This is an actual headline on the homepage of the Washington Post this evening. To explain the misleading: Prez Trump said that the President of Finland told him that Finland had many forests but no problem with forest fires. “He called it a forest nation,” Trump said, “and they spent a lot of time onContinue reading “2018 headline: “Finland’s president denies telling Trump that his country rakes its forests””
Author Archives: Kit Stolz
The fires this time, in Paradise and SoCal
A WSJ video look at the fire that destroyed Paradise a couple of days ago — destroying even big box stores, McDonalds, etc — and another fire that is is now moving through Thousand Oaks towards Malibu, destroying (reportedly) even fire stations. Scary stuff.
A Gillum test: a “brilliant” idea
Some of the best — and most amusing — coverage of our very stable genius has come from the often-stunned but ever-indefatigable opinion writer and interviewer Virginia Heffernan, of Slate, and the Los Angeles Times, but most of all of the podcast Trumpcast. Never thought I’d like a political podcast so much, but it’s the free-wheelingContinue reading “A Gillum test: a “brilliant” idea”
The New Dark Ages: the poetry of global warming
Poets have been thinking quite a lot about global warming in recent years: here’s a recent example worth remembering. Will post more as I find them. The New Dark Ages Thunderstorms stir me up— the stillness right before the first close tremor, the pond shivering at the height of summer, the field full-blown, going toContinue reading “The New Dark Ages: the poetry of global warming”
The Blob is back: Will the RRR return? What about drought in CA?
This decade, the worst drought in California’s recorded history happened in large part due to a formidable ridge of high pressure off the shores of the Pacific Northwest in 2012 that persisted for years in the winter months. This bumped the winter jetstream that brings us low pressure systems and precipitation to the north and awayContinue reading “The Blob is back: Will the RRR return? What about drought in CA?”
Climate change polarizes an election in Ojai
Ojai, California is a little town with a lot of big opinions. This fall an election between a long-standing incumbent and a self-educated water wonk has stirred up a good deal of controversy. Here’s my attempt to report on the issues for the Ventura County Reporter. My focus was to give the candidates a chanceContinue reading “Climate change polarizes an election in Ojai”
Summer’s End (via John Prine)
John Prine brought out a record this year, his first in thirteen years, that has fans and critics alike raving (and won the Artist of the Year Award at the Americana awards in Nashville). The best song on the record — or at least the prettiest — is Summer’s End, of which I cannot getContinue reading “Summer’s End (via John Prine)”
Insurers see new risks, markets w/climate change
From the Wall Street Journal, a new series debuts today: The Price of Climate Insurers’ most immediate climate peril is water. More heat means more moisture held in the atmosphere and greater precipitation. Melting ice is pushing up sea levels. A 2013 study in the journal Nature projected average flood losses for the world’s 136Continue reading “Insurers see new risks, markets w/climate change”
Trump admin expects 7 degrees warming
In an obscure government report this week, the Trump administration forecasts global temperatures will rise an average of seven degrees around the world by 2100. As the Washington Post, which broke the story, put it: Last month, deep in a 500-page environmental impact statement, the Trump administration made a startling assumption: On its current course, theContinue reading “Trump admin expects 7 degrees warming”
a traveling travel writer stops over in Ojai
At the Ojai’s Farmer’s Market today a friend encouraged me to talk to the “poet, travel writer, and embodied writing coach” afrose fatima ahmed. She was sitting at a table in the shade near the center of the little farmer’s market. So I did, and asked her for a poem. I asked her for a poem onContinue reading “a traveling travel writer stops over in Ojai”
Kit Stolz 