At several points in the past, Arctic native groups including the Inuit have been effectively involved in the development of international regimes for environmental protection. Perhaps most significant was the role of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference in the development of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Studies done on the human health impact [...]

The point is increasingly well made by numerous sources: once you add carbon sequestration, coal is no longer an economically attractive option. In Indiana, a 630 megawatt coal plant is being built for $2 billion. That’s $3,174 per kilowatt. If we expect investors to seek a an 11% return on investment over a 20 year [...]

My reading plan with Emily is proceeding apace. I have chosen the book for her to read in December, and she has chosen the first three for me. Keep an eye on my blog and Emily’s for commentary as it emerges. No doubt, I will produce an index entry at the end of April, linking [...]

A number of severe problems are facing the world’s oceans and the living things that dwell within them. There is the exchange of invasive species through shipping, worldwide overexploitation of fish stocks, the acidification of the ocean from increased atmospheric carbon dioxide, changes in salinity that threaten major ocean currents, and pollution (including eutrophication from [...]

Every page on Wikipedia has an accompanying ‘Talk’ page, where people discuss the main article and propose changes to it. Having a look at some of the talk pages is informative because it really shows off the lack of expertise among the people who are working on these articles. Much as I enjoy and admire [...]

The diversity of the modern world seems to pose a fundamental problem for religion. No matter which religion you are, most people are a different one. As a religious person, you basically need to believe that most of humanity is wrong (as I believe that people of all faiths are wrong). You need to believe [...]