Author Archives: Kit Stolz

Obama admits cap and trade is dead

This week the President admitted what D.C. insiders have been saying for months about the Democratic plan to control greenhouse gas emissions. ACES, The American Clean Energy and Security Bill passed by the House last fall, which is intended to control emissions by a cap-and-trade mechanism, is politically dead. At a town hall meeting inContinue reading “Obama admits cap and trade is dead”

Teens turn against blogging: more adults like it now

When I grow up, I want to work for the Pew Research Center. They study all the interesting questions, it seems, and all their centers have really long and impressive names, such as the Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism, the Pew Global Attitudes Project, and many others. Their latest publication (unless a new oneContinue reading “Teens turn against blogging: more adults like it now”

Get ready: seven foot sea level rise this century

If there is one question about climate science that went unanswered in the 2007 IPCC report, it was sea level rise. As the EPA notes, the report estimates a two-foot rise this century…at the most.  But that estimate did not include the possibility of degradation of the polar ice sheets, which in the last twoContinue reading “Get ready: seven foot sea level rise this century”

I’m a member of an endangered species — a journalist

It's a small story, as mine often are, but I'm not going to apologize for making a living reporting and writing. Here's a heartwarming local story, thanks to the Star, with nice pics by Joe Garcia.  A quote from Maria: “Oh man, I wish I could hug all the people who helped me that aren’tContinue reading “I’m a member of an endangered species — a journalist”

How bad for the environment could one plastic bottle be?

WASHINGTON—Wishing to dispose of the empty plastic container, and failing to spot a recycling bin nearby, an estimated 30 million Americans asked themselves Monday how bad throwing away a single bottle of water could really be. "It's fine, it's fine," thought Maine native Sheila Hodge, echoing the exact sentiments of Chicago-area resident Phillip Ragowski, recentContinue reading “How bad for the environment could one plastic bottle be?”

Let Poetry Die (and be reborn again, outside academia)

So argues a New England poet: I love poetry. But as far as the public is concerned, poetry died with the modernists. No poets ever filled their shoes. And though there remain a number of minor masters and one hit wonders, few passing pedestrians could name a poet from the last 50 to 60 yearsContinue reading “Let Poetry Die (and be reborn again, outside academia)”

Some good rain…and a “blown forecast”

Ventura County is now at about 200% of normal rainfall for this time of year, twenty inches in our immediate area, which is wonderful, but, as Emily Green and others have pointed out, comes nowhere near the 1 to 1.5 inches of rain an hour predicted for Wednesday of last week.  In Green's post, forecasterContinue reading “Some good rain…and a “blown forecast””

Matt the Electrican mocks weather weenies of Phoenix

Went to see a gifted Austin folkie named Matt the Electrician at a "house concert" last night. (He got his name because he took up a building trade to support his music habit, which fortunately has developed well enough to support him and his family, now.) But he's still wry and funny, with a raskyContinue reading “Matt the Electrican mocks weather weenies of Phoenix”