Author Archives: Kit Stolz

The Upside of Global Warming

Some winners, according to the Associated Press: GHENT, N.Y. — It’s not in Al Gore’s PowerPoint presentation, but there are some upsides to global warming. Northern homes could save on heating fuel. Rust Belt cities might stop losing snowbirds to the South. Canadian farmers could harvest bumper crops. Greenland may become awash in cod andContinue reading “The Upside of Global Warming”

“A Disgrace Disguised as an Achievement”

The headline is Al Gore’s description of the agreement that came out of the G-8 conference. He added: "The eight most powerful nations gathered and were unable to do anything except to say ‘We had good conversations and we agreed that we will have more conversations, and we will even have conversations about the possibilityContinue reading ““A Disgrace Disguised as an Achievement””

Against Cap-and-Trade, for a Carbon Tax: Let’s Get Specific

The powerful World Wildfire Federation comes out unabashedly against cap-and-trade, issues harshly critical report entitled Emission Impossible: Emission Impossible looks at the carbon reduction plans of nine EU member states (UK, Germany, Poland, Ireland, France, Spain, Netherlands, Portugal and Italy) and estimates that 88-100% of these countries’ combined emissions reductions targets under the scheme couldContinue reading “Against Cap-and-Trade, for a Carbon Tax: Let’s Get Specific”

Bad and Good at the LA Times

The Los Angeles Times recently lost one of its best science reporters, Robert Lee Hotz, to The Wall Street Journal. For those of us in SoCal, it’s a shame: Hotz had been doing a first-rate job reporting on climate change issues, from places like Greenland, on the front page. Now he’s doing a first-rate jobContinue reading “Bad and Good at the LA Times”

130-year-old Bowhead Whale Hunted in Alaska

After surviving an explosive attack by whalers back in the 19th century, a bowhead whale lived through the Great War, the Depression, WWII, the Red Scare, the Cold War, the 60’s, disco, Ronald Reagan, Internet time, and most of Bush Jr.,  before succumbing to another attack, last month off the coast of Alaska. It’s anContinue reading “130-year-old Bowhead Whale Hunted in Alaska”

Consensus Comes out of Catastrophe, Unfortunately

In The New York Times, John Broder makes a simple point that deserves repeating: It sometimes seems that it takes a catastrophe to create consensus. The Great Depression, Pearl Harbor and Sept. 11 all shattered partisan divisions and led, at least for a time, to enhanced presidential power and a rush of bipartisan lawmaking (someContinue reading “Consensus Comes out of Catastrophe, Unfortunately”

Cutting CO2 Emissions by Saving Tropical Forests: World Bank Steps Up

A superb story in the WSJ by Tom Wright (which I think is available) reveals that the World Bank is moving to reduce CO2 emissions by saving tropical forests, especially in Indonesia. The global effort to stem climate change could soon include paying countries in the tropical belt to not cut down their rain forests,Continue reading “Cutting CO2 Emissions by Saving Tropical Forests: World Bank Steps Up”

Sunday Morning on the Planet: A New Bird, Maybe

We live at Oak Creek, in Ventura County, California, and usually this year when we step outside the sound we hear is the sound of the creek, Sisar Creek, on its long journey down from the Topa Topa range, at 6400 feet, to the sea. This year we never did get the ten inches ofContinue reading “Sunday Morning on the Planet: A New Bird, Maybe”