This Week in Thriving
ChatGPT5, shockwaves from tariffs, and what we can do to help society thrive.
Hi Thrive fam!
This is a new thing I’m trying out: a quick, clear pulse check on what’s happening in the world and how it shapes our ability to thrive.
Because thriving isn’t just a personal journey, it’s a community effort. The more aware we are of the forces around us, the better we can act together to shape a future worth living in.
If you enjoy this quick news recap, stay tuned for future ones every Thursday!
1. Thriving Globally
Sometimes, the world shifts beneath our feet; this week, it has.
A new era for global trade begins: The world is navigating a new trade order. U.S. tariffs have surged to their highest in a century, touching nearly every major partner, from the EU and Japan to Taiwan, and dramatically rattling global markets and investments. Source
Why It Matters: At the system level, shockwaves from tariffs destabilize trade, freeze investment, and fracture global trust. At the individual level, businesses face price hikes, job insecurity, and disrupted supply chains.
What You Can Do: Keep an eye on local businesses that might be hit, and support those adapting sustainably, think sustainable sourcing, fair pricing, and resilient design.
Diplomatic Ripples: In Bogotá, nations like Slovenia and Brazil imposed bans or sanctions on goods tied to occupied areas, adding moral weight to trade decisions. Source
Why It Matters: Systemically, blending trade with ethical standards marks progress toward global accountability. Individually, consumers can feel empowered by brands aligning with their values.
What You Can Do: Ask questions, support brands that are transparent about ethical sourcing. Consumer pressure still shapes trade.
2. Thriving Tech/AI
AI is both a powerful ally and an energy-hungry disruptor. Who wins that tug-of-war?
AI and the Climate Tension: Apple’s AI push is a double-edged sword. While innovating with products like Apple Intelligence, the company’s emissions have stalled rather than fallen, emphasizing the mismatch between AI growth and climate goals. Source
Why It Matters: At the system level, unsustainable AI undercuts climate commitments. At the individual level, consumers may unknowingly champion tech that undermines environmental progress.
What You Can Do: Prioritize companies that tie AI advances to energy commitment, and demand cleaner hardware lifecycles.
AI for Good in the Sky: On the brighter side, AI is already speeding up climate science, helping researchers parse trends and make better predictions even as funding fades. Source
Why It Matters: Systemically, smarter data means smarter climate readiness. Individually, it means better alerts, safer communities, and fewer surprises.
What You Can Do: Encourage your networks (schools, local groups) to integrate AI-powered climate tools for early warnings and planning.
3. Thriving America
From fireflies to energy bills, small signals are telling stories about America’s resilience and vulnerabilities.
Fireflies are Fading: Those beloved summer lights are flickering out; climate change, pollution, light intrusion, and habitat loss are pushing several species toward extinction. Source
Why It Matters: Systemically, this decline is a marker of ecological degradation. Individually, it’s a loss of the small wonders that spark wonder and hope.
What You Can Do: Do simple things at home: dim your lights at night, skip pesticides, let your garden grow wild. Your yard can be a sanctuary.
Power Pressures and Climate Denial: The rollback of climate science continues, even as energy prices climb, especially in states hosting energy-intensive data centers. Source
Why It Matters: At the system level, defunding climate insight while caving into energy demands is a recipe for ignorance. Individually, higher bills and fewer safeguards hit households and small communities hardest.
What You Can Do: Push for transparency, ask your local leaders about energy balance investments. Support independent climate data projects; they matter more than ever.
4. Thriving Planet
Earth sent a weather warning this week, and we’d do well to listen.
Record Rainfall: Hong Kong endured four black rainstorms, the heaviest category, within just eight days. AI models helped forecast two of them a week ahead, proving both the fragility of infrastructure and the edge of emerging tech. Source
Why It Matters: At the system level, these extremes underscore the urgency for stronger climate adaptation. Individually, people need warning systems and flood-safe designs now.
What You Can Do: Support flood-resilient design, rain gardens, permeable walkways, and advocate for early warning systems supported by AI.
AI as Weather Ally: On a broader scale, AI is boosting climate research across the board, helping decipher risk even when funding dries up. Source
Why It Matters: Systemically, AI is becoming a lifeline for environmental monitoring. Individually, it means better forecasts, stronger preparation, and more control.
What You Can Do: Track and share early warning apps or local climate dashboards powered by AI. Knowledge is your neighborhood defense.
This week reminds us: thriving isn’t a given, made, maintained, or defended. From tariffs to fireflies, from AI to rainstorms, the forces shaping our world are complex but not beyond our influence.
Step forward where you can ask questions, light less, support climate-smart tech, demand ethical AI, and protect nature’s tiny wonders. Small acts add up. This isn’t just survival. It’s thriving, by design.
My name is Arianna Beetz. I have a PhD in Organizational Behavior from Wharton and an obsession with helping people (especially those who didn’t win the birth lottery) thrive. Thanks for reading about why your brain resists change and what to do about it. Follow for more people- and systems-based takes on society and the future of work!