This year has been off the charts hot. Lots of graphics to that point: The February heat anomaly this year [as charted by NOAA] is scary to me. Already we are in the fifth year of drought, which has only slightly lessened, and not at all in central SoCal. And now models pointed are callingContinue reading “Here comes the super-hot summer of 2016”
Author Archives: Kit Stolz
Thinking about wildness in CA: Daniel Duane
Daniel Duane first came across my media screen last summer with a spectacular essay in the NYTimes Sunday Review — My Dark California Dream — in which he thought through some of the problems that have hit California lately, from wildfire to drought to traffic to the devastation of sea life off our shores. ButContinue reading “Thinking about wildness in CA: Daniel Duane”
a rare soupcon of spicy humor
From Kelly Conaboy at The Awl: What does a bay leaf taste like? Nothing. What does a bay leaf smell like? Nothing. What does a bay leaf look like? A leaf. How does a bay leaf behave? It behaves as a leaf would, if you took a leaf from the tree outside of your apartmentContinue reading “a rare soupcon of spicy humor”
Bee-loving in Ojai — for good reason
To report now and again for a small town newspaper means documenting something that happened or is happening in a small town, but sometimes what at first seems purely local turns out to be much bigger — even international in scope. From the Ojai Valley News: A move is under way in Ojai to loosen restrictionsContinue reading “Bee-loving in Ojai — for good reason”
Drought hits city trees too (not just wild forests)
Another excellent story from the Washington Post, on a problem — the fate of urban trees — that seems not as well studied as that of wild forests. BERKELEY, Calif. — Everywhere he goes, Anthony Ambrose sees the dead and dying. They haunt this city’s streets, the browning yards of stylish homes, the scenic groundsContinue reading “Drought hits city trees too (not just wild forests)”
The Revenant: from the bear’s POV
The Revenant, the most spectacularly cinematic contender for Best Picture in years, did not take home that particular Oscar at the Academy Awards presentation this past Sunday, but it remains a massive world-wide hit, far bigger than “Spotlight,” won three other major awards — best director, best actor, and best cinematographer — and will almostContinue reading “The Revenant: from the bear’s POV”
Wishing and Hoping (for El Niño in SoCal)
El Niño has been a no-show in Southern California this year, despite endless fall warnings of a Godzilla event (including those transmitted by yours truly). So what happened? Short version, according to a post put up on the Weather West blog by the wise young Daniel Swain of Stanford, is we don’t know — butContinue reading “Wishing and Hoping (for El Niño in SoCal)”
Scalia passing: Quail react (via Samantha Bee)
Samantha Bee has a new show on the television, called Full Frontal, about which I know nothing, but this post from her on the passing of Antonin Scalia from the perspective of quail in Texas is pretty hilarious. One example, from a bird labeled simply “Quail.” Quail “As a quail, I’m a firm believer inContinue reading “Scalia passing: Quail react (via Samantha Bee)”
A prayer for the earth: Pope Francis
On Valentine’s Day, one can’t overlook (well, one can, but shouldn’t) love for the earth from which we came. From “Praise Be” from Pope Francis, a prayer for the earth [passage 178]: A prayer for our earth All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures. You embraceContinue reading “A prayer for the earth: Pope Francis”
Storm denial: what forecasters couldn’t mention
Coincidentally two stories this week focused on how in the past scientists were not allowed to name certain types of storms. Dr. Jeff Masters, of Weather Underground fame, writes about the Great Dust Bowl, and reveals that many attempts — and many successful attempts — were made to control the reporting of the news. WritingContinue reading “Storm denial: what forecasters couldn’t mention”
Kit Stolz 