Climate Change

Despite steady increases in global temperatures and years of ever more deadly heat waves, we are not doing anywhere near enough to combat climate change. The UN describes the decades of worsening heat as an "undeniable trend" of anthropogenic warming. Last summer an article in The Atlantic said the heat was "unignorable" and hundreds of similar headlines warned us that we must act now to slow global warming. Once again this summer we are breaking heat records and adding to the vast body of evidence calling us to urgently address the climate crisis. Despite an incessant barrage of warnings, we are not doing what we...

You cannot be faulted for failing to notice the long list of environmental wins that occurred in 2021.  Good news stories do not have the sensationalistic allure of dramatic prophecies of doom, but once you get past the dire headlines, there is a litany of overlooked achievements that tangibly illustrate progress. Environmental successes are easily overlooked in a world ravaged by climate change, biodiversity loss, an ongoing global pandemic and attacks against democracy. We are bombarded with apocalyptic predictions that seem to celebrate defeatism, however, contrary to the prognostications of the ubiquitous prophets of doom, we still have time to act. ...

If you read the headlines you could not be faulted for believing that the jet stream and the Gulf Stream are on the cusp of imminent collapse. These dire predictions claim to be derived from research but closer scrutiny reveals that they are getting way ahead of the science. This is a story about the dangers of overstating the evidence. The collapse of the Gulf Stream and the jet stream are valid concerns. Tipping points like these are being investigated by scientists because they could trigger a cascade of impacts that will be irreversible and could contribute to the collapse of civilization as we...

Education that improves climate literacy builds consensus and lays the foundation for the acquisition of the specialized expertise required to solve the problems we face. Education including basic scientific literacy is a catalyst for change and a bulwark against misinformation and disinformation that impedes action. Our failure to recognize and address the fossil fuel industry's disinformation has delayed climate action. A well-informed population also serves the public interest on many other levels. People who are apprised of the threats faced by civilization can make informed decisions in their personal lives and at the ballot box. No threat looms larger than climate change...

The evidence for climate change is irrefutable, it is impacting all areas of the globe and humans are the cause. While some of the effects of global warming are irreversible there is still time to prevent some of the worst impacts. However, the planet is warming faster than previously thought, and the window of opportunity to act is rapidly closing.  On August 9, 2021, the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group I released its sixth comprehensive assessment. This 3,500-page state-of-the-science report combines multiple lines of evidence making it the most comprehensive scientific undertaking on the climate crisis to...

There are effective solutions to address the climate crisis and there is still time to avert a catastrophe. To avoid the worst impacts of climate change we must half carbon emissions by 2030 and zero them out by 2050. While we are seeing optimistic signs from governments, businesses, and civil society, it is not enough and time is running out. If we are to have any hope of succeeding we need an "all hands on deck" collaborative approach that includes science-based policies from all levels of government. As reviewed in a study titled "Trajectories of the Earth System in the Anthropocene," urgent collective...

The state of the climate is indeed perilous but contrary to the prevailing pessimistic narratives, we have seen major improvements since the signing of the Paris accord. This includes climate emergency declarations around the world, the climate advocacy of young activists like Greta Thunberg, and mass public protests. We have witnessed the proliferation of climate groups like the Sunrise Movement and Extinction Rebellion. We have also seen leadership from countries around the world (Sweden, the UK, Denmark, Norway, Morroco, and Chile)*. In the U.S. politicians like Washington Governor Jay Inslee promoted the Green New Deal and drove climate change to the top of the agenda in...

The situation is perilous but it is neither too late nor too expensive to reign in climate change. For decades action to combat global warming was delayed by climate change deniers, while such denial is in decline it is being replaced by "doomers"  who say we are beyond the point of being able to do anything about it. While we may be dangerously close to tipping points from which we may not be able to recover, the best science we have suggests that there is still time to act.  There is no doubt that acting on climate change at the required scale...

The Green Market Oracle has been recognized as a leading green business website and now it is being honored as one of the top climate change blogs. On May 6, 2021, Feedspot released their list of the Top 45 Climate Change Blogs and Websites To follow in 2021. Their ranking of the top climate change blogs/websites was determined by their team of 25 expert panelists based on relevancy, blog post frequency (freshness), social metrics, domain authority, traffic, and many other parameters. According to Feedspot founder Anuj Agarwal, this is the most comprehensive list of climate change blogs/websites on the Internet....

Members of the business community have supported Earth Hour for years.  This support continues in 2021, however, in light of COVID-19, the Earth Hour global team is recommending businesses organize online/virtual events. Supporting Earth Hour starts with turning off your lights on March 27th from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Businesses can use their communication channels and platforms, to tell everyone why their organization is taking part in Earth Hour, they can share the official Earth Hour video, and they can post messages (using the hashtag #EarthHour).  Some are live streaming events and running sustainability-focused workshops, others are putting forward...