Last summer, when Rick Perry mania was cresting and he was spouting nonsense about climate science and evolution, I said this: Serious, science-based climate skeptics have a chance to separate themselves from the foaming-at-the-mouth lunacy that defines their public image. Of course, in that same post, I also that the Texas Governor will likely saddle up the congealed…Continue Reading…
Despite the immense human tragedy of the earthquake/tsunami that struck Japan one year ago, many media stories in the West this past week have focused on the Fukushima meltdown, which led Mark Lynas to tweet: I find the total silence about the 20,000 victims killed by the tsunami a year ago horrifying, current nuclear angst…Continue Reading…
In the immediate aftermath of Peter Gleick’s confession, reaction was passionate and wide-ranging. The news dominated the climate blogosphere for weeks, with every climate blog having something to say on the matter (with the conspicuous exception of RealClimate). The story was also dutifully covered in the mainstream media. The first wave focused on Gleick’s admission. The…Continue Reading…
Two recent articles about science journalism carry headlines that reflect a tension between two modes of thinking on climate change reporting. The Guardian piece asserts in its headline: Science journalists should be asking questions and deflating exaggeration Michael Lemonick, a veteran science journalist, asks: Should we tell the whole truth about climate change? The two…Continue Reading…
Several years ago, my oldest son (now 7) came back from preschool one day and announced that we shouldn’t drive our car anymore. “It causes pollution and that kills animals,” he said. I tried explaining to him that things were a bit more complicated than that. It didn’t help that our family (which includes my…Continue Reading…
In his weekend op-ed, Thomas Friedman indicated he was ready to embrace a form of climate pragmatism: This is a column about energy and environment and why we must not let the poisonous debate about climate change so tie us in knots that we cannot have any energy policy at all, particularly one focused on…Continue Reading…
When I was a kid growing up on Long Island, anti-nuclear sentiment rose to a crescendo in the early to mid-1980s, just as the Shoreham nuclear power plant on the Island’s eastern end was nearing completion. If you know your history, you know what happened around this time. As Wikipedia explains: The [Shoreham] plant faced…Continue Reading…
Several years ago, a scholar wrote that the popular image of archaeology was characterized by three themes. 1) Archaeology is about searching and finding treasure underground; 2) Archaeological fieldwork involves making discoveries in tough conditions and in exotic locations; 3) Like a detective, the archaeologist tries to piece together what happened in the past. In the United States,…Continue Reading…
I’ve been a bit tortured over this climate endeavor. On the one hand, it involves some really smart people who are bringing the insights of evolutionary biology and social science into the climate change discussion. I’ve found this immensely helpful in my own thinking about the sociopolitical dynamics of the climate debate. But on the…Continue Reading…
If you are a member of the climate concerned community, you are likely distressed by the recent turn of events. One of your best known warriors has badly blundered, resulting in an important (if temporary) PR victory for your opponents. The fallout has been worsened by some of your most zealous allies, who have either…Continue Reading…