From a collection of poems about the end of the world, in the inevitable New York Times: LEAVE A MESSAGE When the wind died, there was a moment of silence for the wind. When the maple tree died, there was always a place to find winter in its branches. When the roses died, I respectedContinue reading “Speaking of heartbreaking: For the child…and the wind”
Category Archives: disaster
NorCal preps for promised ARKstorm: 12 Inches?
CA has had no significant extreme weather since December 2010, when a series of atmospheric rivers took an unexpected tour fhrough Southern California. Both the precipitation totals and the graphics for "ARKstorms" are jaw-dropping. In 2011, the USGS issued a massive report on an ARKstorm that left the entire Central Valley approximately six inches deep in water, forcedContinue reading “NorCal preps for promised ARKstorm: 12 Inches?”
Thought experiment: Imagine the end of NYC by drowning
Can't really do it, can you? Don't worry, it's not you, it's us. If we can’t imagine our own deaths, as Freud insisted, how can we be expected to imagine the death of a city? From a great op-ed/essay by James Atlas. In today's New York Times, of course. With an image to match…
Cutting government in a time of “natural” disasters
Krugman has some words for it (Sandy vs. Katrina): Consider, in particular, the history of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Under President George H. W. Bush, FEMA became a dumping ground for unqualified political hacks. Faced with a major test in the form of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the agency failed completely. Then Bill ClintonContinue reading “Cutting government in a time of “natural” disasters”
“Every hurricane is a fluke” — Atmospheric scientist
"Every hurricane is a fluke, to some degree," said Adam Sobel, an atmospheric scientists at Columbia in New York, in a fascinating discussion around the question: Is New York becoming a hotspot for tropical cyclones? Short answer (from Will Oremus) is: No. Here, via Wikipedia Commons, is an image of hurricane tracks in the Atlantic, 1851-2005. HowContinue reading ““Every hurricane is a fluke” — Atmospheric scientist”
A flip-flop too far: Romney shuts up on FEMA after Sandy
A couple of days ago it was suggested somewhere that reporters on the campaign trail ask Gov. Romney if he still advocates replacing Federal disaster aid, including FEMA, with grants to the states, as he said last year in response to a direct question in a GOP debate. This morning that is the questionContinue reading “A flip-flop too far: Romney shuts up on FEMA after Sandy”
Romney calls FEMA disaster aid “immoral” (6/11)
A year and a half ago, during a GOP debate, when asked by a journalist if he would oppose Federal aid to disaster victims, or replace it with something else, Mitt Romney said yes. He would want to cut agencies such as FEMA, he indicated, but would provide aid to the states, or allow privatizationContinue reading “Romney calls FEMA disaster aid “immoral” (6/11)”
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”
Hurricane Issac on track for New Orleans
Oh boy. Landfall expected Wednesday, seven years after Hurricane Katrina.
Batman and the way we fear now: Ross Douthut
Batman 3, or, officially, The Dark Knight Rises, is actually a lot like the other big superhero movie of 2012, The Avengers. Both stories feature a team of superheroes battling an overwhelming menace attacking Gotham/New York, with the usual betrayal, trickery, and power struggles, and (without giving it away) almost exactly the same plot twistContinue reading “Batman and the way we fear now: Ross Douthut”
Kit Stolz 