Category Archives: thinking out loud

WSJ Expert: We need an alternative to coal for AGW

Because the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) editorial page consistently has found reasons to scoff at the risks of anthropogenic global warming (AGW), it's notable when an expert vetted by the paper — Robert Rapier, an energy specialist – declares that global warming is a problem.  In order to address the carbon dioxide problem, we either have toContinue reading “WSJ Expert: We need an alternative to coal for AGW”

The continuing (and confounding) story of “Into the Wild”

Two weeks ago a teenager, obsessed with the tragic story of Chris McCandless, who died of apparent starvation in the Alaskan wilderness, died in troublingly similar circumstances in Oregon. Over the past six months, David Croom said, his son had shown a growing interest in the movie and possibly wanted to emulate McCandless' actions. "He'sContinue reading “The continuing (and confounding) story of “Into the Wild””

The Revenge of the Dinosaurs: Fossil Fuels

Columnist Thomas Friedman is a big picture columnist who drives enviros crazy with his broad strokes pronouncements, but every once in a while he stumbles across a genuine insight. In a column recently, he actually admitted to the stumbling, for which he deserves some credit: I stumbled upon another powerful environmental insight here: the parallel betweenContinue reading “The Revenge of the Dinosaurs: Fossil Fuels”

What is the use of forty days in the wilderness?

From a defense of solitude in wilderness, called Forty Days, by Paul Kingsnorth: Sometimes you need to go, and sometimes you need to stay away for some time. The world we have created is terrifying in its complexity and power and in its ability to destroy the small, the precious, the immeasurable and the meaningful, insideContinue reading “What is the use of forty days in the wilderness?”

The Rim fire near Yosmite: Disaster, restoration, or — ?

Haven't posted on the Rim Fire, which has been burning for nearly two weeks on the western slope of the Sierras, not far from Yosemite National Park. Big destructive fires trouble me, and the conventional wisdom on wildfire is that climate change will make matters worse, and, frankly, that's part of the reason I didn'tContinue reading “The Rim fire near Yosmite: Disaster, restoration, or — ?”

Quakes strike fracked oil reserve in Ireland, Gov Says

Here's some news about fracking and earthquakes in Ireland: The largest earthquakes since 1843 have been confirmed by the British Geological Survey in the same area of the Irish Sea that suffered tremors directly linked to shale gas fracking. The two quakes occurred on Sunday morning with a magnitude 3.2 ML earthquake recorded at 10.58am, preceded byContinue reading “Quakes strike fracked oil reserve in Ireland, Gov Says”

Is it over for the blockbuster movie in Hollywood?

Back in June, director Steven Spielberg — who helped launch the mega blockbuster in Hollywood –surprised insiders by predicting that the era of the franchise/merchandizing movie was drawing to a close.  As recounted by the acerbic Timothy Egan, in the NY Times: Steven Spielberg, who nearly invented the summer blockbuster with “Jaws,” was ruminating about theContinue reading “Is it over for the blockbuster movie in Hollywood?”

Are these clouds for me? (Sharman Russell)

This may be the most touching prose I've ever seen on Facebook, and of all subjects, it's about the natural world! An act of generosity from a pure writer who has published many books, including a recently wonderful one on Pantheism. But if you look, you'll see it's more than that: Where an arroyo meetsContinue reading “Are these clouds for me? (Sharman Russell)”

Californians: Not so dumb after all

California's electrical use vs. the rest of the country, per capita: [chart from the US Energy Information Administration] Most analysts credit the state's aggressive push for green energy, insulation, and the other efficiency measures. After all, the state has some of the highest prices in the country. But some wonks disagree.  Don't they always?