While negativity dominates the news, readers of this newsletter enjoy moments of curiosity and inspiration when they learn about the beauty of our planet.
I haven't yet posted this video, but it fits the criteria of an inspirational and beautiful natural scene, and there is always something to learn. On a Substack Note, the text could be something like:
SNOW SPRINTERS
Two chamois descend a steep slope in sequence, each tracing the same daring line. These social animals often travel in groups and share knowledge of safe mountain routes.
📹 FreerideWorldTour
I could have expanded the text, but Notes is about short-form writing, the art of triggering curiosity and sharing knowledge in just a few words. I would have added that chamois is a species of goat-antelope you can find in the mountainous regions of Europe, from the Pyrenees in the west to the Caucasus in the east. They are well-adapted to rocky and alpine environments with unique characteristics such as elastic hooves that allow them to navigate steep, slippery slopes. They can jump two meters high and six meters horizontally, helping them to evade predators.
The Planet newsletter
When I started The Planet newsletter in March 2021, I had two driving forces in mind. First, I was deeply concerned about our global environmental crises in an era when world leaders seem to lack the visionary leadership we desperately need. Equally important was my desire to create a space where we could marvel at our planet's beauty—whether through nature, art, science, or human ingenuity—a place to nurture hope, discuss solutions, and imagine a sustainable future for the only habitable world we know.
Notes
You may have noticed my daily posts on Notes: short videos that educate, motivate, and inspire. A flower that pops open to reveal its colorful beauty, strange creatures living in the depths of the oceans, or a close-up of a ladybug spreading its wings in a way you would never have imagined possible. While I don't create these videos, I always credit their creators when I know their names. Unless stated otherwise, the pictures I share in my newsletters or elsewhere on Substack are my photographs.
The Substack platform has evolved significantly since those early days. What began as a simple combination of email newsletters and blog posts - think Mailchimp meets Tumblr - has grown into something far more dynamic. Today, I encounter accounts with thousands of followers who have never published a traditional newsletter, treating Notes as their primary medium. Others spend most of their time in Chat, building deeper connections within smaller groups rather than seeking broader audiences.
Chats
In our Chat community, The Planet's paying subscribers share their own encounters with beauty. This week, I enjoyed magnificent sunsets over the American West, vibrant murals in Santiago de Chile, quiet corners of Parisian museums, snow-covered landscapes in North Carolina, and unusual Mammatus cloud formations above Chicago. I contributed a short video of Oslo's city park transformed by snow.
While a Note might receive thousands of likes by followers, subscribers, or others, Chat interactions are more intimate; ten likes on a chat post might signal significant engagement, but the comments there often run deeper and are more personal and meaningful.
These shared moments in Notes and Chat aren't meant to replace our awareness of world events. We shouldn't ignore the political storms that threaten to change the world as we know it. Instead, they counterbalance the negativity; these videos, photos, and shared experiences motivate us by reminding each other about the beauty at stake: nature, our cultural heritage, and our extraordinary lives. We want to preserve these for our children and the next generations to enjoy.
This morning, I spoke with a friend who reads Substack newsletters but hadn't discovered the app, nor was he aware of the Notes and Chat features. So, if you also need to catch up on those Substack developments of the past two years, here you go:
The Substack app
The Substack app works across devices. I primarily use it on my iPhone, though I switch to my laptop for writing and longer comments. Download it on your preferred device to enhance your reading experience.
Notes, Substack's microblogging feature, offers a space for shorter, more frequent interactions. While Elon Musk thought it resembled Twitter enough to block automatic previews of Substack links on his platform, Notes has developed its distinct character; it's fair to say its content looks like a better version of the old Twitter, while X feels unrecognizably different from the original.
The homepage algorithm suggests content that might interest you while also showing posts from accounts you follow. I've noticed it sometimes serves as a gateway, encouraging people to leap from short-form posts to publishing their first newsletters.
Chat provides a more intimate space for writers to host private conversations with their subscribers. Access is limited to subscribers—following an account lets you see their Notes but not their Chat discussions. In our community, the Chat is where we share our personal encounters with beauty, creating a smaller, closer-knit group where conversations run deeper.
Like the chamois in the video, navigating their hazardous path with shared wisdom, we're finding our way together through this evolving digital landscape. The Planet has become a community for dreamers and doers who believe in humanity, kindness, and shared responsibility. It is a community that grows stronger by reclaiming words that have been stolen by those who deliberately distort their meaning—truth, freedom, and hope.
If you haven't subscribed yet, I hope you will join us because there's a place for you in this community where we appreciate the planet's beauty and are committed to preserving it.
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