What Al Gore Will Say and Why We Should Listen via It's Getting Hot In Here
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Breakthrough and the Generation of Dissent: Conflict, Friction, and Change via It's Getting Hot In Here
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How To Be Hopeful: Obama vs. Kingsolver via It's Getting Hot In Here
For 1.5 million lucky people in the United States, the month of May is pretty damn sweet. On college and university campuses from coast to coast, May means Commencement. With a Capital C. It’s a memorable day for all: loved ones gather, snapshots are taken, fond friendships are sealed, and whole chapters of our lives close and open on this critical milestone. It’s a day to reflect on our past and our future, and perhaps more importantly, to wear crazy square hats and a big black dress.
At the nation’s premier institutions, Commencement can be quite the star-studded event. Each May, celebrities descend on the ivory towers and give a speech to provide graduates with a little boost as they venture out of their collegiate bubbles and into the big scary world. ... Sustainable Justice via It's Getting Hot In Here
You may have heard this piece of wisdom in Econ 101. “There is no such thing as a free lunch.” Someone is footing the bill.
The mass material affluence that characterizes much of American society is a testament to the power of our economic and political system. The cities we inhabit, the cars we drive, the gadgets we use, the ways we communicate, the food we eat, and the energy we consume are all products of its success.
But remember, “There is no such thing as a free lunch.” Someone is footing the bill.
Allow me to modify that statement. There is no such thing as a dollar menu. Transactions inflict costs on the real world that are not reflected in a market pricing system.
A friend of mine is particularly fond of McDonald’s Dollar menu, and makes a habit of... Beyond Al Gore and Inconvenient Truths: A New Generation, A New Vision, a New Dream via It's Getting Hot In Here
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Advice, fwiw via It's Getting Hot In Here
I do fall easily into using religious language. It comes natural, it’s the way I was raised.
But seriously, the advice not to put one’s faith in people, that’s just good sense all day long. No shared ideology or affiliation should encourage us to turn off our skills of critical observation when dealing with others of our kind. Trust the people you have a reason to trust and be on the lookout for false friends.
I have friends who’ve held my head and hands and brought me tea when I was so sick I just wanted to be put out of my misery. I trust them. I have friends and family who helped me when I didn’t know where my rent or grocery money was coming from. I trust them. Settled and done.
Then there are people who’ve argued and worked and fought for the... Stupidest. Problem. Ever. via It's Getting Hot In Here
At some point, I’m going to turn this into a longer and better linked post, but this has got to be said. Right now. Again.
The worst thing, the most depressing thing, about global warming, isn’t the melting ice cap or the short time horizon. It certainly isn’t the current state of our technological advancement or knowledge, which is largely sufficient to the problem. It’s the stupidity, inactivity, timidity, shortsightedness and fecklessness of humanity’s ruling elites. Really. That’s why I think the proper way to refer to it is as a suicide pact, because it’s both deliberate and avoidable.
Consider that we’ve got at present tremendous financial liquidity. The environmentally unsustainable suburbs are emptying out like mad due to wave upon...