From a story in Slate about a festival (Blob Fest) devoted to the B-movie classic The Blob: Many Blob Fest attendees suggested the movie was about communism—the giant red mass slowly growing larger and more menacing, swallowing communities. I asked [the screenwriter] if that had been on her mind when she was writing, but sheContinue reading “The Blob: A Harbinger of Global Warming?”
Tag Archives: global warming
Now that Bush Has Threatened Our Kids with Osama, Can We Ask Him About Global Warming?
John Dickerson in Slate notes that when his Iraq strategy was questioned in a press conference, the Prez resorted to threatening the children of reporters with al-Qaida: "They are a threat to your children, David," he said to NBC’s David Gregory . It’s an understandable instinct [writes Dickerson]. To persuade, we try to appeal toContinue reading “Now that Bush Has Threatened Our Kids with Osama, Can We Ask Him About Global Warming?”
Abrupt Climate Change Drowns Land in North Sea
An English friend, Oliver Butcher, alerts me to a fascinating/alarming story that came out of the University of Birmingham in the UK last month. Turns out that about 8,000 years ago, global warming induced sea levels to rise, swallowing up a prehistoric culture that lived on land that is today beneath the North Sea. ResearchContinue reading “Abrupt Climate Change Drowns Land in North Sea”
Looking for a New Climate Change Metaphor: Canaries Exhausted
While on a book tour recently, Bill McKibben made an interesting point in an appearance in Santa Barbara. McKibben–a former New Yorker writer who wrote his first book on climate change back in l989–in an aside told the crowd that to expect the Sierra Club and traditional conservationists to take on global warming with "theContinue reading “Looking for a New Climate Change Metaphor: Canaries Exhausted”
Victims of Communism, victim of capitalism
No political cartoonist outrages right-wingers more than Ted Rall, but that’s because he has less than zero respect for militarism, which drives the so-called conservatives wild. Rall also has had the nerve to criticize victims and victims groups, and appear on right-wing talk shows, and be a member of Generation X. I don’t always agreeContinue reading “Victims of Communism, victim of capitalism”
Prediction Fulfilled: Murdoch, Fox Change Stance on Global Warming
As I predicted last December, FOX News, following its chairman Rupert Murdoch, has changed its stance on global warming. I expected that FOX would begin running disaster scenarios. That hasn’t happened–yet– but News Corporation has announced a plan to reduce emissions, and Murdoch all but promised disaster scenarios to come. In a speech to hisContinue reading “Prediction Fulfilled: Murdoch, Fox Change Stance on Global Warming”
Arctic Sea Ice: Melting Faster Than Expected…or Faster Than the Northern Annular Mode?
This might sound like an overly-fine distinction, but climate scientist Christina Hulbe argues for The Left Coaster that part of what is happening in the Arctic is a long-standing oscillation of systems called the "northern annular mode," or NAM. This oscillation is not enough to account for arctic ice melting without the "anthropogenic signal" (globalContinue reading “Arctic Sea Ice: Melting Faster Than Expected…or Faster Than the Northern Annular Mode?”
Quote of the Day
"I want to send word to our American friends to tell them they can count on our friendship, which has been forged by the tragedies of history that we have confronted together. I want to tell them that France will always be at their side when they need her. But I also want to tellContinue reading “Quote of the Day”
Global Warming: NYTimes Editorial and LATimes News Disagree
The New York Times editorial board: the world’s most authoritative voice on climate change asserts that significant progress toward stabilizing and reducing global warming emissions can be achieved at a relatively low cost using known technologies. The Los Angeles Times front-page story: A United Nations panel on Friday released its most comprehensive strategy to avoidContinue reading “Global Warming: NYTimes Editorial and LATimes News Disagree”
Global Warming May Increase Atlantic Wind Shear: Break Up Hurricanes, Reports Study
"April 18: Climate model simulations for the 21st century indicate a robust increase in wind shear in the tropical Atlantic due to global warming, which may inhibit hurricane development and intensification. Historically, increased wind shear has been associated with reduced hurricane activity and intensity." So reports Gabriel Vecchi and Brian Sobel in the Geophysical ResearchContinue reading “Global Warming May Increase Atlantic Wind Shear: Break Up Hurricanes, Reports Study”
Kit Stolz 