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The Politics of Timber Theft
The Politics of Timber Theft Steal a Tree, Go to Jail; Steal a Forest, Meet the President Republished here with permission is a chapter from Jeffrey St. Clair’s 2008 book, Born Under A Bad Sky. St. Clair has provided an outstanding report of corrupt government at work. Even environmentalists in the Forest Service who are appointed […]
We May Have Already Committed Ourselves to 6-Meter Sea-Level Rise
We May Have Already Committed Ourselves to 6-Meter Sea-Level Rise Even if humanity were to stop throwing carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere today, a catastrophic rise in sea levels of six meters may be inevitable. Two previous prehistoric interglacial periods, in which the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere was believed to be […]
Can the law protect us from climate change?
Can the law protect us from climate change? Can the law protect us from climate change? Do we have a legal right to a stable climate? Are governments responsible for preventing dangerous climate change within their borders? One month ago I would have answered these questions with “most likely not”, but one extraordinary court case […]
The Cimmerian Hypothesis, Part Two: A Landscape of Hallucinations
The Cimmerian Hypothesis, Part Two: A Landscape of Hallucinations Last week’s post covered a great deal of ground—not surprising, really, for an essay that started from a quotation from a Weird Talesstory about Conan the Barbarian—and it may be useful to recap the core argument here. Civilizations—meaning here human societies that concentrate power, wealth, and population […]
A Stunning Look At California’s Historic Drought – From The Air
A Stunning Look At California’s Historic Drought – From The Air “Ugly brown rings where waves used to lap at the shore. Dry docks lying on desiccated silt. Barren boat ramps. Trickles of water.” Those are just some of the disturbing images California’s Department of Water Resources team saw in an aerial tour of Northern California’s Folsom Lake, Lake […]
Toxic Waste Sullies Solar’s Squeaky Clean Image
Toxic Waste Sullies Solar’s Squeaky Clean Image Toxic sludge and filthy air – byproducts of the oil and coal industries – are a constant irritant for opponents and even proponents of fossil fuels, while renewables like wind and solar are often seen as bastions of rectitude for their relative cleanliness. However, before the proponents of […]
Recession, Not Fracking, Behind Drop in U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions, Scientists Conclude
Recession, Not Fracking, Behind Drop in U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions, Scientists Conclude It’s been a talking point for boosters of the shale gas rush for years: as fracking spread across the country and the supply glut drove prices down, utilities have been shuttering dirty coal plants and burning natural gas instead – meaning that America’s […]
B.C. fires: More than 100 new wildfires in 24 hours
B.C. fires: More than 100 new wildfires in 24 hours Lightning, heat and high winds combine to create challenging conditions for firefighters In just 24 hours, 115 new wildfires have flared up across B.C. — most of them in the Kamloops area and the southeast part of the province. “Lightning was a huge driver of increased fire activity yesterday […]
Nine LNG Questions for British Columbians to Ask Their Politicians
Nine LNG Questions for British Columbians to Ask Their Politicians Pressing queries in light of high-stakes Petronas agreement just passed. The British Columbia legislature has just ratified a long-term agreement to lower royalties and taxes for a $38-billion liquefied natural gas project proposed by Malaysia’s state-owned oil company, Petronas. Pacific Northwest LNG, a consortium that […]
Fracking Industry Has Changed Earthquake Patterns in Northeast BC
Fracking Industry Has Changed Earthquake Patterns in Northeast BC Impact on groundwater and migrating gases mostly unknown, critics say. A special report. New research and presentations by both provincial and federal scientists show that the shale gas industry, which the B.C. government hopes will eventually supply proposed liquefied natural gas terminals with fracked gas, has caused […]
Ecological Crisis and the Tragedy of the Commodity
Ecological Crisis and the Tragedy of the Commodity We live in an era of ecological crisis, which is a direct result of human actions. Natural scientists have been debating whether the current historical epoch should be called the Anthropocene, in order to mark the period in which human activities became the primary driver of global […]
B.C. wildfire forces evacuation near Shelter Cove area of West Kelowna
B.C. wildfire forces evacuation near Shelter Cove area of West Kelowna Darkness preventing helicopter or air tanker support from effectively assisting firefighters Fire crews and officials scrambled to keep residents safe from a quickly spreading blaze near Westside Road in West Kelowna, B.C., which has so far destroyed at least one home. The wildfire was sparked by lightning on Sunday […]
After the encyclical, lessons for climate activism?
After the encyclical, lessons for climate activism? Note: This blog is based on and extends a short presentation at aLighter Footprints climate action group monthly meeting in Melbourne on 24 June. Washington Post advertisement When I first heard early this year about the forthcoming papal encyclical on nature and climate change, my first reaction was that this […]
Natural Gas Needs To Clean Up Its Act
Natural Gas Needs To Clean Up Its Act To call natural gas ‘clean’ would be a misnomer. Natural gas is a fossil fuel that emits carbon dioxide when burned and is an important contributor to climate change. The general consensus, however, is that when compared to oil (and petroleum products) or coal, natural gas it is by […]
