“Few progressives have turned around to face the future. And one can see why.”
The breakthrough in that xkcd graphic
So, why is everyone so ecstatic about this latest xkcd cartoon?
It’s not as if it’s telling us much we didn’t know. [more]
Michael Tobis
Recent Articles
No significant increase in long-term CH4 emissions on North Slope of Alaska despite significant increase in air temperature
Results suggest that even the observed short-term temperature sensitivity from the Arctic will have little impact on the global atmospheric methane budget.
[more]
How Renewable Energy Subsidy Backfires
In a worrisome development in the combat against climate change, renewables are helping to push nuclear power, the main source of zero-carbon electricity in the United States, into bankruptcy, writes Eduardo Porter in the New York Times [more]
How To Change Minds and How Not to Study It
Perhaps “scicomm” people need to get in touch with people actually in the business of changing people’s minds.
Compare studies like Boomerangs vs Javelins with The Flip is Elusive, an observation from well-known professional marketer Seth Godin.
[more]
Who Decides What is True?
There’s no Supreme Court of Truth, no supreme authority that affixes an imprimatur of “scientific fact”.
Yet we believe many things to be true which we could not have known about without science. It’s obvious that science can draw conclusions which are effectively certain, but it’s less than obvious how this happens. How does speculation turn into hypothesis, then established theory, then fact? It’s a social process more than a formal one. [more]
The Extraordinary Fate of Fort McMurray , Alberta
Because of its isolation, the isolated city of Fort McMurray faces a fire crisis the likes of which have not been seen before. [more]
Projecting a persuasive image of a desirable and practical future is extremely important to high morale, to dynamism, to consensus, and in general to help the wheels of society turn smoothly.
– Herman Kahn
No Place To Go But Up
When overused roads interfere with a city’s ambitions, well-meaning suggestions for more types of traffic that ride on those roads only make matters worse. We need new transit networks separate from the road system. [more]
You Heard It Here First
Somebody oversimplifies the Tobis Diagram:
http://cleantechnica.com/2016/05/02/climate-change-deniers-getting-angrier-heres/ …
Compare:
Thanks
Clive Hamilton
Year to Date Far Warmer than Any Previous Year
It’s almost enjoyable to watch the “no warming for 17 years” crowd predictably fail to update their priors.
Meanwhile let’s hope that “no global warming since 2016” will hold for a while.
Lamar Smith vs Civilization
Bray and von Storch Survey
I’ve been invited to participate in a new Bray and von Storch survey of climate scientists. The questions seem structured to de-authenticate climate models. [more]
Obligatory Obama Clip
I know, you’ve seen it already, but, wow…