July 18, 2013
John Abraham, of St. Thomas University, and I have a running conversation about climate change ... the science, communication about the science, the politics, etc. ... and we are going to package this conversation in a one hour session at FTBConscience, an on line conference, Saturday Morning at 9:…
July 18, 2013
I'll be joining a panel of amazing people, organized by my friend Brianne Bilyeu, to talk about reproductive rights, on Saturday. I expect my contribution to be relatively minimal and I'll be listening with great interest to ...
A panel of reproductive rights activists come together to discuss…
July 17, 2013
There is now a video and a transcript of the Evolutionary Psychology Panel at CONvergence 2013. Many of you, when you watch this, will become enraged at things said by the panelists. Rumors of what was said had already been spread around on the internet and as I understand it Jerry Coyne and…
July 16, 2013
No. Here's a handy graphic for you to enjoy and share, courtesy of Climate Nexus.
Also, you might want to ask the question: What has global warming done since 1998?
That question is addressed HERE, where this handy graphic is available showing the importance of ocean warming:
So, has global…
July 16, 2013
Good question. Here is one part of a good answer.
July 15, 2013
From the Fine Brothers.
July 15, 2013
Neither, obviously. But whatever facts you may have been using to deliberate may have been wrong:
In the end, Trayvon is the one that was executed for his crimes by George. Different George, though.
July 14, 2013
Elaine Morgan, who has done a many thing in her life and is also the chief proponent of the more recent version of the Aquatic Ape Theory, has died at the age of 92.
Dr Morgan only retired at the start of this year from writing a weekly column for the Western Mail after suffering ill health in…
July 14, 2013
First, I want to say this to George Zimmerman and his lawyer. Stop whining. You are the one who chose to kill someone, and did so, then got away with it. It is not you who lost or who has had your life torn apart or taken away or anything like that. So stop being the damn victim. No one is going…
July 12, 2013
July 9, 2013 - In this speech on the Senate floor, Senator Whitehouse talked about what's at stake in the climate change debate using a series of rhetorical questions. He concluded that "many of the answers carry stakes so high, that they plead for prudent and rational choices. The down side is so…
July 11, 2013
Holy moly:
This is in reference to this.
Clearly, someone is gonna get fired. But enjoy it for now.
There is a full report on this amazing event (Fox News getting something mostly right, not the super storms) by Shuana Theel, here.
VL Baker has more here.
July 11, 2013
Run is a short movie being made here in the Twin Cities by up and coming film maker Josh Mruz. I know about it because a friend of mine is in the film. It is about "a young woman getting chased by her past, hurdling through new obstacles, and recollecting the jumbled elements of her situation."…
July 11, 2013
The US Department of Energy has released a report about vulnerabilities of the US Power system in relation to climate change.
The report, nicely summarized in this piece at the New York Times, does not merely cover outages caused by storms. Rather, it discusses the vulnerability of the entire…
July 10, 2013
A talk by Sheril Kirshenbaum, Director of The Energy Poll at The University of Texas at Austin, in four parts:
Part I:
Part II:
Part III:
Part IV:
July 10, 2013
The Pine Island Glacier, in West Antarctica, drains (as ice and water) a measurable percent of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. It is probably the case that glaciers in this area of the Antarctic contribute more of the ice to water transition than any other glacial region in the world, so how they…
July 10, 2013
Nasa Earth Observatory has a photograph of the recent derailment of a train of Bakken Crude burning and/or exploding in a small town in Quebec.
The image "was acquired at 6:59 GMT (2:59 a.m. local time) on July 6 by the instrument’s “day-night band,” which detects light in a range of wavelengths…
July 9, 2013
A Panel at CFI's Women in Secularism panel featuring Sarah Moglia, campus organizing communication specialist, SSA; Carrie Poppy, animal rights activist, podcast co-host of "Oh No, Ross and Carrie!"; Amy Davis Roth, artist, blogger at "Skepchick"; and Rebecca Watson, co-host of "Skeptics' Guide to…
July 9, 2013
Thought you might be interested in this:
On July 9, 2013, Rep. Henry A. Waxman released a report comparing the impacts of climate change in members’ districts with members’ voting records. The report found a widespread “climate disconnect” in the voting records of the Republican members…
July 7, 2013
Earlier in the northern summer, it looked like the rapid melt of Arctic Sea ice we've been seeing over the last several years was happening again, but rather than being a record year, it was merely tracking along the lower side of the distribution of the long term average. Last year, in contrast,…
July 6, 2013
by Hollie McNish
If you are embarrassed by breastfeeding that's fine, that's you. But do keep that to yourself and never, ever, act on that embarrassment. Also, it is possible that something is wrong with you and maybe you can have that fixed.
From here.
July 3, 2013
From the Wundermap
July 2, 2013
How to break into a car with your white privilage, or driving while black in America.
July 2, 2013
No, it turns out. Paul Douglass pointed me to this very interesting piece in Foreign Policy, from which I take a brief quote:
... The good neighbor has banked its economy on the cursed elixir of political dysfunction -- oil. Flush with visions of becoming a global energy superpower, Canada's…
July 1, 2013
I'm sure you already know the story of Lonesome George:
And now, you can see "him" (as it were) at the American Museum of Natural History. From a press release:
Lonesome George Will Be on View at American Museum of Natural History
Museum will Oversee Preservation and Taxidermy of Famous Tortoise…
July 1, 2013
Nineteen fire fighters were killed yesterday as they were overrun by a lightning-sparked fire in Arizona. This consisted of the entire crew as deployed to fight the Yarnell Hill Fire near Phoenix, Arizona. The best way to honor these fallen heroes, from afar and from the perspective of fellow…
June 27, 2013
Here is a small selection of responses and reactions to President Obama's climate change speech.
Michael Mann: 'The most aggressive and promising climate plan' from 'executive branch in years'
Michael Mann is director of Penn State University's Earth System Science Center, and a genuine hero, who…
June 27, 2013
Here, David Letterman interviews the man who spent two years in prison for trying to sand in the way of the Bush administration's attempt to sell off your future.
More here.
June 26, 2013
In the old days, it was believed that you would save gas by leaving your car running if you planned to use it again within a few minutes. That has probably become less true over time as cars have gotten more and more efficient over time. Apparently, idling your car for even something like 10…
June 26, 2013
This is just a weather prediction, so it is subject to revision, but the National Weather Service is expecting an historic heatwave in the American West next week, probably peaking next weekend. Temperatures in Death Valley will approach 130 degrees F, and Las Vegas will top 115 degrees F, if…
June 26, 2013
No time for a meeting of the Flat Earth Society.
"I don’t have much patience for anyone who denies that this challenge is real. We don’t have time for a meeting of the Flat Earth Society. Sticking your head in the sand might make you feel safer, but it is not going to protect you from the coming…
