Author Archives: Norm Benson

Governor Schwarzenegger, AB 32, and Global Warming: Code Redd

“When the search for truth is confused with political advocacy, the pursuit of knowledge is reduced to the quest for power.“- Alston Chase, author of “Playing God in Yellowstone.” ‘Redd’ is another ort in the acronym soup of climate-speak from the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); it stands for “Reducing Emissions fromContinue reading “Governor Schwarzenegger, AB 32, and Global Warming: Code Redd”

Environmental Story Trends to Watch: Climate Change

“Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future.” – Danish physicist, Neils Bohr A few posts ago I attempted to list the top environmental stories of the last decade: the Doha development agenda stall, the 2008 economic downturn, Al Gore’s Nobel prize, and others, ending with the Credit Card Reform Act of 2009.Continue reading “Environmental Story Trends to Watch: Climate Change”

IPCC 4th Assessment Report doesn’t agree with the Center for Biological Diversity

Apparently, the Center for Biological Diversity doesn’t agree with the Mitigation Working Group Report [PDF] in IPCC’s 4th Assessment as to the best strategy for mitigating CO2. Photo from south island on New Zealand. “Biomass clearing and site preparation prior to afforestation [i.e. planting] may lead to short-term carbon losses on that site… Accumulation ofContinue reading “IPCC 4th Assessment Report doesn’t agree with the Center for Biological Diversity”

IPCC 4th Assessment Report doesn't agree with the Center for Biological Diversity

Apparently, the Center for Biological Diversity doesn’t agree with the Mitigation Working Group Report [PDF] in IPCC’s 4th Assessment as to the best strategy for mitigating CO2. Photo from south island on New Zealand. “Biomass clearing and site preparation prior to afforestation [i.e. planting] may lead to short-term carbon losses on that site… Accumulation ofContinue reading “IPCC 4th Assessment Report doesn't agree with the Center for Biological Diversity”

Forests and Climate Change, Not Clearcut

Will the Center for Biological Diversity’s lawsuit filed against Cal Fire have the putative result of slowing global warming? Not likely, probably the exact opposite effect.

If it’s not grown, it has to be mined

Recently, Barnes and Noble launched its own e-book reader, the “Nook,” to compete with the Amazon Kindle.[i] E-readers are handy electronic devices, they can hold hundreds of books, and use an ‘electronic paper.’ They have been heralded as alternatives to ‘dead-tree publishing.’ Without doubt, digital technology improves lives. Consider mobile phones: once isolated African fishermenContinue reading “If it’s not grown, it has to be mined”

If it's not grown, it has to be mined

Recently, Barnes and Noble launched its own e-book reader, the “Nook,” to compete with the Amazon Kindle.[i] E-readers are handy electronic devices, they can hold hundreds of books, and use an ‘electronic paper.’ They have been heralded as alternatives to ‘dead-tree publishing.’ Without doubt, digital technology improves lives. Consider mobile phones: once isolated African fishermenContinue reading “If it's not grown, it has to be mined”

The Optimistic Environmentalist

As a child of the 1960’s On April 22, 1970, I, along with 20 million others that day, attended one of the first Earth Day celebrations. We had heard the predictions and we were duly frightened. In those days, most of us in the environmental movement worried about air pollution causing another ice age throughContinue reading “The Optimistic Environmentalist”