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The Global North isn’t ready for climate breakdown
The Global North isn’t ready for climate breakdown European responses to extreme weather demonstrate post-industrial nations have much to learn from people in the Global South, writes Aranyo Aarjan Flooding in Tilff, Belgium, July 2021 (Photo: Regine Fabri; licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0) When I was growing up in Kolkata, every monsoon the streets would […]
The fight over food at the UN’s Food Summit
The fight over food at the UN’s Food Summit Food Summit image via the International Science Council The UN’s Food Systems Summit was held last week in New York. This sounds like it ought to be a good thing, given the sense of impending crisis around the food sector. But a lot of people aren’t happy about […]
“Save the planet, (learn how to) plant a tree”
“Save the planet, (learn how to) plant a tree” I like catchy memes as much as the next person. They’re easily memorized and passed on. But “Save the planet, plant a tree” has always bugged me for two reasons. First, and probably most importantly, this simplistic mantra absolves people of doing MORE to improve our […]
The Dangerous Ideas of “Longtermism” and “Existential Risk”
The Dangerous Ideas of “Longtermism” and “Existential Risk” So-called rationalists have created a disturbing secular religion that looks like it addresses humanity’s deepest problems, but actually justifies pursuing the social preferences of elites. In a late-2020 interview with CNBC, Skype cofounder Jaan Tallinn made a perplexing statement. “Climate change,” he said, “is not going to be an […]
The Hidden Costs of Solar Photovoltaic Power
The Hidden Costs of Solar Photovoltaic Power Introduction Despite many optimistic predictions, solar photovoltaic (solar PV) power still represents only a small fraction of the global electricity supply as of 2020. More than two decades of nearexponential growth and investment in solar PV development have taken place, yet the amount of fossil fuels being burned […]
The value of a degrowth economy: Our planet would be richer for it
The value of a degrowth economy: Our planet would be richer for it (Cartoon by Mark David | @MDavidCartoons) Decades of economic expansion have come at the expense of developing nations and a tremendous cost to the planet. Degrowth is a healthier future option, writes Erin Remblance. THE THOUGHT of a degrowth economy can be scary. We’ve all grown […]
The greenwashing of gold mining
The greenwashing of gold mining Bjornevatn mine, Norway. Photo: Svein Lund New mining projects are being re-branded clean, green and vital to climate action across Europe. The reality is very different. There has been a surge in the number of mining projects and a massive expansion of areas under mining concession in the island of Ireland, […]
Climate scientists: concept of net zero is a dangerous trap
Climate scientists: concept of net zero is a dangerous trap Sometimes realisation comes in a blinding flash. Blurred outlines snap into shape and suddenly it all makes sense. Underneath such revelations is typically a much slower-dawning process. Doubts at the back of the mind grow. The sense of confusion that things cannot be made to […]
Robert Hirsh on Peak Oil
Robert Hirsh on Peak Oil
The Coming Climate Crisis Shakedown in Scotland
The Coming Climate Crisis Shakedown in Scotland In 2016, an inconceivable event aborted the Paris climate scheme. The Americans elected Donald Trump. Calling the Paris deal a rip-off of his country, Trump swiftly pulled the U.S. out of the accords. Upon what grounds? Put simply, America First. “Follow the money!” The old maxim is […]
Renewables Not So Reliable As US Hydropower Plunges 14%
Renewables Not So Reliable As US Hydropower Plunges 14% The transition away from hydrocarbons is not a seamless as many hope. The latest data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows a significant decline this year in hydropower generation amid historic droughts. The magical thinking about renewable energy and President Biden’s calls for the U.S. power grid […]
Jevon’s Paradox: Why increasing energy efficiency will accelerate global climate change
Jevon’s Paradox: Why increasing energy efficiency will accelerate global climate change
Why is Promoting Technology NOT Good?
Why is Promoting Technology NOT Good? Recently I wrote this in one of the groups I manage after reading several comments from members who clearly did not understand the facts behind several of my posts, quote: “I think it is important to point out why promoting technology is NOT a good thing. First of all, […]
Dying crops, spiking energy bills, showers once a week. In South America, the climate future has arrived.
Dying crops, spiking energy bills, showers once a week. In South America, the climate future has arrived. An aerial view of the drying bed of the Paraná River in August as the water reached a historic low near Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina. (JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images) BUENOS AIRES — Sergio Koci’s sunflower farm in […]
Pandemic Brooding: Can the Permaculture movement survive the first severe test of the energy descent future?
Pandemic Brooding: Can the Permaculture movement survive the first severe test of the energy descent future? As the pandemic rolled into its second year, I became concerned that the psychosocial fallout of the pandemic, and especially the response at the global and local levels, could represent an existential threat to permaculture and kindred movements. At […]
