Elections for the European Parliament will be held in June, and big changes appear on the horizon. The Green parties, who won big in 2019 and pushed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to present an ambitious climate agenda, are in decline. Led by disgruntled (and targeted) farmers, voters in at least 18 of the EU’s 27 member nations are expected to express disapproval of EU policies at the ballot box. Perhaps the tiniest of the protests belongs to the European People’s Party … [Read more...]
Whale Death Confusion Abounds, and Some is Deliberate
Press coverage of the tragic whale deaths is a supreme study in confusion, especially the foolish attempts to somehow exonerate offshore wind development. Here are some prominent examples. The evergreen New York Times wins the race for worst coverage by claiming to explain the numerous recent whale deaths as due to online shopping. I am not making this up. Their headline promises an explanation: “Why 23 Dead Whales Have Washed Up on the East Coast Since December”. The primary reason … [Read more...]
Louisiana Religious Climate Activists Might Want to Check the Data
One can't help admiring the motives of many religious leaders alarmed about human-induced climate change. From the Pope to the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury to leaders of the Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, and Jewish faiths, many express their angst that climate change is an "existential threat" to humanity, especially the poor, and to all life on Earth. But sometimes one wishes they would combine some knowledge of basic data with their good intentions. An AP story published today, "Faith … [Read more...]
The Tide-Theory of Climate Change
Guest article by Joakim Book I was watching the tide today and thought of climate change. Yes, they are different phenomena; the tide is predictable, well-known, and reverses itself like clockwork roughly every six hours, whereas climate change is unpredictable, uncertain, and (still) irreversible. Nevertheless, it serves as a relevant illustration of what we are often overlooking in the climate debate. The tide moves continuously; slowly and gradually, not suddenly or … [Read more...]
Playing Fast and Loose with Numbers
Guest article by Joakim Book Journalism is hard. To portray the world accurately to a layman audience without delving into the complexities and nuances of the universe we inhabit, writers must always simplify, explain, and make difficult content relatable for their readers. You can do this well and comprehensively, and you can do it poorly. Often, writers simplify and give concrete examples with the best of intentions, even though I don’t put it past some of the activist writers out … [Read more...]
