Erin O’Brien
A Dispatch from Turkey
Erin O’Brien
Yakup Şekip Okumuşoğlu has dedicated his life to a cause bound to fail. He is the primary counsel for the protest movement fighting to protect the İskencedere valley in the northern Turkish province of Rize. Every day since March 2021, he and dozens of fellow İkizdere activists have thrown everything they can — lawsuits, vocal pleas, and even their bodies — in front of the heavy machinery brought in by...
On the State of Climate Activism
Erin O’Brien
In August, the U.S. Senate passed climate provisions that were immediately hailed as historic, marking President Biden’s most significant legislative achievement to date. Coming after a summer of record heat waves, floods, fires, and other catastrophes around the world, the bill sparked debate over whether its contents will meet the moment with sufficient urgency, and how much we should celebrate it as a significant, if limited, victory. Meanwhile, the viability...
