Thursday, August 16, 2012

Solutions journalism sketch: Hirshman's Pond trail issues

I'm one person and there's too #$%^& much to do, most of it far more important than this, but I think it's worth at least laying out what "solutions journalism" coverage of the recent Hirshman's Pond trail issues might look like.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

EXCELLENT "climate weirdness" NPR Fresh Air interview with Climate Central's Lemonick this a.m.

This is why NPR deserves our support - in an hour or so, asking good, open-ended Qs and then letting his guest talk, Fresh Air host David Davies let Michael Lemonick (with a new book) give the straight scoop on climate change.
... "We've had time to act — and essentially we haven't acted," says science journalist Michael Lemonick....

There'll be a recording up later today; download it, since this is one to listen to with friends, family, neighbors...

(The only add'l thing I would have liked to hear would have been pointers at the end, on where to go for various info, eg. to  SkepticalScience.)


Saturday, August 11, 2012

Sunday, August 05, 2012

Nevada County environmental activists, it's past time for vision. Why so quiet?

What does the future hold for our rivers?   Are our river protectors aware?

From the [U.K.] Independent, Heatwave turns America's waterways into rivers of death.
"Significant tolls of fresh-water species, from pike to trout, have been reported, most frequently in the Midwest..."

 Climate change is here — and worse than we thought, says James Hansen, the climate scientist who's got perhaps the best track record on climate change. His Aug 3 Washington Post op-ed goes on to say,
"...the past six decades of global temperatures...[show] a stunning increase in the frequency of extremely hot summers, with deeply troubling ramifications for not only our future but also for our present.

This is not a climate model or a prediction but actual observations of weather events and temperatures that have happened."
I think we can all see the likely fate of Sierra rivers and their fish, if we continue to act like ostriches and let climate change have its way with us.

Hansen concludes,
"We can solve the challenge of climate change with a gradually rising fee on carbon collected from fossil-fuel companies, with 100 percent of the money rebated to all legal residents on a per capita basis. This would stimulate innovations and create a robust clean-energy economy with millions of new jobs. It is a simple, honest and effective solution."
Where are Nevada County's activists on this issue? There's a bizarre "dog that didn't bark" aspect to the local selective blindness.  Folks, this issue will doom your mission if we don't address it; surely you do realize this?

What do you need, in order to speak up?

I don't want to be an activist - I'm not suited for it, I'm not good at it.  The people who are, really need to step up to the plate.