A few months ago the rapturous reporting of a new study on saturated fat caught my eye. Sounded too good to be true, and, well, long story short, that's exactly what it turned out to be. Here's the opening, from the USC Annenberg/California Endowment's Reporting on Health site: Time to jump on the bandwagon ofContinue reading “How to confuse the media and public: Butter ’em up”
Category Archives: thinking out loud
The wisdom of Carl Jung on Eros and love (not)
In my medical experience as well as in my own life I have again and again been faced with the mystery of love, and have never been able to explain what it is. Like Job, I have had to “lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer.”
–Carl Jung
Why is Oxy spinning off new California oilco?
One question regarding this news from last week (reported in the LA Times): A little more than a month after filing documents to spin off its California operations, Occidental Petroleum Corp. has named the leadership team for its proposed subsidiary. The longtime Los Angeles company announced in February that it was moving its headquarters toContinue reading “Why is Oxy spinning off new California oilco?”
Little known fracking fact: it’s costing us in ice cream
Here's a story from an interesting blog on the Utica Shale, a story on five facts about fracking that you may not know — and a chart. Veteran environmental reporter Bob Downing of the Akron Journal maintains this blog,and said that it gives 10-15k hits a week — impressive. For those of us on theContinue reading “Little known fracking fact: it’s costing us in ice cream”
Ojai Farmer to Ojaians: We fixed our leaks — your turn
From Kimberly Rivers' thoughtful story in the Ojai Valley News on the panel discussion this past weekend in Ojai on drought/water issues: At the Ojai Valley Inn last weekend, agriculture was a central topic. “It’s impossible to talk about water in California without turning a whole lot of attention to agriculture,” said Timm Herdt, moderatorContinue reading “Ojai Farmer to Ojaians: We fixed our leaks — your turn”
Chautauqua (incl. me) on KVTA talking water/drought
Don't get a chance to post an hour-long interview with me (in a sidekick/expert but chatty role) very often if ever, so excuse me for taking this opportunity to put myself on the record. The interview from three weeks ago can be accessed here — most of the information remains all too relevant:
Listen to KVTA's Lyn Fairly interview Tom Krause and Kit Stolz about the Ojai Chautauqua this Sunday.http://www.ojaichautauqua.org/lf614water.mp3
From Lynn Fairley's Saturday morning show on our local talk radio station, KVTA. Thank you Lynn!
Here's a picture from the event (which I wasn't able to moderate, being away at a fracking fellowship in Pittsburgh, learning about the Marcellus shale).
And here's a nice appreciation for the thoughtful, generous Tom Krause, who leads the Chautauqua as well as a great books discussion at Thomas Aquinas College, from Timm Herdt, who replaced me in my absence as moderator, and by all accounts did a great job.
From the Ventura County Star: A Thirst for Civil Discourse:
On Sunday afternoon in Ojai, about 200 people paid $20 apiece to fill a room to listen to a two-hour panel discussion on “the future of water.” The expert panelists had different backgrounds and different points of view, but it was not a debate. There was no drama.
And when it was over, the host pronounced it a success. Here’s why: “I think all of us are leaving with more questions than we had when we came,” said Tom Krause.
Wilderness is where the hand of man has not set foot: Brower
For The Wilderness Act, this September marks the Big 5-0, its biggest birthday to date. This should be a celebratory moment, as the Wilderness Act has for many many years been considered the high water achievement of the environmental movement in America, the legislative flowering of the vision of great American nature thinkers such asContinue reading “Wilderness is where the hand of man has not set foot: Brower”
Harvesting the California drought: gold and wood
On the front page last Sunday the LA Times ran a story about how the drought — three years old in California, and now rated "severe" or worse in 100% of the state — had led to an upsurge in gold panning in streams and rivers. Such as the Kern River. Researchers said last week thatContinue reading “Harvesting the California drought: gold and wood”
The virtues of walking vs becoming part of the mountains
Under the heading, To Age Well, Walk, a new study written up in the NYTimes tells us what we already knew (but sometimes choose to forget). While everyone knows that exercise is a good idea, whatever your age, the hard, scientific evidence about its benefits in the old and infirm has been surprisingly limited. “ForContinue reading “The virtues of walking vs becoming part of the mountains”
Happy birthday Rachel Carson! Says Google
One of the most heartening of Google's doodles ever (for me at least) comes today, in honor of Rachel Carson's 107th birthday. The inspiration she drew from nature — and the questions nature pushed her to ask of us — are with as today as much or more than ever. We still haven't become matureContinue reading “Happy birthday Rachel Carson! Says Google”
Kit Stolz 