The Steady Stater

volume 17 number 1

Dear Friend,

The first newsletter of the year is refreshing for a non-profit and its members! At CASSE, we’ve been producing our quarterly Steady Stater since 2008. It’s one of our primary outlets, along with the Steady State Herald (our weekly blog) and the Steady State Press (our book publishing imprint). At the Herald, we’ve hired a new Staff Writer, Kirsten Stade, who writes hard-hitting articles about public lands and sustainable population.

Our Policy Program is running strong, too, highlighted by our Steady State Economy Act (federal legislation) and the Keep Our Counties Great campaign (focused on county planning).

And, our Research Program is in for a boost! In February, we’ll be hiring Peri Dworatzek, a leading expert in ecological footprint and biocapacity measurement. As our Senior Research Scientist, her expertise will be invaluable as we work with communities to understand limits to growth and the need for a steady state economy.

With our Development Program, we have undertaken a project we call the “Steady State by State Campaign.” This is a year-long, highly efficient membership push. Each week, we email our friends and allies from a specific state, pointing out the relevance of our work in that particular state along with the crucial nature of membership for advancing policy reform. Please be on the lookout for your “Special Citizen” email at some point this year!

Finally, we’ve had a death in our extended CASSE family, as Alix Underwood’s grandmother passed away a couple of weeks ago. Our sympathies go out to Alix and to all our CASSE friends who lost loved ones in the past year.

Sometimes, we don’t find out about the passing of a friend for weeks or months. In such cases, a relative may receive emails addressed to the departed. Please accept our apologies in advance for any such cases. We aim to be as sensitive and attuned to our community as possible, and we strive to maintain our mailing lists. Toward those ends, please let us know when a death in our CASSE community has occurred.

Thank you for your continued support!

Sincerely,

Brian Czech, Executive Director

New Staff

Kirsten Stade is a CASSE staff writer and contributes articles to the Steady State Herald. Kirsten has spent the past three decades writing, speaking, and advocating at nonprofit organizations, focused on the linkages among reproductive rights, population growth, and ecological overshoot. She is also passionate about protecting public lands. She has a B.S. in Earth Systems from Stanford University and an M.S. in Conservation Biology from Columbia University.

Steady State Press

The Age of Humachines, by Michael D.B. Harvey, received another honor from Kirkus Reviews! They listed Humachines among the "Best Indie Books of 2025." It also received the Kirkus Star shortly after its publication by the Steady State Press in November, 2024. A Kirkus Star is given to only 10% of the books appearing in Kirkus Reviews magazine. The reviewers called Humachines “a complex, multipart agenda for a future in which humans retain their humanity.”

Upcoming Event

On February 4, Extinction Rebellion DC will host CASSE for a webinar! After presentations by Executive Director Brian Czech and Managing Editor Alix Underwood, there will be small group discussions. We'll focus on activism and use examples from DC, but all are welcome!

Cherished Endorsement

Friends of Merrymeeting Bay endorsed CASSE's position on economic growth. Founded in 1975, the organization aims to preserve, protect, and improve the unique ecosystems of Merrymeeting Bay in the Kennebec Delta of Maine.

Grateful for Grant

Thank you to the Steven C. Leuthold Family Foundation for awarding CASSE $10,000! The Foundation supports non-profits focused on land conservation, environmental protection, human services, and animal welfare.

Chapter Updates

Australian Regional Communities Chapter Director Martin Tye presented at the New Economy Network Australia annual conference.

Signatory Spotlight

Danielle Nierenberg is the president of Food Tank, a nonprofit organization focused on building a global community for safe, healthy, nourished eaters. Nierenberg received the 2020 Julia Child Award. She has been cited in more than 20,000 major print and broadcast outlets globally.

Join Nierenberg and Take a Position

Featured Video

On November 12, the Friends of Merrymeeting Bay (Maine) hosted Brian Czech for a presentation and discussion on "A Steady State Economy for Environmental Protection."

2025 Donors

We'd like to give a warm thank-you to those who joined or donated to CASSE last year! To everyone who paid membership dues or donated to CASSE (whether by single or recurring donation, check, donor-advised funds, or gifts of stock), we couldn't advocate for economic change without you!