Climate Lynx

  "It’s just a cycle, right?"   H ave you heard this? It is a common response by many when I start a conversation about climate change. Many people “believe” we are at a hot point in a natural ice age cycle.   Before I launch into my explanation of why the current gnarly worldwide weather is not caused a cycles, let me acknowledge it is not easy to grasp the science. I am giving you my best shot.     There is renowned scientist, Katherine Hayhoe, who has a science series on You Tube called, “Global Weirding”. She has been awarded for her communication skill so if you find her explanations easier to understand you cannot go wrong sticking with her. For a very thorough but straightforward presentation on why the climate is no longer the result of a natural cycles search: “Katherine Hayhoe .   This is all just a part of a natural cycle, right”.     To be clear there are many cycles that influence us such as the solar and lunar cycles, ...

As the global community confronts the pressing challenges of climate change and the transition to sustainable energy, Bill Gates has emerged as a prominent advocate for nuclear power. His involvement in new modern atomic power is one of his strategic efforts to leverage advanced technologies for a cleaner, more reliable energy future.   In 2015, Mr. Gates spearheaded "Breakthrough Energy," gathering a consortium of 28 high net-worth individuals (multi-billionaires) to accelerate innovation in sustainable energy and in other technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It invests in various startup companies attempting to commercialize new concepts such as nuclear fusion, large-capacity batteries, and microbe-generated biofuels.   One focus on nuclear energy, mainly through his company TerraPower, highlights his belief in the potential of advanced nuclear reactors to meet the world's growing energy demands while significantly reducing carbon emis...

In the race to save the planet, scientists are leading the charge to not only ditch coal, oil, and gas but to find ways to suck CO2 out of the air. Governments are funding high-tech solutions like direct air capture. CO2 is pulled out of the air with machines and pumped deep underground. But a low-tech solution may steal the show. We have a prime low-tech option called volcanic rock. One property of volcanic rock is it is a natural absorber of carbon dioxide. It has worked well for as long as there have been volcanoes and rain. Rain combines with atmospheric CO2 and forms carbonic acid. Some silicate minerals dissolve when slightly acid rain falls on volcanic rock. This is called weathering. When it happens, bicarbonate forms, which naturally drains down riverways to the ocean, settling on the ocean floor, or used by corals, clams, and many other sea creatures to make their shells and skeletons? You can speed up the process. Finely ground volcanic rock weathers quickly when applied...

I listened to the Biden-Trump Debate on the radio. For ten years, scientists and climate activists, including me, have been writing to debate media hosts requesting they ask the hard questions on climate. As a radio listener to the debate, I did not see either the President or the X-President. From listening, my impression was that Mr. Trump had decided he would ignore any question he did not care to answer by switching topics. While Mr. Trump was talking, I was continually asking myself, "I cannot keep up with all the statements. Are any of them true? How can anyone counter so many potential lies in the short time allotted?" Unbeknownst to me, this debate style, one where you shoot out as many lines of nonsense as you can, has a name. Professor Heather Cox Richardson describes it well. "It went on and on, and that was the point. This was not a debate. It was Trump using a technique that actually has a formal name, the Gish gallop, although I suspect he comes by it n...