Warming Revives Dream of Sea Route in Russian Arctic

The New York Times, October 17, 2011

ARKHANGELSK, Russia — Rounding the northernmost tip of Russia in his oceangoing tugboat this summer, Capt. Vladimir V. Bozanov saw plenty of walruses, some pods of beluga whales and in the distance a few icebergs. With an icebreaker leading the way, the Vladimir Tikhonov, carrying gas condensate, passed Cape Dezhnev in late August.
One thing Captain Bozanov did not encounter while towing an industrial barge 2,300 miles across the Arctic Ocean was solid ice blocking his path anywhere along the route. Ten years ago, he said, an ice-free passage, even at the peak of summer, was exceptionally rare.But environmental scientists say there is now no doubt that global warming is shrinking the Arctic ice pack, opening new sea lanes and making the few previously navigable routes near shore accessible more months of the year. And whatever the grim environmental repercussions of greenhouse gas, companies in Russia and other countries around the Arctic Ocean are mining that dark cloud’s silver lining by finding new opportunities for commerce and trade.Read more...

Is the environmental crisis caused by the 7 billion or the 1%?

Grist, November 1, 2011

The world population surpassed 7 billion yesterday. But how much does that matter? Ian Angus and Simon Butler argue that the richest 1% are the real problem. Dave Foreman, on the other hand, contends that all people pose a threat to wild animals and ecosystems. Also: Bill McKibben weighs in on climate and population, and Roger Martin questions the ethics of having more than two kids.

Climate science vs. climate economics

Grist, February 09, 2011

As I see it, there are two incommensurate stories being told about climate change. I'm not talking about the largely fake debate between those who say climate change is happening and human-driven (scientists) and those who say it isn't (the GOP). I'm talking about two different ways of envisioning what we can expect in a climate-changed future, both of which exist among people who take climate change seriously. Sometimes they take up residence in the same head! Like, er, mine. But they don't fit together very well. One comes to us from science, the other from economics. Read more...