Climate Lynx

How to destroy the nation’s mental infrastructure. Behind the scenes our public servants attempt to make science based, moral decisions. Science based moral leaders in the EPA, the military, NOAA, NASA, and all federal agencies find it increasingly hard to function. In previous columns I have dropped many names of reputable public servants who have become casualties of our current administration. This time I am going to focus on one, an American patriot who has flown under my radar, Rear Admiral Tim Ziemer. Admiral Ziemer grew up the son of Christian Missionaries in Indochina. His father died in a North Vietnamese attack on the mission clinic during the Tet Offensive in 1968. In 1964 Tim Ziemer started studies at a religious college, Wheaton, in Illinois. After graduation he joined the Navy and became a helicopter pilot volunteering to fly in Vietnam. Z, as his fellow aviators called him, flew 550 missions over the Mekong Delta with the Sea Wolf Squadron. Some of his missions...

Two years ago, I promised to refrain from talking about the science of climate change because statistics tell us people form opinions based on political affiliations and not science. I think people are more curious than given credit for so I am breaking my promise. Since greenhouse gasses are causing rapid climate change it seems well worth the effort to explain the science. Let’s start by grabbing an empty box.   Is it really empty?   No, it has air in it.   If you analyzed the air in your “empty” box it would be 99% Nitrogen and Oxygen. Less than 1% is greenhouse gases (GHGs). GHGs include water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide, and a few other trace GHGs. Take a reflective substance like a mirror, put it in the bottom of the box and set the box outside in the sun. This would be a pretty good simulation of snow or ice reflection. The sunlight (light energy) passes through the air into the box hits the mirror and reflects back through the air heading for outer spac...

Celebrating teamwork, science, and individual excellence. I value teams. Not necessarily sport teams but teams that get jobs done. One of the most rewarding teams for me was the Puma Helicopter detachments I served with on Navy Military Sealift Command ships.   The detachments were comprised of five pilots and three mechanics on a ship of a couple hundred mariner teammates. Being part of a job well done was its own reward. A mission flying day started with an important act required by law. The lead engineer would bring the Captain the aircraft logbook and tell him the aircraft was airworthy. The Captain would put his signature next to the mechanics asserting he had made himself aware of all factors affecting the safety of the upcoming flight. This ceremony is important. It is not only a legal requirement, but a bond of trust between professionals never lost on me the thousands of times I participated in it. From the early 1970s and for the next 50 years the science commun...

This past weekend I joined fellow Citizen Climate Lobby members at the largest ski race in the country, the Birkiebeiner in Hayward WI.   We manned a booth at the Expo, and I was able to practice what I preach.   If you want to change people’s minds, start a conversation.   I started conversations for eight hours with some of the 10,000 attendees. It was rewarding because cross-country skiers know the score. Without human intervention to reduce emissions, skiing on natural snow will go away. I was preaching scientifically and morally to the choir. What made all of us happy was skiers saw Citizens Climate Lobby as an organization they could rally around to move the climate agenda forward in a non-partisan fashion. What was satisfying is cross-country skiers have, in just one year, become more comfortable talking about climate change.   Young skiers voiced appreciation and many skiers donated to Citizens Climate Lobby. I walked through the crowd delivering this p...