Jesse Damiani

United States

Columnist at Forbes

Writer at Freelance

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Articles

Hot Planet Update: Swiss Village Buried by Glacier Collapse, COP30 Chief Warns of 'Economic Denial,' Historic Climate Lawsuit, Europe's Severe Drought, US Braces for Scorching Summer, & More

5 days ago | realitystudies.co | Jesse Damiani

Welcome to “Hot Planet Update,” a series on Reality Studies that recaps the biggest news in climate from the last week. Using a “smart brevity” format, HPU recaps are designed to keep you up-to-date on the latest news and provide key context. Every HPU is available forfreevia email toall subscriber tiers, but the web edition is only available in the paid subscriber archive.
Hot Planet Update: Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' Guts Climate Funding, EPA Scraps Power Plant Rules, 'Above-Average' Hurricane Season Predicted, Forest Loss Record, & More

1 week ago | realitystudies.co | Jesse Damiani

Welcome to “Hot Planet Update,” a series on Reality Studies that recaps the biggest news in climate from the last week. Using a “smart brevity” format, HPU recaps are designed to keep you up-to-date on the latest news and provide key context. Every HPU is available forfreevia email toall subscriber tiers, but the web edition is only available in the paid subscriber archive.
Lefty Preppers: Sustainable & Community-Focused Preparedness in 2025

1 week ago | realitystudies.co | Jesse Damiani

When you hear the word "prepper," what comes to mind? For many, it conjures stereotypes of bunkers, conspiracy theories, doomsday prognostications, and a lone-wolf mentality. But a growing movement is challenging that stereotype: the "lefty preppers." Far from the survivalist trope, lefty preppers embrace preparedness through a lens of progressive values, focusing on community, sustainability, and mutual aid. Reality Studies is a reader-supported publication.
How Many Americans Are Preppers? 2025 Stats & Trends

1 week ago | realitystudies.co | Jesse Damiani

Key Takeaways- Approx. 1 in 16 Americans is a self-described prepper; 4 out of 5 practice at least basic readiness. - Texas and the Mountain West remain hot-beds, but young coastal urbanites are a fast-growing segment. - The prepper economy rivals the outdoor-recreation market and is growing faster than U.S. GDP. - Diversity is expanding: younger, more progressive, and more female preppers are reshaping product and content demand.
What Food Should a Prepper Buy? | 2025 Smart-Storage Guide

2 weeks ago | realitystudies.co | Jesse Damiani

Key Takeaways:- Layer Your Supply: Build from a 3-day ready-to-eat kit, expanding to 2-week quick-cook meals, and then long-term bulk staples. - Prioritize Longevity & Palatability: Focus on nutrient-dense foods like white rice, dried beans, and freeze-dried meals that store for decades and your family enjoys. - Store Smartly & Rotate Often: Maximize shelf life by keeping food in cool, dark conditions and consistently using a "first-in, first-out" (FIFO) system.
Community Prepping: Build a Resilient Neighborhood & Thrive in Any Emergency

2 weeks ago | realitystudies.co | Jesse Damiani

Key Takeaways- Community prepping builds collective resilience: Moving beyond individual efforts, it transforms neighborhoods into powerful, self-reliant networks capable of sharing resources, skills, and support during emergencies. - Individual preparedness is the essential foundation: When households are self-sufficient, they become assets, contributing valuable skills and freeing up critical resources for those most in need.
Professional Resilience: Training, Retreats, and Leadership for a Thriving Career

2 weeks ago | realitystudies.co | Jesse Damiani

Whether you're dealing with demanding deadlines, difficult colleagues, or unexpected layoffs, the modern workplace is a curveball machine. And thats before you factor in the ongoing fear and hype around AI and automation displacing human workers. Some people seem to roll with the punches better than others, bouncing back from setbacks while staying mentally healthy and motivated. What separates these people from those who burn out or give up?
What Is a Prepper? Meaning, Mindset & Myths Debunked (2025)

2 weeks ago | realitystudies.co | Jesse Damiani

Searches for “prepper” have exploded since 2020’s supply-chain shocks and 2025’s rolling blackouts, but the term is still widely misunderstood. Below you’ll find a research-backed unpacking of who preppers are, what they actually do, and how their philosophy differs from hoarding or lone-wolf survivalism. At its simplest, a prepper is someone who makes deliberate, advance preparations—supplies, skills, and plans—to protect household health, safety, and livelihood when everyday systems break down.
The Prepper FAQ: Practical Answers to Top Emergency Prep Questions

2 weeks ago | realitystudies.co | Jesse Damiani

As promised in the most recent Rapid Response, I present you: the Reality Studies Prepper FAQ, an accessible guide to practical preparedness for newbies and experts alike. This is meant to be a living reference that you come back to when you need a specific question answered; I’ll be continually updating it as I encounter other important questions and topics.
Why I'm Reclaiming Prepping & You Should Too | Rapid Response #8

2 weeks ago | realitystudies.co | Jesse Damiani

I’ve been called a prepper more times over the past few weeks than I have in my entire life…and I want to talk about it. It’s provoked a strange mix of feelings; on the one hand, it makes me wince. It’s a stigmatized term that evokes tinfoil hats at best and anti-social survivalist militiamen at worst. Though this has changed a little in recent years, the stereotype of such self-righteous doomsday alarmists persists. On the other hand, it’s earned.