Monthly Archives: March 2013

Happy Easter from Exxon

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Rick Altman

(via 350.org on Facebook – an Exxon pipeline in Arkansas has just spilled 165,000 gallons of toxic tar sands.) http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/03/30/arkansas-residents-evacuate-as-exxon-mobil-tar-sands-pipeline-ruptures/

Posted in Anthropocene, Fossil Fuels | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Irreversible but not yet unstoppable

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Rick Altman

With regard to ongoing climate change, this is currently an important distinction. However, as highlighted by Joe Romm on the Think Progress website on 17 March 2013, it is not one that will always be true. With the author’s kind … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropocene, Climate Science, Economics, Environment, Fossil Fuels, Intergenerational Injustice, Mass Extinctions, Politics, Renewable Energy | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

This is what water scarcity will look like

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Rick Altman

With my thanks to 350.org for alerting me to this piece of news: As reported in the Washington Post newspaper recently, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is warning that by 2030 nearly half the world’s population could be facing a scarcity … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Science, Environment, Intergenerational Injustice, Mass Extinctions | Tagged , , , , | 24 Comments

You know we’re in trouble when…

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Rick Altman

…The Sunday Telegraph starts advocating polices that will accelerate anthropogenic climate disruption (ACD). Two days ago, one of Britain’s oldest and most-respected broadsheet newspapers decided to shred the last few bits of credibility it might have had by publishing an … Continue reading →

Posted in Cognitive Dissonance, Confirmation Bias, Denial, Economics, Environment, Insanity, Intergenerational Injustice, Junk Science, Politics, Populism, Pseudo science | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Why we will probably fail to prevent catastrophe

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Rick Altman

Alex Salmond, First Minister of Scotland, was interviewed by offbeat TV presenter Eddie Mair on The Andrew Marr Show yesterday on BBC1. Salmond’s comments about energy policy highlight the intellectual incoherence and dishonesty to which our politicians are driven by … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Science, Economics, Energy Crisis, Fossil Fuels, Growthmania, James Hansen, Politics, Populism, Renewable Energy | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

A cornucopia of Prometheanism

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Rick Altman

This post has been prompted by an exchange of comments I have been having with Patrice Ayme – on my previous post (i.e. here) – that I feel deserves wider exposure and/or appreciation. However, if you have not the faintest … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Science, Denial, Ecological Modernisation, Economics, Environment, Growthmania, Limits to Growth, Money Fetishism, Scepticism, Sustainable development | Tagged | 15 Comments

Memo to Osborne, Merkel, Cyprus and the World

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Rick Altman

Dear George Osborne, Chancellor Merkel, EU Commission, Citizens of Cyprus, and people everywhere, I would like to hereby remind you of what Richard Heinberg said in his book The End of Growth. Here is a quick audio-visual summary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQqDS9wGsxQ Please … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumerism, Economics, Energy Crisis, Environment, Financial Crisis, Growthmania, Intergenerational Injustice, Limits to Growth, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 26 Comments

Who wants cleaner cars in the EU then?

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Rick Altman

With apologies for the delay, here is the latest email received from Greenpeace: ————— Hi Rick, Right now, we have a huge chance to help save the Arctic. To tackle the threats posed by the disappearing ice and the invasion … Continue reading →

Posted in Arctic, Climate Science, Consumerism, Ecological Modernisation, Economics, Energy Crisis, Environment, Fossil Fuels, Greenpeace, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Try not to be dogmatic about this

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Rick Altman

‘The Science Delusion’ by Rupert Sheldrake I was rummaging around on the blog of someone who recently re-blogged something of mine, when I found the post below and decided I just had to do the same (i.e. re-blog it). The … Continue reading →

Posted in Confirmation Bias, Psychology | Tagged , , , , , | 14 Comments

The dustbin of failed evolutionary experiments?

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Rick Altman

Once again, as I did in my previous post, I must credit xraymike79 as the source of the title for this offering, as it also featured in the quotation from his recent post. For ease of reference, however, here is … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Science, Consumerism, Denial, Environment, Intergenerational Injustice, Mass Extinctions, Philosophy, Religion | Tagged , , , , , | 45 Comments