Why hopes that human exceptionalism will solve global warming aren’t the right way of thinking
For more than a generation, MacGyver has, in many ways, served as the fictional embodiment of human exceptionalism. If you’re unfamiliar with the character, he was the star of an eponymous ABC series from 1985 to 1992 and, in every episode, even when he had limited supplies, he would invariably use his keen intellect and amazing ingenuity to solve problems. There was no jam he couldn’t work his way out of (think, diffusing a bomb with a paperclip).
MacGyver’s smarts were so beloved that he spawned not only a reboot series in 2016 on CBS, but also as a recurring…
These energy-efficient devices can be difference makers in the move to clean energy
When discussions of a clean energy future come up with friends, they often gravitate to questions about fancy technology. What kind of battery storage do we need to support wind and solar? How efficient can solar cells become? Can farms of offshore wind turbines play a big role in an energy revolution? (Spoiler alert on the last one: Yes, they can.)
While developing great new tech is vitally important, one essential fact that is often lost in these discussions is that we already have a lot of tried-and-true know-how that can wean us off of dirty, global warming-causing fossil fuels.
How climate activist Greta Thunberg gives hope that the public is listening on global warming
The “marketplace of ideas” is a term used to describe how certain philosophies gain prominence in the public sphere. This theory, which was popularized by the philosopher John Stuart Mill in 1859, suggests that open conversations about policy issues should be similar to a grand bazaar where purveyors of differing positions present their ideas like items for purchase. The public can shop around for the most compelling viewpoints, and the best ideas will naturally stand out.
This view of public communication became so popular that Supreme Court justices from famed liberal Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. to current conservative Samuel Alito…
What the “Word of the Year” selections tell us about global warming
For language geeks such as myself, this is an exciting time of year. The reason: It’s when the big players in the dictionary business — from Oxford to Merriam-Webster — unveil their word (or expression) of the year. Call it the linguistic Oscars.
These choices are telling because the winners tend to embody the zeitgeist that’s enveloped the English-speaking world over the past 12 months. Often these words represent cultural trends. For example, the American Dialect Society went with “Not!” (as in “just kidding”) in 1992 and “metrosexual” in 2003. …
A look at how language shapes climate action
Over the last 40 years, Janet Domenitz has earned a reputation as a hard-nosed advocate on environmental, public health, voter and consumer issues. As the executive director of the nonpartisan Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MASSPIRG), her toughness and perseverance has led to innumerable improvements in the lives of Bay Staters. But if you want to see her get really worked up, bring up natural gas.
“To call this a pet peeve is like calling Kilimanjaro a hill,” she told me. “I’m obsessed.”
Her beef? Two words: natural gas.
“The term has been so successfully integrated into our vocabulary that…
A roadmap to having civilized and meaningful conversation about global warming
With the COVID-19 pandemic preventing many of us from visiting family this Thanksgiving, we may be able to sidestep the usual tension that comes from touchy dinner conversations. But for those of us who are lucky enough to break bread with loved ones, heated discussions may ultimately end up on the metaphorical table.
Along with the election, climate change is likely to be among the controversial topics. After all, President-elect Joe Biden did name global warming’s existential threat as one of his four priorities when he takes office in January. …
Worrying about your carbon footprint is useful, but it’s not the most important way to go
Personal responsibility is deeply ingrained in the American ethos. From Abraham Lincoln (“you cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today”) to Bill Clinton (“Let us all take more responsibility not only for ourselves and our families but for our communities and our country”), America’s leaders have lifted up this laudable characteristic of owning your actions.
In the environmental space, preaching personal responsibility in the United States dates back at least a half-century. In 1971, a famous TV public service announcement depicted a landscape rife with pollution and litter. A Native American character is shown shedding a tear…
Recent studies show that more needs to be done by journalists to properly cover global warming
In a recent discussion with a colleague about the media’s coverage of climate change, he questioned whether criticizing journalists’ reporting on the existential threat was valid.
“Is ‘both sides-ism’ really that big of a problem in climate reporting?” the environmental advocate with decades of experience asked about journalists’ efforts to offer competing views (including discredited denialist perspectives) on the reality of climate change. “I may be trapped in my own bubble, but in the news I read and listen to, the media do not appear to be giving equal time to the climate science outliers.”
Tragically, recent events are a…
Giving names to heats waves would emphasize the immediacy of global warming
Every climate action advocate has a pressing problem: Getting not only skeptics but also those who believe in climate change to understand we need to act right now.
For too many, climate change is something that’s in the future. And studies show that when something is relegated to the future, humans are genetically predisposed to put it on the back burner. As Jane McGonigal put it in a 2017 Slate article: “Your brain acts as if your future self is someone you don’t know very well and, frankly, someone you don’t care about.” Economists call this the “social discount rate”…
Our leaders should learn from Major League Baseball players who have said no to the sport they love in the face of a pandemic
Anyone who has played a sport knows that it’s very difficult to go against their team’s way of thinking. Clubs value everyone “being on the same page” and standing together in the name of unity. In fact, many believe that an exceptional esprit de corps translates into great success.
This concept is generally known as “team chemistry” and, in baseball, it’s been credited as the special sauce in many World Series championships. …
Josh Chetwynd
Communications for The Public Interest Network, Environment America and U.S. PIRG; book author: http://amzn.to/1SNJBJT ; avid curler/ex-baseball player
