precipice’s Recent Comments

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  Politics not allowed?

  This is another question we should see Lew Black reacting to. Of course it would be incredibly wonderful if the Republicans gave the issue the respect it deserves.

  I wonder how the political sides are lining up these days around Atlanta.On Partisan debate on climate change vs. unity posted 1 year, 11 months ago 24 Responses

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  Civil rights and climate rights

  I turned 13 years old in 1962. Television was still finding its purpose and the news had not yet turned into the circus it is today. When we watched the blacks in Alabama being knocked down by fire hoses and attached by German Shepherds, the graphics themselves generated outrage that legislators could not ignore. You just could not be on the side of the racist police.

  Today we live in another era. Television can still influence public opinion, but our reporters now equivocate about every issue. "Ice caps are melting and threaten to raise sea levels, but SOME SAY this is normal." We watched the inhumanity of the aftermath of Katrina, but the climate part got lost in the lambasting of our incompetent public officials.

  I'm frankly surprised that the heatwaves, floods and droughts of this past summer haven't been packaged more effectively to present the potential impacts of global warming in a more compelling manner. Climate change is always presented as one possible future where no one in particular suffers, but someone (always the other guys) will be affected. Thus, no massive public sense of urgency or outrage.On Tidwell responds to scientists responding to Tidwell posted 2 years, 2 months ago 28 Responses

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  Yikes

  It seems like I've said "Yikes" every day this week. One would like to be an optimist, but when every optimistic estimate proves overly so, well, you might want to start making some preparations while you cut deeper into your carbon-slinging habits.On Greenland ice melting faster than predicted posted 2 years, 2 months ago 6 Responses

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  The gentleness conundrum

  Most of us able to access and read this blog live in a culture where consumption of products is what's supposed to make us feel whole. We've grown up as the targets of marketing and, of course, we've responded to much of it by purchasing what we're supposed to. Shopping has become our security blanket and now we must be gentle with people while they slowly wean themselves from their habits.

  I only wish the progression of climate change would slow down a bit to give us time for everyone to catch up.On All the PR is starting to sound the same posted 2 years, 2 months ago 6 Responses

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  Adaptation, too

  I agree with Wildleaf. We and our children are going to have to adapt long before our efforts to prevent the worst from happening have any effect. People today are having to adapt to higher temperatures, longer droughts, more extreme flooding, dwindling water supplies. If we don't develop supportive programs for this adaptation, we're just going to accelerate the downslide of our societies.

  The Dutch are exceptional. The U.S. seems very far away from having that kind of vision at the national level. Local self-determination may have to take the wheel.On When it comes to climate change, prevention is more important than adaptation posted 2 years, 2 months ago 15 Responses