Putting the life back in science fiction


The Day After
April 24, 2016, 4:53 am
Filed under: 2016, climate change, Hot Earth Dreams, writing | Tags: , ,

Yay, it’s the day after Earth Day.  They’ve started signing the Paris climate accord, John Kerry photo-opping by signing with his granddaughter on his lap.  Obama will ratify it by executive action, the Senate Republicans will pass something nauseating telling him to stop chasing myths (unless maybe that doesn’t happen?), he’ll veto their attempt to quash him, and…

Well, what happens next?  In the real world, I’m not so sure, but after I finish the swarm of stuff I’m working on (I won’t be blogging for the next few weeks), I’ll start figuring out how to revise Hot Earth Dreams. There’s still time to get your comments in, but the window is closing.

Now that it’s the day after Earth Day, what have I learned?

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What mass extinctions look like
April 19, 2016, 2:59 am
Filed under: 2016, climate change, coral reefs, Hot Earth Dreams, Oceania | Tags: , , ,

Another post, in part to remind myself that I’ll need to update the chapter on reefs in Hot Earth Dreams.  The bad news of March, at least in my opinion (aside from all the rain that didn’t fall on California) was that the bleaching of the northern section of the Great Barrier reef (as mentioned by, among many others, National Geographic, DW, Slate, CNN, and The University of Queensland.  Personally I like the last one the best, but tastes differ).

What’s going on, to be brief and oversimplify, is that coral have a temperature range, and the Coral Sea, or at least parts of it, are exceeding that range with this year’s El Niño.  By itself it’s a tragedy, and it’s one that’s going to leave a mark that’s bigger than you might think.

Here’s why.

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Yet Another Brief Update
April 8, 2016, 4:52 pm
Filed under: climate change | Tags:

Just a couple of items.  I’m busy with a small consulting gig and with the latest excremental explosion from the Board of Forestry (google California Board of Forestry Vegetation Treatment Program.  Or on second thought, don’t), so I’m not thinking deep thoughts about the future at the moment.  Here are a couple of shallow thoughts as an amuse tête. Continue reading →

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