The Closing Window

Earlier this week, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) issued its 13th edition of the Emissions Gap Report which provides a science-based assessment of the gap between commitments made by governments to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and those levels needed to achieve global temperature targets under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change …

Time Does Not Stand Still

One year ago as we entered the 11th year publishing this website, I wrote, “In 2021, we hope to corral the pandemic and turn our backs on the cultural and political discord that threatens to destroy the goodness that is inherent in each of us.”  Alas, as a race, society, and culture, we failed on …

The Star Thrower Revisited

In recent days and weeks, I’ve revisited “The Star Thrower” story.  This story from Loren Eiseley’s 1969 book The Unexpected Universe was the subject of one of our earliest posts a decade ago.  Its value remains true and unquestionable:  If you base your choices on what is right, then what you do will make a …

More on Anthropause

Six months ago, I learned a new word, anthropause, and wrote about it in a December post.  Anthropause means “a considerable global slowing of modern human activities, notably travel.”  This is what happened as the world locked down to control the spread of COVID-19: human activity slowed. Things are returning to ‘normal.’  As an example, last …