Per Capita Davis: It’s time to think about building decarbonization
“Decarbonization,” a word so new my computer keeps trying to spell check it to something else, defines what some have called the next frontier in California’s fight against the climate crisis. The focus for reducing greenhouse gas emissions has been largely dominated by discussions over…
Per Capita Davis: How big is the battle?
“Dire” — an adjective describing an extremely serious or urgent situation or event causing great fear or suffering. Synonyms include horrible, atrocious, shocking, outrageous, unspeakable, alarming and grim. The front page, above the fold, headline in the May 7 edition of The New York Times…
Per Capita Davis: Some good news for a change
Spring has sprung and its time for some good news for a change on the climate front. First, maybe a new approach will help solve the issue of where to locate solar panels. Some people (fewer now) complain that they are unsightly and don’t want…
Per Capita Davis: Marching forward on the climate crisis
There’s a lot going on in March related to what we can do as individuals to combat the climate crisis. Here are just a few examples. As noted in the prior column, March is Burger Battle Month in Davis. Go to coolcuisine.net for burger descriptions, locations of…
Per Capita Davis: The great Burger Battle is on!
First things first: the “COOl Cuisine Burger Battle” is coming to Davis. For the entire month of March, we can chomp on a hamburger without the ham (not that it had ham in the first place) — a burger without the meat, replaced instead with…
Per Capita Davis: Evidence pushes us toward urgency
The Dec. 5 “Per Capita” reported on recent studies by the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the U.S. National Climate Assessment and was basically bad news, with calls for urgent action to avoid catastrophic effects of the Climate Crisis. The Dec. 19…
Per Capita Davis: The climate crisis report card so far
I worried a bit about the last column. It was pretty harsh. It reflected my belief that the climate crisis is existential and requires an effort on the scale of the Marshall Plan that rebuilt Europe after World War II for us to avoid very…
Per Capita Davis: The climate crisis is on the ballot
This column finds its way into the print version of The Davis Enterprise the first and third Wednesday of each month, meaning that it will land in your driveway on Nov. 7, the day after the election. I can’t tell you how many past elections…
Per Capita Davis: The media could use change of language
I hardly know where to start. One of my main conundrums in writing this column has been, over time, whether to “sound the alarm” and stress the urgency of action and the enormous potential dire consequences, or to try to look at the bright side,…
Per Capita Davis: One step forward, two steps back
It seems the news on most topics around the globe alternates between scary and hopeful. The Climate Crisis is no exception. I’m not sure if we are on a “one step forward, two steps backwards” trajectory or a “two steps forward, one step backwards” journey….
Per Capita Davis: The ‘tipping point’ revisited
Back in 2007 when I began writing these articles there were a few terms that captured the discussion about global warming. One was the term in the prior sentence: “global warming.” It may have been adequate at the time, but the soft, fuzzy, cozy, under-a-blanket…
Per Capita Davis: Who’s going to pick up the tab?
We here in California have our battles over who will pay for massive infrastructure projects such as the tunnels to deliver water to Southern California and high-speed rail to move people up and down the state. Most of what was built, most of what we…
Per Capita Davis: Scientists got it mostly right
The article on the front page of the New York Times was headlined, “The Year Global Warming Turned Model Into Menace.” The article itself basically says that predictions scientists have been making for decades based on computer models have now been proven correct. The planet…
Per Capita Davis: There are some positive signs for renewables
My inbox gets filled with articles and information that’s interesting and important, but which doesn’t rise to the level of a 900-word column. Here are three of those items. But will they vote? Back in May, the Conservative Energy Network sponsored a poll conducted by…
Per Capita Davis: Power companies may be motivated by the ‘X’ factor
Long before there was an X Prize there was an Orteig Prize. According to Wikipedia, way back in 1919, a French hotel owner offered a prize of $25,000 for the first person to fly nonstop across the Atlantic from New York to Paris. Charles Lindberg…
Per Capita Davis: Here’s more on science and population
The last column (June 22) generated quite a bit of response. This column responds to some of the responses. Three people let me know about or sent me a copy of an article by David Roberts at Vox titled “I’m an environmental journalist, but I…
Per Capita Davis: The elephant in the room
This column is titled “The Elephant in the Room” because there is an aspect of the climate crisis that is rarely talked about, or at least not given primacy of place in ranking the many factors involved in heating up our planet. The issue is…
COOL SOLUTIONS: The Whole House Fan
The summer months in Davis are often pretty hot, and it can be a challenge to keep your home cool and comfortable. Most of us rely on air conditioners to maintain a desired temperature, but there are many other energy-efficient and inexpensive ways to cool…
Per Capita Davis: News from the ‘Doom and Gloom’ file
Keyword: Climate change impacts I keep folders to collect information on specific topics related to the climate crisis such as solar, renewables, water, the Arctic, etc. I also have folders on general themes, two of which are “Good News” and “Doom and Gloom.” This column…
Per Capita Davis: When scientists disagree
One thing is clear; the climate crisis is real, human burning of fossil fuel is by far the major driver, and we are feeling the predicted effects right now. OK, that was three things. The truth of this cleanly divides scientists from deniers. What is…
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