When it comes to teasing out the factors affecting Earth’s climate, the Sun is a compelling character. A rare breed of enthusiasts got pretty vocal about the Sun in the past year, when the great orb stayed quiet about a year longer than expected between the end of Solar Cycle 23 and the beginning of [...]
For nearly four years, I haven’t owned a car. And now I want a car. But that wish is in direct conflict with my environmental values, especially today. This morning I ran the numbers again, and confirmed that I have enough money for a down payment. I’ve been dreaming of getting behind the wheel of a [...]
I saw a few great April Fool’s jokes today, but this one at NASA Watch really got the prize: “Pluto is Now Just a Fairly Large Rock” With perfect mock-serious delivery, blog author Keith Cowing reported it like straight news — given the growing number of solar system bodies in Pluto’s neighborhood, the beleaguered little [...]
Ever since I was exposed to information about human-caused environmental problems, in college, I’ve remained generally horrified — sometimes vaguely, and other times acutely — about the runaway train that is our collective effect on our planet. Moments of peace have shone through. One such moment was sparked when I read David Quammen’s book “Song [...]
Yesterday, I wrote about my disenchantment with the plummeted quality of the global warming debate, because it distracts well-meaning people from action that could address the problem. And I promised I’d dedicate some of the posts on this blog to solutions. Here’s one I’ve recommitted to in my own life, thanks to a solution-oriented blog I’ve [...]
