's actions while the opposition party in the US continues not to...c'mon Democrats, it's time to take a stand as American citizens are murdered in our streets (it's really not that hard)!
If the US continues to make threats, European countries could refuse to refuel American ships in European ports, require higher payments for the stationing of US troops — or even close US military bases entirely.
US intentions towards Greenland threaten NATO’s future. But European countries are not helpless
US threats to annex Greenland following the attack on Venezuela should be taken seriously. European countries have important leverage they should be prepared to use.
www.chathamhouse.org