Is The Plague the greatest novel of the second half of the twentieth century? I'm not sure, but the 1947 existentialist classic by Albert Camus is entertaining and powerfully written. And these days, it's got special appeal, which is why sales of the book have skyrocketed since the pandemic hit. Camus Knew What Environmentalists Ignore Environmentalists have claimed … [Read more...]
Trump is our Worst Kleptocrat, but He Won’t Be our Last
Donald Trump is an especially brazen version of a kleptocrat, the kind of ruler who uses his public office to enrich himself, his family and his cronies. Trump's no-shame approach to pilfering public coffers may horrify Americans, who are used to a more genteel and discreet approach to self-dealing by the rich and powerful, though tinpot dictators from Nigeria to Brazil are … [Read more...]
How to Talk to a Climate ‘Skeptic’
We originally published this piece in September of 2010, but because we still get comments from climate science deniers, as a service to our readers, we've just updated it and published it again. -- Editor We've all had the experience: Arguing with somebody who doesn't believe that climate change is real. You know there's no way to win. You'll never convince a real science … [Read more...]
The Real Reason the Climate Movement Has Failed
If you think that climate change is turning out to be worse than anyone had thought, it's not hard to find people who agree with you. Just check out some recent headlines: "Scientists Have Been Underestimating the Pace of Climate Change" says Scientific American"The Oceans are Warming Faster than Scientists Thought," says CNN"Destruction from Climate Change will be … [Read more...]
Occupy the Climate: Will Extinction Rebellion Stick Around?
“On 31 October 2018, we declared ourselves to be in open rebellion against the U.K. government.” And so was born one of the most promising efforts today to make urgent the fight against climate change: Extinction Rebellion. Alarmed by the IPCC report released earlier that month giving the world’s nations only 12 more years to drastically cut greenhouse pollution — or else — … [Read more...]