The fall colors have yet to show in Southern California…and yes, you wise guys, SoCal does have fall colors. Specifically, in the sycamores and black walnuts, both of which are abundant in Ventura County. But in the Midwest, where my good friend August Jennewein now lives, they have arrived. Aug, an excellent photographer, took thisContinue reading “Sunday Morning on the Planet: Fall Colors”
Monthly Archives: November 2006
Pouring over the Polls, Obsessively
Reading the polls is a perilous business for an enviro in this country, because Americans who talk to pollsters say they rate protecting the environment highly, but frequently fail to back up that concern with their votes. According to a recent CBS/NY Times poll, nearly three-quarters of the country believes in global warming, and respondentsContinue reading “Pouring over the Polls, Obsessively”
Rove Repudiated: Bush Defiant
The cartoon below captures the political moment with Tom Toles’s usual prescience. But it’s worth pointing out: On this topic, as on so many others (global warming, anyone?) the experts have been vindicated. The Bush White House, which seems to take pride in stubbornly refusing to face facts, as a consequence ends up just lookingContinue reading “Rove Repudiated: Bush Defiant”
Is Climate Change Bad? Let’s Talk
James Annan is a scientist I would classify as a climatological moderate, because he thinks that what is known as sensitivity to atmospheric C02 is a little overestimated, so he forecasts temps to rise into a somewhat lower range (about 3C) than the IPCC estimates (between 2.5 and 4.1C). He drops in a couple ofContinue reading “Is Climate Change Bad? Let’s Talk”
Biggest Liars of 2006 Midterms: the Richard M. Nixon Award
"Big Lie" in the National Socialist sense of the term; that is, "a lie "so colossal" no one would believe anyone could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously."" The award is named after Richard M. Nixon, the Republican who left the White House in utter disgrace, but had a long and veryContinue reading “Biggest Liars of 2006 Midterms: the Richard M. Nixon Award”
Shade Cloth against Global Warming
The Australian Tourism Minister, Fran Bailey, recently said that using shade cloth could protect the Great Barrier Reef from the harmful effects of global warming, according to a report on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: One of the suggestions is to attach the shade cloth to pontoons, which is an idea Ms Bailey says is worthContinue reading “Shade Cloth against Global Warming”
Sunday Morning on the Planet: Banner Peak
From Buck Forester’s astounding photostream on Flickr. The guy calls himself an amateur. I’m not sure I can accept that! This is a shot of Banner Peak, and the sky over Thousand Island Lake, taken from the John Muir Trail.
How We Use the World
Sierra magazine, which comes with membership in John Muir’s famous club, is one of the oldest enviro magazines in our country. Its journalism is solid and trustworthy, and its essays often superb, but even though I’ve written for it in the past, I sometimes find it hard to read. The combination of bad news aboutContinue reading “How We Use the World”
Preacher Signs Global Warming Initiative, Therefore Deserves Ruination
Believe it or don’t. It’s almost enough to make me feel sorry for evangelist Ted Haggard, who apparently while leading a vast congregation and leading the charge against gay marriage, was all the while cheating on his wife with a gay prostitute, aided by methamphetamine. What did Mark Twain say? "Truth is stranger than fiction,Continue reading “Preacher Signs Global Warming Initiative, Therefore Deserves Ruination”
Beyond the Sound Bite: Republicans for Environmental Protection
In a week’s time, the political climate in America will change–or so the experts tell us. Pollster Charlie Cook, "the Oracle of Washington," calls this a "wave" election, compares it to l994, and predicts the Republicans will lose "at least 20 to 35 seats, possibly more." In the LATimes, conservative historian Niall Ferguson compares thisContinue reading “Beyond the Sound Bite: Republicans for Environmental Protection”
Kit Stolz 