Articles by Kit Stolz

Megadroughts projected for southwest: bears

To be "environmental," in simplest terms, is to be aware of the existence of "our fellow mortals," as John Muir liked to put it. In the Southwest, where a new study for Science -- based on the results of nineteen climate model runs -- projects "megadroughts" that will be at least as devastating as the Dust Bowl, some of these mortals, such as black bears and oak trees, have already noticed changes in the climate and begun to change their behavior.

For shame!

This Monday, Newsweek will publish an op-ed by well-known climate-change contrarian Richard Lindzen, which concludes that global warming is nothing to worry about and may even be a good thing. "Why So Gloomy?" he wonders, and adds that "a warmer climate could be more beneficial than the one we have now."

Even Homer Simpson is in on it

As wildfires rage (uncharacteristically) in early March in Southern California, the New York Times runs a front page story on new movies about environmental revenge. Several big productions, including a $200 million attacking aliens effort by Terminator creator James Cameron, will be released next year and show humans threatened by the consequences of damaged environments. Even Homer Simpson is getting into the act.

Some call for action

When it comes to global warming, conservatism in this country is at a crossroads. Increasing numbers of business leaders, evangelicals, and conservative opinion-leaders are calling for action to reduce the risks associated with climate change, but the best-known conservatives continue to doubt the science of global warming, attack those who would act to reduce emissions, and deride those concerned by the threat to the planet.

To many sympathetic observers, it's puzzling. As Kerry Emmanuel pointed out in an essay for the Boston Review earlier this year, conservatives didn't have to react this way: