cmooney | March 10, 2008While we dither and dilly and dally....the Post now reports on the latest climate modeling studies, suggesting yet again that it's even worse than we previously thought and than the IPCC said...we now need to go to zero emissions very rapidly to stave off the worst consequences, and even then, it will take centuries to stabilize the climate.
Honestly, what can you say except, "This sucks"?
cmooney | March 7, 2008
I did my latest Science Progress column on this subject, in light of recent research suggesting "green" biofuels like ethanol might actually be bad for the environment.
My conclusion?
...enough doubts have been raised that no one can reasonably postulate biofuels as an automatic solution to cut greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. Depending on the details, they could actually cause dramatic setbacks. But it's also clear from the latest research that there will be more and less efficient-and more and less destructive-ways of generating and using biofuels. Despite huge…
sheril | March 7, 2008Devastating news from my neighborhood in North Carolina...
Eve Carson, the fourth female student body president of UNC-CH, 22 yr old pre-med senior double majoring in political science and biology, recipient of the university's prestigious Morehead Scholarship and member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society, was shot and killed in a suburban neighborhood near campus.
Our community lost a bright, engaged, and promising young woman in an act of senseless violence. I am deeply saddened by this loss and my heart goes out to her family.
sheril | March 6, 2008
Introduction by Sparticus Maximus the Great
Sure, he's landbound with arguably lackluster plumage, but get past those superficial shortcomings and Chris Mooney is alright... eh, for a human at least.
It was with great interest I read his thought-provoking piece last October on the plight of the marbeled murrelet. Aside from the obvious urgency of the situation, his article brings us one step closer to breaking down avian bias in the blogosphere. So today I introduce Sheril's post in order to highlight her co-blogger's brave leadership in taking on mammalism at it's worst. Despite his…
cmooney | March 5, 2008This isn't a subject I blog much about any more...after all, the "war on science" argument that I helped originate has now been made in such an ad nauseum way that it has become more or less conventional wisdom.
However, it's still worth noting when a great new piece of evidence emerges showing just how bad the administration has been when it comes to science.
In this case, that evidence comes from the Environmental Protection Agency. Not surprisingly, the EPA's staff unions are withdrawing from their cooperation agreement with the agency's political leadership. And what is their cited…
cmooney | March 5, 2008In its latest issue, Library Journal singled out 39 noteworthy sci-tech books published in 2007. Storm World was one of two chosen in the "meteorology/earth science" category.
Not sure why 39 overall were chosen, but...an honor to share a list with people like Steven Pinker, Natalie Angier, and Walter Isaacson.
Once again, the Storm World paperback--with a new afterword, just written by moi--can be pre-ordered here at 5 % off....
...and now, back to our election coverage.
sheril | March 5, 2008It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,
it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,
it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity,
it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness,
it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair,
And here at The Intersection, we continue to watch, engage, and blog...
It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done.
Thanks to our readers for joining us as the epic of 2008 unfolds...
sheril | March 4, 2008Lawrence Krauss
Director, Center for Education and Research in Cosmology and Astrophysics and Ambrose Swasey Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Case Western Reserve University
Watch more video statements here
sheril | March 4, 2008
About the same time I was debating which computer was the best choice, I noticed the NYTimes had an interesting take on a similar question. Well sort of. My post at Correlations is now up considering the presidential candidates' websites: Is Obama a Mac and Clinton a PC?
PC is predicted to 'win the Electoral College by historic proportions with Mac perhaps carrying Vermont'. Well, these kind of loose comparisons are fun, and I suppose like a Sara Bareilles love song, you find meaning where you choose.
As for me, while I may be enamored with my Air, politics take a lot more depth and…
cmooney | March 3, 2008I was very disappointed to see, when my latest issue of Skeptical Inquirer magazine arrived, that it had an article by Bjorn Lomborg in it--downplaying the risk of global warming, as usual.
I started out my career working for SI, am currently a correspondent, etc...but I felt that in light of this big a mistake, I had to call the magazine out publicly.
I mean, how does publishing Lomborg's totally misleading underestimation of the risk of sea level rise help the cause of skepticism? I don't get it.
For my full take on Skeptical Inquirer's folly, see here.
sheril | March 3, 2008A recent article in Science featured the research of Benjamin Halpern and colleagues at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis. By mapping 17 kinds of human ocean impacts, they begin to visually tell the story of what we're doing to that other 71% of the earth's surface. My post at Correlations is now up for more details...
Click on the map below for an interactive look at what we've done.
sheril | February 29, 2008Lots of readers have been writing, asking us for video from the AAAS science debate...
Now from New Scientist: Clinton vs Obama: who would be best for science?
sheril | February 29, 2008At yesterday's Ocean Leadership Policy Forum in DC, I had the opportunity to ask Senator Landrieu, (D-La)"What can the ocean community do to prioritize funding for programs like Sea Grant and support for basic research?"
Her response was interesting and articulate, and although she never actually answered my question, Landrieu demonstrated leadership on--and a real commitment to--oceans and the environment. She discussed the significance of funding for basic research and new technology, [ScienceDebate2008 anyone?] and explained our next administration will be much more promising than the…
sheril | February 28, 2008Rita Colwell
Former Director, National Science Foundation 1998-2004; Distinguished Professor, University Of Maryland/Johns Hopkins University School Of Public Health; National Medal of Science, 2006
Watch more video statements here
sheril | February 28, 2008This morning I'm off to Cap City for an Ocean Leadership Public Policy Forum on the Hill. Senator Landrieu is set to deliver the keynote address and speakers include Vice Admiral Lautenbacher (Administrator of NOAA), and Rita Colwell (former Director of the National Science Foundation).
While it's a little early in season for the cherry blossoms, I'm looking forward to catching up with old friends across agencies and around town. There's also a certain rumor about oceans and the current administration that I hope to validate so stay tuned...
Regardless of what I learn, I'm glad members…
sheril | February 27, 2008Neal Lane
Former Science Adviser to President Clinton as Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Malcolm Gillis University Professor, Senior Fellow, James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice University
Watch more video statements here
cmooney | February 26, 2008Over at Shifting Baselines, Randy Olson just posted an interview with Matthew Chapman, the original guy behind the curtain of Science Debate 2008. Sheril and I have taken to calling Matthew our "fearless leader," but "fearless, selfless, deeply inspirational leader without whom this wouldn't have been possible" is better, I think.
Here's a quote from the interview, in which Matthew talks about how it all began:
I spoke about the debate idea to a few people who were more or less entirely cynical. I then spoke to Chris Mooney. Chris was interested, and brought his Intersection co-blogger,…
sheril | February 26, 2008Keeping November in perspective, the upcoming election isn't about gender, race, or Nader... it's about our collective future. And the Call for a presidential debate on science and technology doesn't just come from our luminaries, it's been taken up by students, businesspeople, doctors, teachers, and concerned citizens everywhere--including us!
Sheril Kirshenbam
Resident Blogger, Marine Biologist, Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, Duke University; Member of ScienceDebate2008 steering committee
Watch more video statements here
sheril | February 25, 2008Steven Chu
Director, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Professor of Physics and Molecular and Cellular Biology at U.C. Berkeley, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1997
Watch more video statements here