Michael Tobis obviously sees himself as a thinker of big, serious thoughts. And it is obvious that on matters of climate change and sustainability, Tobis would like his voice to have greater reach. So because he works hard to be serious and thoughtful, where others are hyperbolic and calculating, I can’t understand why he belittles…Continue Reading…
Even without climate change and its projected impacts, this would be a major problem.
Here’s a poetic shout-out to Mountain People. A bit too aw-shucks for my taste, (are we talking all Mountain People here?), but still a nice appreciation.
Today, the world can’t agree on how to curb carbon emissions. So imagine the not-too-distant future, when climate change has unmistakably arrived but countries can’t settle on which technological fixes should be employed. So the International Institute for Strategic Studies wonders, what’s to stop a country facing monsoon after monsoon from unilaterally trying to cool…Continue Reading…
I don’t agree with some of the classic examples cited, which I’ve previously discussed here, but nevertheless, this is an interesting thought experiment posed by Nate Hagens over at The Oil Drum: By definition, all previous ecosystem and non-human collapses were not ‘understood as collapse’ by those organisms alive during the collapse. Similarly, during historical…Continue Reading…
Why is Joe Romm exploiting his daughter to make hay over a political party that is completely marginalized and has no power whatsoever to influence current climate legislation in Congress? It makes no sense to me. She’s a really cute child and I’m a proud father myself. But I find it unbecoming to plaster your…Continue Reading…
What can international relations theory teach us about parenting? As Stephen Walt observes, there’s plenty of strategic maneuvering in both worlds. For example, once kids are mobile, parents learns about a key concept of geopolitics: the window of opportunity. You’re feeding or changing Kid #1, and Kid #2 makes a bolt out the front door,…Continue Reading…
Studying it might tell us why outer space is hell on the body. So argues someone who studies the cultural heritage of space.
I love that The Washington Post has a new blog on Mexico’s drug war, called “Journey Along the Border.” Too bad it’s slated to last a week and half, the duration of the journalistic journey. Guys, the drug war won’t end when you reach Tijuana, so why fold up shop then? Keep the blog going….Continue Reading…
At some point, there’s going to be a vigorous, public debate over adaptation to climate change. How, for example, will we make agriculture more drought resistant? Cue the scary music for biotechnology, since genetically modified organisms will inevitably assume a greater role. But as Yael Borasky argues, If we acknowledge the potential pitfalls and benefits…Continue Reading…