Climate Change

(By Bobby Magill) Is the West’s Dry Spell Really a Megadrought? (via Climate Central) By Bobby Magill Follow @bobbymagill SAN FRANCISCO — The drought that has been afflicting most of the Western states for the past 13 years may be a “megadrought,” and the likelihood is high that this century could see a multi-decade dry spell…

Christianity

GOP: No Climate Change because, Bible

Juan Cole

Opposing views points to the scary ignorance and bible-thumping to which GOP representatives in Congress are appealing in their genocidal stand against quick action on climate change. If you have to have a biblical theology about these things, it should be the old-fashioned one that human beings are stewards of the earth and have a […]

Climate Change

Scientists: Certain that Human-Caused Climate Change Threatens our Planet (Queally)

Juan Cole

Jon Queally writes at Commondreams.org “Unequivocal.” If the public and policymakers want a single adjective to describe the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's new assessment report that's the word. Released Friday, the IPCC report states, that "warming in the climate system is unequivocal and since 1950 many changes have been observed throughout […]

Climate Change

With a Solar Minimum and La Nina’s, Why isn’t it Really, Really Cold?

Juan Cole

2013 is witnessing another year of very low sunspot activity, showing that we are in a years-long solar minimum. It may not last much longer, but something is going on more than just the usual drop in solar activity every 11 years. Even that 11-year cycle affects the weather. But we’ve seen remarkably low sunspot […]

Climate Change

Can we have a Military-Green Energy Complex Instead, Please? (Kramer & Pemberton)

Juan Cole

Mattea Kramer and Miriam Pemberton write at Tomdispatch.com A trillion dollars. It’s a lot of money. In a year it could send 127 million college students to school, provide health insurance for 206 million people, or pay the salaries of seven million schoolteachers and seven million police officers. A trillion dollars could do a lot […]

Climate Change

A New Red-Green Alliance: Why Workers should Join the Climate Fight (Klein)

Juan Cole

The following remarks were delivered by Naomi Klein on September 1, 2013 at the founding convention of UNIFOR, a new mega union created by the Canadian Autoworkers and the Canadian Energy and Paper Workers Union, and provided to Common Dreams by the author for publication. I’m so very happy and honoured to be able to […]

Climate Change

Yep, We’re Screwed: Top Ten Recent Climate Change Findings that should Scare You

Juan Cole

1. A warmer planet will spur aggression and violence, according to UC Berkeley scientists. 2. Climate change is causing animals to migrate into new areas, spreading diseases across species: “Earth’s changing climate and the global spread of infectious diseases are threatening human health, agriculture and wildlife,” say the National Science Foundation’s Sam Scheinter of a […]

Climate Change

Where has all the Water Gone? How Climate Change and Soaring Water Demand are Drying out the Southwest (deBuys)

Juan Cole

William deBuys writes at Tomdispatch.com: Several miles from Phantom Ranch, Grand Canyon, Arizona, April 2013 — Down here, at the bottom of the continent’s most spectacular canyon, the Colorado River growls past our sandy beach in a wet monotone. Our group of 24 is one week into a 225-mile, 18-day voyage on inflatable rafts from […]