A group of writers and data scientists, nicknamed the New Optimists, have been communicating on how life has improved in many ways. Poverty and violence are down while longevity and health have improved significantly, especially in recent decades. Pros and cons of an optimistic perspective are discussed. Continue reading Should we listen to the New Optimists?
Last year, scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab reported that the carbon footprint of plastic production is around 2.2 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalents. That’s more than double previous estimates, amounting to more than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. If the plastics industry continues to grow at the current rate, it will be one of the biggest drivers of climate change by 2050. Continue reading The astonishing carbon footprint of plastic production
Many of us are overwhelmed by the political situation in the US – feeling helpless on the sidelines, watching as new horrors unfold every day and wishing there was something we could do. Well there is! Don’t allow annoying, unstable people ruin our long-term plan of saving the only home we have. Continue reading The most vital action to take in America, right now
Pope Francis passed away yesterday morning. Two years into his papacy, Pope Francis published a book on climate change and inequality. He chose to tackle the most critical environmental issue and the most critical social issue that we face on Earth. Continue reading Pope Francis on climate change and inequality
I saw some graffiti in a local café last week and it seems like a good, if somewhat random, starting point for a discussion. On a sign by the bathroom sink with directions for hand-washing, someone had written this message: Stop the Nerd Work Orders. Fake NWO. “Science” Continue reading Nerd Woke Orders, or How the left was lost.
The term planetary boundaries comes from an international group of scientists who have defined nine major threats to life on planet Earth and metrics for each of them. Aren’t you curious about what made it onto the list? It’s like The Oscars for the planet! Continue reading Earth is beyond 6 of 9 planetary boundaries. (Wait, what?)
The US election result does not spell good news for climate change. But that just underscores how important our personal actions are – they are all we can rely on, for a while. Which corporations thrive and also the breakdown of what these corporations produce very much depends on our purchases. Continue reading Our actions as consumers are now critical
I want to talk about the impact of the election result on climate change. It’s important to know that our ability to mitigate climate change largely depends on us, personally, not on the government. Around 82% of total US emissions result from the actions of individual American residents. Here’s a plan of action… Continue reading The US election result & climate change
Cellulose is the most abundant renewable carbon source on the planet. Plants capture more carbon dioxide (CO2) gas from the atmosphere than we humans generate and much of it is stored as cellulose. We need to make better use of this resource instead of burning or wasting it. Here are some examples… Continue reading Why is cellulose so important?
If there were an Oscars for planetary threats, climate change would sweep all the major awards. Interestingly, of all our threats, climate change is one of the most avoidable through individual action. To boil this individual action down to one immediate resolution, it would be to achieve a personal carbon footprint of 7 tonnes CO2 per year, or less. Continue reading Your most important resolution: 7 tonnes CO2
