Small amounts of gold used in electronics quickly add up to environmental and humanitarian disasters — Gold is a valuable metal in the tech industry and not just because of its shine. Although it isn’t the most conductive metal, its malleability and resistance to corrosion make it a key ingredient for product longevity. Apple and other smartphone manufacturers use gold for pins, relays, and connectors —…

Selling a story to a magazine can seem impossible, especially if you’ve been sending out email after email with no reply. The good news is it isn’t personal. The problem may be with your pitches. Luckily, there’s a formula to help you get them right. To write pitches that sell…

The strongest relationships are the ones that recognize that — “Do you have a second to listen to me vent?” I recently texted my friend Nikki. It’s a text I’ve sent many, many times before. Nikki, who I’ve known since we were both in graduate school together, is my go-to for messages like those. She’s always there for me, ready…

‘Hang in there!’ can do more harm than good — When my dad was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 52, I was flooded with emails, calls, and in-person pep talks from friends and acquaintances. Anyone who’d ever met me, it seemed, was eager to offer up a platitude. “Think positive,” they told me. “It will be okay. He’ll get…

A shift in mindset to keep you activated in the face of an insurmountable challenge — When it comes to climate change, it’s easy to feel paralyzed. You’re just a single person staring down an inevitable force, one that’s being driven in large part by massive institutions and governmental failures. It’s glaringly, urgently true that larger systemic change is necessary, requiring buy-in from both government and…

“Don’t quit your day job.” If you’re a writer, you’ve probably heard that before. And there’s some truth to it. According to a survey by the Authors Guild, the median annual income for writers in 2017 was $20,300. On the other hand, I know several writers who will make six…

An election-day guide to dealing with any obstacle you may face trying to cast a ballot — Experts are predicting near-record highs for voter turnout in the midterm elections this year — which, unfortunately, may mean that voters encounter a near-record number of issues as they try to cast their ballots. Exercising your right to vote should, in theory, be a straightforward act, but any number of…

What’s the best way to stifle environmental opposition? A massive lawsuit. — When 77-year-old environmental activist Maggy Hurchalla stepped out of her deposition on the morning of July 16, 2018, she was surprised to find a sheriff’s deputy blocking her way to the parking lot. He held a thick stack of papers. “Give me your car keys, or we’ll have to tow…

A little while ago, I asked my Twitter followers to share their favorite books with me. I received tons of responses. I was floored! A bunch of people also asked me to name mine. So here they are. My Top 10 Favorite Novels The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss: This was the…