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Air-conditioning the outside—really
Air-conditioning the outside—really Qatar is both a country and a peninsula which juts out about 100 miles into the Persian Gulf. It is precisely this geography which makes it both one of the hottest and muggiest places on Earth. The average daily high in mid-summer is 108 degrees F (42 degrees C). With temperatures now exceeding those […]
The biggest obstacle to progress is our idea of progres
The biggest obstacle to progress is our idea of progress Those who oppose change, even in a single category of life, are often labeled as enemies of “progress.” In the modern era “progress” has become a catch-all word to describe every technological change by the proponents of that change. Thinking people will agree that not […]
Oops! Gene editing not as precise as advertised
Oops! Gene editing not as precise as advertised Sometimes a headline gives you practically the entire story. Take this one: “Gene-Editing Unintentionally Adds Bovine DNA, Goat DNA, and Bacterial DNA, Mouse Researchers Find.” The writer details how this happens, of course. And, there is an important subtext. The problem is chalked up by scientists and regulators to […]
Genetically engineered honeybees: Not the dumbest idea ever, but close to it
Genetically engineered honeybees: Not the dumbest idea ever, but close to it In the wake of widespread declines in bee populations, farmers and beekeepers are wondering who exactly is going to pollinate that third of the world’s food crops which require pollination. The declines have been attributed to pesticides, parasites and climate change. In Europe […]
Plastic, plastic everywhere
Plastic, plastic everywhere When we discard a plastic bag, an electronic device encased in plastic, a plastic pen emptied of its ink or any of the myriad plastic objects which populate our lives, we usually say we are throwing the object “away.” By that we mean into a trash or recycling bin and from there […]
When software rules the world
When software rules the world I was a young boy when elevator operators still closed those see-through, metal accordion interior elevator doors by hand and then moved the elevator up or down by rotating a knob on a wheel embedded in the elevator wall. Within a few years all those operators were gone, replaced by […]
CO2 emissions: The trend is not your friend
CO2 emissions: The trend is not your friend When the International Energy Agency (IEA) reported in late March that energy consumption in 2018 rose at the fastest rate in a decade, it confirmed something that most of those who truly understand the climate crisis already know: Collectively, humanity is making almost no progress in doing anything significant […]
Does Chevron know exactly what shale oil and gas are worth?
Does Chevron know exactly what shale oil and gas are worth? Welcome to the bidding war that didn’t happen. The decision last week by international oil giant Chevron Corp. to leave its takeover bid for shale oil and gas-heavy Anadarko Petroleum Corp. unaltered in the wake of a higher offer from rival bidder Occidental Petroleum Corp. surprised […]
Carbon emissions reach record: How can we build solidarity to fight climate change?
Carbon emissions reach record: How can we build solidarity to fight climate change? When carbon emissions appeared to level off from 2014 through 2016, some people were hopeful that industrial civilization just might be able to decouple carbon emissions from economic growth. After all, the world economy had been growing and yet carbon emissions had not […]
Deep adaptation, post-sustainability and the possibility of societal collapse
Deep adaptation, post-sustainability and the possibility of societal collapse I write this piece primarily to get you to read an academic paper that has attracted relatively widespread attention. It is entitled “Deep Adaptation: A Map for Navigating Climate Tragedy.” It is remarkable in a number of aspects. First, it was written by a professor of sustainability […]
“Which species are we sure we can survive without?” Revisited
“Which species are we sure we can survive without?” Revisited Two years ago I asked the question in the title of this piece. Now comes a wide-ranging study that suggests we are about to test that question in a major way. The study predicts that at the current rate of loss of insect species, 40 percent could be […]
Is a key ingredient humans need to live about to run short?
Is a key ingredient humans need to live about to run short? Phosphorus is essential for all living organisms. So, it’s not surprising that humans get their phosphorus from other living organisms, mostly plants, that have absorbed phosphorus from the soil. The introduction of phosphate fertilizers made it possible to ensure that enough phosphorus for […]
Has U.S. shale oil entered a death spiral?
Has U.S. shale oil entered a death spiral? The bad news coming out of the shale oil fields of America could all be put down to slumping oil prices. That is certainly a big factor. But as investment professionals like to say, when the tide goes out, we all find out who’s been skinny-dipping. The […]
The greatest good for the greatest number: A doctrine of acceptable losses
The greatest good for the greatest number: A doctrine of acceptable losses In 1776 philosopher Jeremy Bentham wrote a phrase that continues to be central to our modern way of thinking: “[I]t is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong.” That phrase has morphed into the familiar one […]
Democracy, truth, fallibilism, and the tech overlords
Democracy, truth, fallibilism, and the tech overlords In a recent conversation a friend of mine offered the following: “There would be no need to vote on anything if we knew the truth.” That statement has such profound implications that I will only scratch the surface of it here. First, democracy presupposes that none of us […]
