writeaboutwarming

September 27, 2009 – Lester Brown is one of the unsung heroes in the battle to mitigate climate change. Founder of the World Watch Institute, and current president of the Earth Policy Institute, he has been at the leading edge of the movement to reduce waste and teach respect for the environment for decades. His most recent book, Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, will be reviewed in this blog at a later date. The title, by the way, is not grandiose. It says what it means and means what it says. So my heart was indeed gladdened when I read Brown’s recent article, “On Energy, We’re Finally Walking the Walk.” (I now link to the Earth Policy Institute, where you can find the article in its entirety.) Brown gives us a fact-filled overview of how far we have come in the last two years, and tells readers about the ambitious goals we must set for ourselves to get the job done. What job, you ask? The job of suf- ficiently slowing our production of pollution so that we avoid t

September 21, 2009 – Last week, I recommended a couple of radio stations to you that broadcast what I believe are important shows about global warming. While I did not discuss Radio Ecoshock, a Canadian program originating in Vancouver with host Alex Smith, I will now. First let me say that Smith does a superlative job of not interrupting his interviewee’s, and of selecting the most important questions in need of asking. Back in June of this year, he hosted a show he called “American Climate Change.” The show was broadcast on June 18, two days after the release of a “State of the Climate – National Overview” report by NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States. The report was released, with some degree of fanfare, by Dr.’s Jane Lubchenco, Thomas Karl, and Jerry Melillo. Each made lengthy comments with regard to the various impacts of global warming described in the report. (Let me suggest you visit http://www.ecoshock.org/ if you would care to hear

September 13, 2009 – I’ve happened upon a terrific new source of climate change information - and inspiration! - I’d like to share with you. It’s called http://www.climateradio.org/ , and with Copenhagen fast approaching, the time for listening is NOW. The programs originate from England, so for Americans, Climate Radio offers the opportunity to hear what not only the British, but also countries that are part of the EU, have to say about the upcoming climate negotiations. The current program – The 300-350 Show – focuses largely, though not solely, on what are described as Climate Camps. These are places activists can go to learn about climate change and to enact civil disobedience. Described as a grassroots movement, the camps can be found in Europe, North America, and Australia. At some point in the near future I will devote an article to this growing phenomenon. Other programming examines closely the ideals, goals, and fears of representatives from the 200 nations that will par

September 6, 2009 - In emailing with a friend this week, I was reminded by her of the sometimes infuriating response of people who have willfully remained ignorant about climate change. (An aside: do you sometimes get the feeling that, in the minds of conservatives, anyone who is alarmed about global warming is “just” a tree-hugger and, as such, linked with hippies and war-protestors and lawbreakers and touchy-feely “make love, not war” kinds of stuff? All of which is supposed to provide a good excuse for their obstinacy? Yah – me too.) Not that she responds that way, but I guess members of her family do. I’m at the point of shrugging and saying “Get out of my way, I haven’t got the time for you.” Not particularly gracious, I’ll grant you, but the time for conversation has run out. Arguing with ignorant people is just a waste of time. Those of us who understand what is at stake need to remember the importance of persistence. We’ve elected a good man as President; now our place