Category Archives: activism

Why Romney deserved to lose: Daniel Larison

Daniel Larison writes a fitting political epitaph for Mitt:  Romney represented almost everything that was wrong, misguided, and self-destructive in the Republican Party and the conservative movement. His defeat is a good outcome for the cause of peace and liberty in the country as a whole and within the Republican Party. The public rejected aContinue reading “Why Romney deserved to lose: Daniel Larison”

Climate change is like leprosy to the GOP: Untouchable

When Timothy Egan is good, he is great:  Climate change is to the Republican base what leprosy once was to healthy humans — untouchable and unmentionable. Their party is financed by people whose fortunes are dependent upon denying that humans have caused the earth’s weather patterns to change for the worse. From, of course, TheContinue reading “Climate change is like leprosy to the GOP: Untouchable”

Nation suddenly realizes global warming is just going to be a thing that happens from now on

NEW YORK—Following Hurricane Sandy’s destructive tear through the Northeast this week, the nation’s 300 million citizens looked upon the trail of devastation and fully realized, for the first time, that this is just going to be something that happens from now on. From The Onion, of course. My fav part is the concluding quote:  “RightContinue reading “Nation suddenly realizes global warming is just going to be a thing that happens from now on”

Refiners push up gas prices in CA today: L.A. Times

A sharp letter to the editor this past weekend alerted me to a startlingly good Los Angeles Times story I had missed on California's high gas prices, complete with a graph that almost tells the story itself. Here's the letter, from Jim Cody of North Hollywood:  The graph that accompanied this article, which shows how crudeContinue reading “Refiners push up gas prices in CA today: L.A. Times”

Climate change + health in Philippines: Charlotte Kellogg

Last December at the AGU, I heard a presentation of a ground-breaking and troubling study on climate change and public health in the Philippines. Two young researchers charted typhoons and their aftermath, and argued powerfully that our reporting of the damage caused by these powerful but brief storms (one of which landed near Manila in August)Continue reading “Climate change + health in Philippines: Charlotte Kellogg”

Edward Abbey: A place to make a grown man weep

Even a curmudgeon on the subject of Internet video must admit it’s a good thing that a filmmaker had Edward Abbey show him around the Arches National Park, where Abbey was a park ranger…back in l956.    Essay by Edward Abbey “I Loved it…I Loved it All” from Ned Judge on Vimeo.

We saved the ozone layer. We can save the climate.

From Daniel Doniger at the NRDC last week, a reminder on the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Montreal Protocol, that Republicans and Democrats in this country, including the Reagan and Bush administration, allied to support an international treaty to save the ozone layer.  Millions of lives saved.  Hundreds of millions of cancers averted. Continue reading “We saved the ozone layer. We can save the climate.”

The $400 million snow job, thanks to David Koch (et al)

Jane Mayer of The New Yorker fills in the details on the latest from David Koch, revealing that he and his allies plan to spend $400 million on this year's elections…mostly to preserve the Bush-era tax break on dividends.  Toles visualizes the scene:  Scary thing is, Koch may be making a rational decision in terms ofContinue reading “The $400 million snow job, thanks to David Koch (et al)”

John Muir, meet RuPaul. RuPaul, meet…

You have to know hiking/backpacking is surging in popularity when TV stars take it up. From the fluffy Saturday section in the Los Angeles Times, a charming interview with the famous drag queen/unway artist RuPaul: How has your life changed since you picked it up? I feel great throughout the day because I've gotten so muchContinue reading “John Muir, meet RuPaul. RuPaul, meet…”