Climate Lynx

Many of my columns have focused on ways to sharpen our thinking skills to recognize misinformation and avoid being conned or misled. At the end of this column are a list of websites constructed and made available to verify articles and social media posts. Abraham Lincoln believed in the American people’s ability to make wise decisions. That is if they were provided the truth. “If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts”.   President Lincoln recognized there is an obligation to deliver “real facts”. The “great point” today is there seems no end to the industry of lying. Facts have not been respected.   Social media has become a liar’s force multiplier. It is humiliating to think the lies we read on social media may not have even been written by a human but by a machine. These manufactured lies often multiply like viruses via bots and people mindlessly clicking “like”. Computer algorithms select ...

The SISU cross country ski festival was held on the 6 th and 7 th of January and was a great success. I know this firsthand because I interacted with many of the 800 racers and their families. SISU is a well-oiled machine after 15 years of putting on this premier race. Racers had nothing but wonderful things to say about the professional grooming, great organization, and first-class amenities. It was rewarding for me too. The SISU board invited “Protect Our Winters” to participate so I and some of my climate committed friends manned a booth in the Memorial Building and talked skiing and snow with the racers. Protect Our Winters is committed to ending the warming of the climate by fossil fuels. Their Mission is to help passionate outdoor people protect the places we live and lifestyles we love from climate change. They are a community of athletes, scientists, creatives, and business leaders advancing non-partisan policies that protect our world today and for future generations. ...