Tag: science

Why I am not surprised by Trump’s attacks on science, climate, education, & human health.

February 7, 2025

The Trump administration’s attacks on climate, on science, education, and on human health was completely predictable. Its roots are in the confluence and cooperation of big religion and big oil. These two factions in American life have been in a tacit alliance that goes back decades. As I’ve written in previous posts, it became clear … More Why I am not surprised by Trump’s attacks on science, climate, education, & human health.

Kitzmiller v. Dover: When a school board invites a fight

January 13, 2025

This entry continues my journey back through what’s motivated me to explore “The Mindful Ecological Citizen.” Most recently, I’ve been focused on learning from the Centre County solar power purchase agreement and “a prescient note on climate change to Jimmy Carter.” But I want to return to where I left off in a recent entry exploring … More Kitzmiller v. Dover: When a school board invites a fight

Kitzmiller v. Dover: A Trial Reveals a Plan to Transform American Life

November 28, 2024

This entry begins my journey back through what’s motivated me to explore “The Mindful Ecological Citizen.” In 2004, Tammy Kitzmiller and 10 other parents filed a lawsuit against the Dover School District for passing an “intelligent design” policy that called the Theory of Evolution into question. Covering the story for a small paper, I came … More Kitzmiller v. Dover: A Trial Reveals a Plan to Transform American Life

Taking on the Merchants of Doubt in 2024

September 22, 2024

I’ve been watching people get wrapped up in manufactured controversies—manfufactroversies—lately. The zombie armies of climate change deniers, doubters, boomers, and climate inactivists are out in force. Their goal is to undermine the public’s confidence in good actions. Who are they and what do they do? When some special interest sees an issue as a threat … More Taking on the Merchants of Doubt in 2024

Reflecting on our decision to protest Tom Corbett’s fracking moves on Memorial Day 2014

May 28, 2018

In 2014, I co-organized a Memorial Day protest against former Governor Tom Corbett’s opening of state parks to the natural gas industry. I wrote this piece for a conference I attended the following fall as a reflection on environmental protest as a form of public moral education. It’s wonky at points, but heartfelt nonetheless. Given … More Reflecting on our decision to protest Tom Corbett’s fracking moves on Memorial Day 2014

Bill Nye’s blunder shows that we have to talk about climate change to move on. But that’s not what he did at the State of the Union.

February 1, 2018

Bill Nye made a big mistake by attending the State of the Union with Rep. Bridenstine. I, for one, am not surprised. Nye’s passion for his own image and celebrity seems to have driven him to stand in public with a science-attacking Representative. Some will say that Nye was extending the olive branch of diplomacy to … More Bill Nye’s blunder shows that we have to talk about climate change to move on. But that’s not what he did at the State of the Union.

Reason 4,582 that we should rein in the fracking industry

December 14, 2017

“A study of birth records found newborns living within 3 kilometers of fracking sites were less healthy than those born farther away, and those within 1 kilometer saw the largest effects,” reports Inside Climate News. They examined records of infants born before & after the fracking boom to the same mother, finding higher incidence of negative … More Reason 4,582 that we should rein in the fracking industry

Irma and Harvey came at two and a half minutes to midnight.

September 11, 2017

On September 12, 1962, John F. Kennedy spoke at Rice University in Houston. He said that the people there were gathered “at an hour of change and challenge, in a decade of hope and fear, in an age of both knowledge and ignorance,” and by the end of the decade, we would land a man on … More Irma and Harvey came at two and a half minutes to midnight.

Prometheus & Pandora meet Irma & Harvey. Been thinking about 5th grade science class.

September 9, 2017

I’m thinking about my son Sacha’s schooling, Prometheus & Pandora this morning. Pardon my stream of consciousness. Sacha is taking a class called Science World. It’s really cool. What’s in the news at school’s start? Four hurricanes, two of them breaking records for rainfall & wind speed. Wildfires across the western US & fires in … More Prometheus & Pandora meet Irma & Harvey. Been thinking about 5th grade science class.

When we bail out Houston, we will be massively redistributing wealth.

August 30, 2017

People are wondering whether climate change caused Hurricane Harvey. That’s the wrong question. Hurricanes have been happening on Earth as long as there have been oceans. The question should be “How did climate change influence Harvey?” Some pieces over the last few days from USA Today, Gizmodo, Michael Mann’s piece in The Guardian, and an interview with Dan … More When we bail out Houston, we will be massively redistributing wealth.