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News for August, 2026

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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...
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News for July, 2026

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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...
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News for June, 2026

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Ocean hot spots. Note situation off West coast of France   June has proven to be a hot month, in both hemispheres. An intense El Nino system is developing in the Eastern Pacific, and the surface sea temperatures are at an all time high. We are on the dark red line. The dark grey line had alarm bells ringing three years ago. In marked contrast to a couple of years ago, when temperatures suddenly rose by 12 standard deviations from the mean, nobody is commenting on these levels, possibly because NOAA scientists have been sacked. Perhaps they will start commenting again, now that it appears they've got a voice back .  Anyway, carry on reading.  Environment Under stress: rock fish and Monterey kelp (Fred Hsu via Wiki Commons)  The ugly One of the few decent things George W Bush did during his presidency was to create a marine reserve around the Hawa'iin archipelago. If you saw Attenborough's recent documentary on the Oceans (available on Disney+ btw), you would be ...
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