Book Review: Field Notes from a Catastrophe

Elizabeth Kolbert’s Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature and Climate Change is an excellent, accessible book that contains a collection of articles originally written for the New Yorker.  Kolbert uses snapshots from her travels, interviews and research to educate the reader about man’s impacts on the environment.  Far from being condescending or depressing, Kolbert [...]

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Increased Carbon Dioxide Emissions? Bye Plants!

You may have heard some high-profile human-induced climate change skeptics tote the benefits of increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for plant life.  Some lobby groups have even released press releases and documents to senators and the public in an attempt to further the illusion that there is no scientific consensus that humans are affecting [...]

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Isaiah 22 and Environmental Ethics

In Isaiah 22, Isaiah prophesies about Jerusalem.  Verses 9-11 have particular pertinence to civilizations today.
“you saw that the City of David
had many breaches in its defenses;
you stored up water
in the Lower Pool.
You counted the buildings in Jerusalem
and tore down houses to strengthen the wall.
You built a reservoir between the two walls
for the water of the [...]

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350ppm and the Bible

350 parts per million is what James Hansen, NASA’s chief climate scientist, has put forth as the carbon dioxide  load number to reach in our atmosphere. (link to Bill McKibben’s article on this here and 350.org)  Right now, we’re at 385 ppm and growing fast.  It’s time to talk about cutting back on our consumption [...]

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