Billionaire vs. climate change: Thomas Steyer

Wonderful story from Juliet Eilperin in the Washington Post on a Bay Area billionaire who has put his money — many millions of dollars — where his mouth is on climate change: Steyer is taking on a []prominent public role. On Sunday, he spoke to a crowd that organizers estimated at 35,000, gathered on theContinue reading “Billionaire vs. climate change: Thomas Steyer”

The environmental regrets of James Fennimore Cooper

In the first of the famous Leatherstocking Tales, a novel called The Pioneers, in the introduction the author mentions a regret about the arrival of the white man to the Otsego region of upstate New York: Though forests still crown the mountains of Otsego, the bear, the wolf, and the panther are nearly strangers toContinue reading “The environmental regrets of James Fennimore Cooper”

50 Shades of love and sex/Valentine’s Day 2013

From my cover story in this week's Ventura County Reporter:      Since the genetic basis of our species, Homo Sapiens, stabilized approximately 100,000 years ago, the reproductive nature of the human body has not substantially changed. But in the last few years, human sexual experience has substantially changed, especially among the adventurous. For Valentine’s Day, andContinue reading “50 Shades of love and sex/Valentine’s Day 2013”

Contrarian environmentalist: George Monbiot on nuclear

The case for nuclear power. from Fred Pearce, following the lead of George Monbiot at The Guardian:  "The problem is the same in the energy debate. Many environmentalists who argue, as I do, that climate change is probably the big overarching issue facing humanity in the 21st century, nonetheless often refuse to recognize that nuclearContinue reading “Contrarian environmentalist: George Monbiot on nuclear”

President Obama talks climate: 12 hottest years, in last 15

The earth’s getting warmer: “Yes, it’s true that no single event makes a trend. But the fact is, the 12 hottest years on record have all come in the last 15.” President Obama, in the State of the Union Address: You can see that in NOAA’s record of global temperatures. From Ezra Klein's Wonkblog. Weather nerdsContinue reading “President Obama talks climate: 12 hottest years, in last 15”

The state of the climate 2013: Obama

President Obama's makes clear how fast things are changing in the climate in his 2013 State of the Union: …for the sake of our children and our future, we must do more to combat climate change.  Yes, it’s true that no single event makes a trend.  But the fact is, the 12 hottest years onContinue reading “The state of the climate 2013: Obama”

Orwell on the rules of story-telling in non-fiction

A review of Zero Dark Thirty includes this gem of a quote, one writer in effect overhearing arguably the first great modern non-fiction writer, George Orwell, talking about what we today call literary non-fiction, and what fictionalization he allows in a non-fiction story. . There were few more minute observers of fact than George Orwell.Continue reading “Orwell on the rules of story-telling in non-fiction”

A theatrical metaphor for climate change: Alcoholism

A survey of climate change in theater here and in the UK in the New York Times focuses mostly on "This Clement World,"  a new musical play by Cynthia Hopkins, and includes a telling quote from the writer: “Alcoholism is an excellent metaphor for the climate change crisis,” she announces at one point onstage. “We’reContinue reading “A theatrical metaphor for climate change: Alcoholism”

Avoiding over-reaction by any means necessary: NYTimes

Evidently the media adults in the room — excluding The Weather Channel – are going out of their way to underplay the big winter storm hitting the East Coast this weekend. The Times and the Post are not putting it on top of the front page and are avoiding calling it by TWC's name. Meteorological services too are emphasizingContinue reading “Avoiding over-reaction by any means necessary: NYTimes”