Author Archives: Kit Stolz

A Cloudland We Can Only Dream About, and…

–Another midday cloudland, displaying power and beauty that one never wearies in beholding, but hopelessly unsketchable and untellable. What can poor mortals say about clouds? While a description of their huge glowing domes and ridges, shadowy gulfs and cañons, and feather-edged ravines is being tried, they vanish, leaving no visible ruins. Nevertheless, these fleeting skyContinue reading “A Cloudland We Can Only Dream About, and…”

To Save the Planet, Would You Give Up Tangerines?

That’s the question that came out of the John Edwards campaign, as reported by the New York Times’ refreshingly straightforward op-ed writer Gail Collins. It’s behind the newspapers pay wall, unfortunately, but let me quote a couple of passages: John Edwards has a plan to cap carbon emissions, while allowing businesses to buy the rightContinue reading “To Save the Planet, Would You Give Up Tangerines?”

Environmental Riots — and Demonstrations

One of punk’s great anthems was one of the Clash’s first great songs: White riotI wanna riotWhite riotA riot of my own. This was a sincere wish on the late Joe Strummer‘s part, and to some extent, his wish came true. The punk movement was a riot in music. His audiences were uncontrollable and heContinue reading “Environmental Riots — and Demonstrations”

The Blob: A Harbinger of Global Warming?

From a story in Slate about a festival (Blob Fest) devoted to the B-movie classic The Blob: Many Blob Fest attendees suggested the movie was about communism—the giant red mass slowly growing larger and more menacing, swallowing communities. I asked [the screenwriter] if that had been on her mind when she was writing, but sheContinue reading “The Blob: A Harbinger of Global Warming?”

Leader of UK Sees Climate Change in England Floods

According to a story in the BBC, Gordon Brown, the newly-appointed Prime Minister, has with other officials in his government attributed the "extraordinary" flooding in England this year to climate change. Mr Brown, in his No 10 press briefing, said climate change meant planning had to presume more extreme weather events. That included boosting urbanContinue reading “Leader of UK Sees Climate Change in England Floods”

Texas Floods Predicted by Scientists

In Texas, according to two reports compiled by the Union for Concerned Scientists, global warming will mean "more frequent intense rainfall events are expected, with longer dry periods in between." The EPA agrees: "the amount of precipitation on extreme wet days in summer is likely to increase." Ho hum. Scientists get it right again: FloodsContinue reading “Texas Floods Predicted by Scientists”

James Madison: We Can Scarcely Be Warranted in Supposing…

"Address to the Agricultural Society of Albemarle, Virginia" (1818). "One of the landmarks of American nature writing, delivered not long after he retired to "Montpelier," his Orange county estate, James Madison’s "Address to the Agricultural Society of Albemarle" is an early argument for an "ecological" method of agriculture in Virginia. In his address, Madison diagnosesContinue reading “James Madison: We Can Scarcely Be Warranted in Supposing…”