This is an actual headline on the homepage of the Washington Post this evening. To explain the misleading: Prez Trump said that the President of Finland told him that Finland had many forests but no problem with forest fires. “He called it a forest nation,” Trump said, “and they spent a lot of time onContinue reading “2018 headline: “Finland’s president denies telling Trump that his country rakes its forests””
Category Archives: the land
The New Dark Ages: the poetry of global warming
Poets have been thinking quite a lot about global warming in recent years: here’s a recent example worth remembering. Will post more as I find them. The New Dark Ages Thunderstorms stir me up— the stillness right before the first close tremor, the pond shivering at the height of summer, the field full-blown, going toContinue reading “The New Dark Ages: the poetry of global warming”
The Blob is back: Will the RRR return? What about drought in CA?
This decade, the worst drought in California’s recorded history happened in large part due to a formidable ridge of high pressure off the shores of the Pacific Northwest in 2012 that persisted for years in the winter months. This bumped the winter jetstream that brings us low pressure systems and precipitation to the north and awayContinue reading “The Blob is back: Will the RRR return? What about drought in CA?”
Climate change polarizes an election in Ojai
Ojai, California is a little town with a lot of big opinions. This fall an election between a long-standing incumbent and a self-educated water wonk has stirred up a good deal of controversy. Here’s my attempt to report on the issues for the Ventura County Reporter. My focus was to give the candidates a chanceContinue reading “Climate change polarizes an election in Ojai”
What’s wrong with reality? (Red Desert)
It’s not a coincidence, surely, that Monica Vitti in the Italian movie poster for Michelangelo Antonioni’s classic Red Desert, from l964, assumes the position of the tormented man on the bridge in The Scream by Edvard Munch. Most of Antonioni’s movies seem to begin with a beautiful woman, usually Monica Vitti, rushing from the social sceneContinue reading “What’s wrong with reality? (Red Desert)”
Dirt: People of the PCT (Oregon 2018)
This is Dirt, with whom I briefly crossed paths at about mile TK on the PCT. We had a short but interesting conversation that’s still very alive for me. Our brief dialogue touched on two or three or so topics, but seemed full of the immense uncertainty of human life. Quite possibly I might neverContinue reading “Dirt: People of the PCT (Oregon 2018)”
Great trees of the PCT — honestly, how is this even possible?
The force through which the green fuse drives the flower and this tree — my God Almighty, How is this even possible? The first vegetation of any stature whatsoever seen in miles and miles along the PCT through a laval field.
Cowboy camping on the PCT: from Crater Lake Nat’l Park to Timberline Lodge in Oregon
What does it mean to cowboy camp the PCT? Put simply, it means camping without a tent. Throwing down a mat and your bag (or your lighter and maybe even warmer down quilt) and using the stars for your night light, and dawn for your alarm clock. But expand the definition a little and cowboyContinue reading “Cowboy camping on the PCT: from Crater Lake Nat’l Park to Timberline Lodge in Oregon”
CA temperatures: Is this a trend?
Heat to blast SoCal: Fire Weather
It’s going to be crazy hot the next couple of days here in Ojai (112 on Friday they say) and in coastal Southern California this weekend. In the words of Weather West (aka climate scientist Daniel Swain): …in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties, especially, the heat from Fri-Sun will be extreme due to theContinue reading “Heat to blast SoCal: Fire Weather”
Kit Stolz 