So Here We Are

Welcome to what's been going on over August. For an introductory image, I thought I would post this cartoon with a message commemorating the life and work of writer and activist Wendell Berry . Vale Wendell Berry. The stories about 'climate hushing' this month suggest some won't like this sentiment, but most will. I did not know of him until recently, but a number of people whose opinions I respect have been mourning his passing, and the sentiment conveyed seems appropriate to the theme of this blog. So, what *has* been happening?  Environment The Ugly: When expert studies are commissioned, adopting their recommendations might escape consideration.  Thus, as rising seas have the predictable effect on coastal erosion , isolated remediation efforts by local councils and governments continue to have the same ineffective and destructive outcomes as was predicted fifty years ago . The Bad: Bushfires, algae, and now bird flu: inhabitants of Kangaroo Island are feeling un...

Welcome to this roundup of July's environment related articles. It is a mere fraction of what was published.  The biggest talking point has been the diabolical heat wave that has been gripping, not just Western Europe, but most of the Northern Hemisphere. That, and the resulting fires.  Australia is no stranger to vast palls of smoke generated hundreds of kilometers away, or the images of boats fleeing as wildfires burn down to shoreside settlements (as in Canada), or of entire regions being evacuated (as in the Bordeaux region in France). The only positive thing that can be said of such awful experiences is that they underscore, like nothing else, the effects that climate change is now having on our environment. On the Beach: climate deniers consider their 'plan B' options. (Photo Maximilien Lamy/AFP/Getty Images) If Australia's experience is any guide, most people will understand the portents. However, the usual suspects in right wing media are paid not to, and are re...