Tag Archives: Climate Change

"A Flag From the Poor Kid": A Christmas Essay

Posted on December 18, 2012 by williamjcobb

So a week ago I attended my daughter’s first community choir event for the Christmas season, at a Lutheran church no less. It was a lovely—even, dare I say, spiritual—event, a crowd of darling children singing (or not) Christmas carols in … Continue reading →

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Three Ideas for "Real" Change: Support States' Rights on Marijuana, Mandate Solar Panels of New Home Roofs, Ban All Assault Weapons

Posted on December 16, 2012 by williamjcobb

So the Obama administration has one chance for real change right now, with a couple more that are much needed. I live in Colorado, which has legalized marijuana, but the Obama administration has yet to respond on exactly what they’ll … Continue reading →

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The End of Santa? As the North Pole Melts, Kris Kringle's Days Are Numbered

Posted on December 12, 2012 by williamjcobb

So at dinner last night I mentioned to my six-year-old daughter, “You know, as the arctic ice sheet melts, I guess Santa’s North Pole toy factory is going to sink into the sea.” My daughter struck an immediate sad face, … Continue reading →

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While Reading Melanie Challenger's "On Extinction," Life in "The Other Season"

Posted on December 3, 2012 by williamjcobb

So I’ve begun reading Melanie Challenger’s On Extinction, to review for the Dallas Morning News, a timely book when Climate Change is panting its hot breath down our neck like an oily wolf: the weather has been so warm this … Continue reading →

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On Finishing David Quammen's "Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic"

Posted on November 15, 2012 by williamjcobb

So I’ve finished David Quammen’s excellent new book of nonfiction, Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic, about zoonotic viruses and the danger we face from new pandemics originating in crossover viruses leaping from animals to humans. At 520 … Continue reading →

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Proposition 64 Passes in Colorado & Mitt Is a Loser, Which Means It's a Good Day

Posted on November 8, 2012 by williamjcobb

So my (second) home state of Colorado voted to legalize “recreational” marijuana. Cool. It’s like volleyball now! (Only where you keep forgetting the score.) Enough already with this Prohibition, Part II. Obama even mentioned “this warming planet” in his acceptance speech—though … Continue reading →

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On David Quammen's "Spillover," Today's Election, and the Great Horned Owls Beside Me

Posted on November 7, 2012 by williamjcobb

So I’ve been reading David Quammen’s new book, Spillover (2012), on emerging diseases (and particularly zoonotic viruses, a la Ebola, Marburg, HIV, SARS, etc.), and I keep feeling sicker and sicker. It’s like I’m catching Ebola from reading this book. But … Continue reading →

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Peak Oil & Climate Change Loom, While We Keep Our Fingers in Our Ears

Posted on November 4, 2012 by williamjcobb

So Hurricane (or Superstorm) Sandy has put Climate Change back in the headlines, where it will probably disappear after a couple weeks, replaced by something that Kim Kardashian or Lindsay Lohan does or wears. But for now it’s heartening to … Continue reading →

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On David Quammen's "Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic": Viruses of the Future

Posted on November 1, 2012 by williamjcobb

So on this post-Halloween day I’m reading David Quammen’s just-published book of nonfiction, Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic, which is gripping from the get-go. He starts by describing the Hendra virus in Australia, one I had never heard … Continue reading →

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The End of Growth, Or to Quote Bette Davis, "Fasten Your Seatbelts, It's Going to Be a Rocky Ride."

Posted on October 15, 2012 by williamjcobb

So there’s a fascinating, if decidedly gloomy, piece in the NY Times today, about one economist’s challenging paper that argues the U.S. (and other industrialized nations) are in store for a dramatic decline in growth, here. The most interesting part … Continue reading →

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