I share many of Green Party Presidential Nominee Jill Stein's values. On climate and energy, I absolutely agree that our world is in crisis and that we need some form of a "Green New Deal," though whether that would be her plan, or some other approach, is, for me, still a point of debate. On her view that an energy transition would have multiple cost-saving and health … [Read more...]
‘Snowpiercer’ off the rails
In portraying environmental issues, film has proven its unique power to influence public sentiment. A standout example is The China Syndrome, a 1979 anti-nuclear thriller released mere days before the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor plant accident made front-page news. The 2012 feature film The Promised Land brought to audiences images, ideas and emotions about the fracking … [Read more...]
For sale, habitable planet, too late
According to legend, Ernest Hemingway bet his 1920s-era colleagues he could write a complete story in just six words. Hemingway is said to have considered the resulting piece his best work: “For Sale, Baby Shoes, Never Worn.” Making no attempt to keep up with Hemingway, this article provides an overview of the dire climate-change situation in fewer than 300 words. Perhaps … [Read more...]
Sadly, extinction is no laughing matter
Quoting Carl Sagan, I begin some presentations with this line: It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring. Many people disagree with Sagan, choosing delusion over reality, believing we can have infinite growth on a finite planet with no consequences for people or other creatures, other life forms, … [Read more...]
A new kind of Christmas story
'Tis the season for reaching out, connecting, and gifts, for good or for ill. One of the Christmas cards was unintentionally soaked in irony. I'll forgo the tempting rant about a religious holiday that has been co-opted to promote conspicuous consumption in an empire founded on secular ideals and skip straight to the card and its message. Filled with proud stories of the … [Read more...]