In this country, scientists have been historically averse to link weather disasters — such as flooding caused by huge storms — to climate change. The scientific cliche is well-known: No single meteorological event can be caused by climate change. A leading theorist of climate communications, Naomi Oreskes of UC San Diego argues that the generalContinue reading “Leading British scientist links warming to flooding”
Category Archives: press issues
Looking to past droughts to foresee CA’s future
The past is never dead. The past is not even past. When William Faulkner wrote that, he was thinking of human history, but it's true on here on planet earth as well. Cycles repeat. For that reason, and because they were troubled by the drought they saw in the deep time record, paleoclimatologist B. LynnContinue reading “Looking to past droughts to foresee CA’s future”
Polar Vortex images (from first week of 2013)
A number of publications last week published compendiums of amazing images from the polar vortex's drunken stagger, in Chris Mooney's wonderful story, across nearly all the nation save drought-stricken CA. Frozen lakes, waterfalls, etc. Here's NASA's GOES satellite picture: Fine. But what about the vortex of public reaction? Tom Toles sketches that one:
A national hazard map for earthquakes in SoCal: VC Star
A few days after publishing my shockingly popular story on the Ventura fault last week, and thinking of the upcoming twenty-year anniversary of the Northridge quake, the Ventura County Star followed up with a brief story on seismic risk in Southern Califonia, quoting some of the same experts I qutoed. The new story can beContinue reading “A national hazard map for earthquakes in SoCal: VC Star”
Ventura stands on deep, dangerous fault system: VC Star
Several new studies funded by the Southern California Earthquake Center have identified Ventura as a hot spot for geological activity, with a fault running directly under downtown potentially far more dangerous than previously believed.
If the fault ruptures along its length and involves other faults, it could cause a major earthquake and massive damage, with the possibility of a strong local tsunami, researchers say.
Internet saint of the day: Joan Didion
In the Roman Catholic calendar, virtually every day is a feast day in honor of this saint or that, famous or not, and in a strange sense it's similar on the Internet — every day belongs to some famous secular saint or sinner. Today, Julie Cart of the LA Times reminds us that her heroineContinue reading “Internet saint of the day: Joan Didion”
How the poor go from food stamps to “food swamps”
All year the Washington Post has been running a series on food stamps that will drop your jaw, but probably the best of all has been this report from South Texas called Too Much of Too Little: McAllen, Tex. — They were already running late for a doctor’s appointment, but first the Salas family hurried intoContinue reading “How the poor go from food stamps to “food swamps””
Exposure can kill you: Slaves of the Internet, Unite!
Sometimes a headline is enough, but this op-ed — Slaves of the Internet, Unite! — by Tim Kreider makes so much sense, it's sad that (as he more or less admits) he won't be heeded. Quote of the weekend: …the Internet seems like capitalism’s ultimate feat of self-destructive genius, an economic doomsday device rendering itContinue reading “Exposure can kill you: Slaves of the Internet, Unite!”
“An orange river of sunlight”: migration of the Monarchs
Was driving through the warm little town of Ojai California when a monarch butterfly flew helplessly in front of my windshield and then shot up past the little car and out into the open air with a single flap of his wings. Fly on! Delightful sight. Made me wish for an instant to get outContinue reading ““An orange river of sunlight”: migration of the Monarchs”
Cyclone Phailin may be strongest storm ever to hit India
Eric Holthaus tweets an eye-opener: Cyclone Phailin is set to become the strongest India has ever seen http://t.co/mAKhmgwW7g http://t.co/lNgBNOZb0P — Quartz (@qz) October 11, 2013 //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js He tells the story with intense power, beginning (interestingly) with the NOAA image. Yet it's possible he buries the lede, as at the end of the story he casuallyContinue reading “Cyclone Phailin may be strongest storm ever to hit India”
Kit Stolz 