The continuing devastation of newspapers (the Ventura County Star, for whom I write, is undergoing another reorganization) has had countless bad effects, but a few good ones. Travel writing, which so often used to be focused on expensive resorts, hotels, and must-see tourist attractions, has found a new style — based on literature and characters. Continue reading “Exciting trend in newspaper travel writing”
Category Archives: thinking out loud
Okay, this blogging thing is getting out of hand
Wondering where that cold air over California is coming from? Do your own jetstream tracking at home, via NOAA, and find out! No, I'm not kidding. That's what Bad Mom, Good Mom did, and then wrote up the scientific recipe for home consumption, in a post called Do you know where that's been? Here's aContinue reading “Okay, this blogging thing is getting out of hand”
Happy Fortieth, Earth Day
Well, my story about the fortieth birthday of Earth Day for the Ventura County Reporter is a few days early, but what the heck — the occasion does deserve celebrating, and a few questions for local enviros. Let me recommend it to you. My favorite quote, from Paul Jenkin, of the Ventura County chapter ofContinue reading “Happy Fortieth, Earth Day”
The reductio ad absurdum of climate change skepticism
Because the vast majority of scientists on the planet agree that climate change is happening, and because this consensus view is shared even among most members of the public — although that consensus is eroding — the curious result is that most of the discussion about global warming is now happening at the ideological fringesContinue reading “The reductio ad absurdum of climate change skepticism”
These dreams are full of portent: Werner Herzog reads Madeline
Werner Herzog movies will take you aback, and can make you gasp and even mutter to your significant other sitting next to you, equally astonished by what you have just seen, but the man himself in conversation is no less startling and perhaps even more memorable. In conversation with Pico Iyer this past Wednesday at UC SantaContinue reading “These dreams are full of portent: Werner Herzog reads Madeline”
The Pope: Another Denier?
Pope Benedict has drawn praise from enviros for his appeals to preserve the planet. Now, in light of a child abuse stain spreading over the church from the Munich Archdiocese, one begins to wonder if the Papacy was speaking so boldly about the environment to cover up other sins. In the words of Hans Kung,Continue reading “The Pope: Another Denier?”
El Nino sceptic repents as rain continues to fall
Bill Patzert and "The Los Angeles Times" are likethis, as the gossip columnists say, and deservedly so: the newspaper is by far the biggest in the West, and Patzert is the most interesting forecaster in our region, perhaps the country. For one, he admits when he gets it wrong. How many other forecasters confess? HeContinue reading “El Nino sceptic repents as rain continues to fall”
Sierra butterflies hit by global warming, habitat destruction
A changing climate has hurt butterfly species in the Sierra Nevada, reducing species richness by about fifty percent in the last 35 years. so reports a team at UCDAvis led by Arthur Shapiro, and reported in the PNAS: Compounded effects of climate change and habitat alteration shift patterns of butterfly diversity — PNAS Here we present 35Continue reading “Sierra butterflies hit by global warming, habitat destruction”
Teens turn against blogging: more adults like it now
When I grow up, I want to work for the Pew Research Center. They study all the interesting questions, it seems, and all their centers have really long and impressive names, such as the Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism, the Pew Global Attitudes Project, and many others. Their latest publication (unless a new oneContinue reading “Teens turn against blogging: more adults like it now”
Rainy weather in SoCal: Overfeared?
Is it just my imagination, or are people — including authorities like the National Weather Service — overly frightened of rain? Take a look at the latest "storm warming," copied from the NWS via the Ventura County Star: …PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT… AContinue reading “Rainy weather in SoCal: Overfeared?”
Kit Stolz 