In August, the energy in European cities shifts. Walking down the streets in which locals usually walk or run, be it to work, to pick up children, to classes, the sensation is one of slowness, a lull, rush replaced by meandering. The idea of August as a month of rest is deeply embedded in the European conscience: it is a month to recharge, spend time with loved ones, travel. According to some statistics, more than half of Europeans will go on holiday this month. At the same time, for those in the tourism industry, the pace picks up, as European cities and shores are flooded with tourists that find this continent an attractive destination.

This approach to rest, travel, and relationships is - in my opinion - one of the beauties of life in this continent. But it is also a reminder of the disparities that come with being a European passport holder.

Tackling the climate crisis ultimately requires interconnectedness: considering the differential causes, responsibilities, and consequences of the crisis as much as systematically connecting it to the other issues of our time. If policies to tackle the cost of living crisis result in green measures taking a back seat, we endanger our ability to respond to the climate crisis even further. But responding to the cost of living crisis is of utmost importance and not doing so would endanger us all but mostly those who are most vulnerable and also most likely to suffer the negative consequences of the climate crisis.

In the immediate aftermath of the US Supreme Court overturning Roe vs Wade, it is hard to conceive of writing about anything other than abortion. This is a ruling that embodies much of what is going wrong in the US and the dangers of polarization, us-vs-them breaking, and a fracturing democracy. This should serve as a cautionary tale.

Ultimately, differences can be used to divide us, and scapegoating a chosen out-group is often wielded to make sense of an uncertain reality. But we can also make meaning of those differences differently, so that they are not a source of pain, anger, or disenchantment but rather contribute to greater belonging for all, including engagement in the core democratic political process that allow for the co-creation of our societies.