Last week I wrote a somewhat dispassionate (on purpose) defense of holding the center — or what used to be the center — politically. The theme of my article was resisting the current tendency towards outrage and ethical compromise that is partly driven by social media, partly by today’s dramatic and extreme political climate, and … Continue reading Greenland is in the Center
Sustainable Development
Holding the Center in Difficult Times
A reflection on how not to go mad when things seem to be going crazy The first time I voted in the US presidential election, in 1980, I cast my vote for Congressman John Anderson. He was a former Republican running as an independent on a socially-liberal, fiscally-conservative platform. Anderson’s quixotic campaign is mostly forgotten … Continue reading Holding the Center in Difficult Times
Celebrating a very positive, independent evaluation of GWP
This is a copy of a post I shared on LinkedIn, 5 Jan 2026. Reading the evaluation of GWP that I write about below was a great way to start the year, from a personal-professional point of view. /Alan Sometimes, all too rarely, you get to see documented proof that your work has contributed to … Continue reading Celebrating a very positive, independent evaluation of GWP
A song of melancholy and last-chance hope: Why I wrote “The Last Dice”
In September 2011, I found myself unexpectedly wandering the streets of Istanbul. I say “unexpectedly” because there was revolution in Syria, a growing social uprising that would eventually ignite an all-consuming civil war. Security concerns had made going back to the city of Aleppo, which is where I had expected to be, impossible. Click to … Continue reading A song of melancholy and last-chance hope: Why I wrote “The Last Dice”
I asked ChatGPT to analyse the new US National Security Strategy
After reading the new National Security Strategy of the United States of America, recently released by the White House, I thought, "I used to advise US military bases on their sustainability programs. This new strategy seems to be a major change in direction, and it has enormous implications for sustainability and sustainable development work, globally. … Continue reading I asked ChatGPT to analyse the new US National Security Strategy
An editorial request to Bill Gates: please do a rewrite
I read carefully the recent Bill Gates memo, “Three Tough Truths about Climate Change” (28 Oct 2025), which caused a lot of commotion on social media. It was worth a close read, and I am still thinking about it, as well as tracking the media reactions, which have often been, in my view, exaggerated. Certain … Continue reading An editorial request to Bill Gates: please do a rewrite
Loyalties: A framework for how I intend to engage in the public sphere
Towards the end of this article, I present a list of my fundamental loyalties, defined as the intellectual commitments guiding my participation, writing and speech in the public sphere. Why am I doing that? To model transparency. To be clear, both with myself and with others, about what I intend to do, before I start … Continue reading Loyalties: A framework for how I intend to engage in the public sphere
How I recovered from burn-out
A “near-complete recovery.” That is how I describe my situation now, eight months after a sudden debilitating collapse in physical and cognitive capacity, caused by extreme stress in an already-demanding job. I wrote in detail about this in a previous blog post and LinkedIn "Pulse" article. The first thing to say about my much-improved health … Continue reading How I recovered from burn-out
Keynote Speech: “Future Thinking for Sustainable Development”
The following is a more polished version of the opening keynote speech I delivered (speaking from notes) in Gdansk, Poland, on 16 June 2025, at an international conference on sustainable development hosted by WEB Merito Universities (see Endnotes for more info and link). I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity to present this speech, which … Continue reading Keynote Speech: “Future Thinking for Sustainable Development”
Third-Age Thoughts
Initial reflections after a long professional career in public service for sustainability On January 1, 2025, I woke up to the reality that I was actually and truly retired. I have no professional position, no company or business to maintain, no formal work responsibilities, at all. I am living on my income from a modest … Continue reading Third-Age Thoughts
Alan AtKisson 