Category Archives: Environment
COP29 Wrap-Up: Calamity on the Caspian
The official COP29 press release hails a “Breakthrough in Baku,” [1] but I think “calamity on the Caspian” would be more accurate. The results of the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change … Continue reading
Solving for Climate — Hannah Ritchie’s Podcast
For anyone who enjoyed Hannah Ritchie’s book Not the End of the World, she’s launched a new podcast called Solving for Climate that explores climate solutions. Full launch details on her Substack here. The first couple of episodes are out … Continue reading
Vote No on Washington’s Initiative 2117
If you live in Washington State, there is something you can do this November to make a direct personal impact on climate change. Vote NO on Initiative 2117. I first saw the effects of climate change during a family vacation … Continue reading
Into the Clear Blue Sky
Getting to net zero isn’t enough. Rob Jackson makes the case in Into the Clear Blue Sky that we must first reduce greenhouse gas emissions and then restore the levels of carbon dioxide and methane in the Earth’s atmosphere to pre-industrial levels. It’s a tall order. Continue reading
Hot Mess
Hot Mess is an informative, easy-to-understand introduction to climate change for a general audience. The “hilarious” and even “side-splitting” humor promised by the cover blurbs mostly didn’t work for me, but the book describes the problem of climate change in a refreshingly non-academic way. Continue reading
How Infrastructure Works
How Infrastructure Works is a wonderful book that looks deeply at the function, development and future of infrastructure. It might seem like a nerdy topic, but Deb Chachra writes that infrastructure is so much more than pipes and cables, dams and bridges. Infrastructure is how we care for each other. Continue reading
Climate News: American Families Claimed over $8 Billion in IRA Tax Credits in 2023
More than 3.4 million US families claimed over $8 billion in tax credits for residential clean energy and home energy efficiency upgrades under the Inflation Reduction Act in 2023, according to a new report from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) … Continue reading
Around the World in 80 Birds
Around the World in 80 Birds is just what it sounds like, a world tour seen through 80 carefully selected bird species. There’s a brief profile of each bird accompanied by wonderful illustrations. You’ll find some of your old favorites and probably discover some new favorites too. Continue reading
Climate Capitalism
Akshat Rathi makes the optimistic case that a reformed capitalism — shaped by government policy and serving the needs of society and the planet — is our best hope of tackling climate change. In Climate Capitalism he profiles key leaders who are helping to make progress happen. Continue reading
Our Fragile Moment
What can we learn from ancient episodes of climate change to help us deal with today’s climate crisis, to help us take the earliest possible off ramp from the global warming highway we’re speeding along? Renown environmental scientist Michael Mann sets out to answer that question in this book. Continue reading
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