Archive for the 'Global Warming' Category
FiRE (Future in Review) Day 2: Leadership, the Economy, Thorium, and Dolphins
So the day here in San Diego felt like sitting in the chair being hit by bullets of information. The format is that there are multiple back to back 1/2 hour segments with industry and thought leaders from around the world. I’m not even going to try to capture the day in total. But here’s [...]
FiRE (Future in Review) Day 1: The Speed of the Atmoshpere
I’m lucky enough to be the invited science fiction interviewee at FiRE, a conference that is not only about the future but about how to actually do the work to create a future we can thrive in. Today was registration, a cocktail party on a lawn by a beach, a lovely dinner, and a dinner [...]
What’s After Capitalism?
Kim Stanley Robinson got me thinking yet again when he posted this excellent article on post-capitalism. Post-capitalism, by the way, seems to be as well-defined as post-human. In other words, not. But we ought to start figuring out what happens next. Unregulated capitalism has problems. The most recent example is the current recession/depression/downturn. The images [...]
Scientific Choices and Climate Change: It’s All About Scale
I came across an article on CNN today about a new rice variant that will withstand longer floods. I immediately thought, “That’s perfect.” While there are a lot of climate change conversations going on right now, I want to simplify the suggestions to “big engineering” and “small engineering.” Do you remember either of the abortive [...]
Smart Power
Last week, I listened to energy futurist Jesse Berst talk. He spoke primarily of the smart grid. This post is not a recap of his speech per se, but certainly he gave me new ways to think about energy and some of that gift is what I’ll write about. If you get a chance to [...]
Energy Economics
This post is a result of post-panel musings from Orycon 30, the Oregon Science Fiction convention I just attended. I was actually on two panels discussing energy futures – What Happens if the Oil Runs Out? and Alternative Energies. Often a discussion gets you thinking about something you already know. There was some discussion of the [...]
Some signs of hope on the horizon
I went out for coffee this afternoon, and in the rainy fall bluster, the Tully’s I found was nearly full. I ended up sharing a seat with a gentleman who was dressed entirely too well for a Veteran’s Day holiday, so I asked him about it. Turns out the black suit was all about a [...]
Worldbuilding: We’re Doing It Now
This is the third installment in a set of blog posts about my current science fiction series. The first book, THE SILVER SHIP AND THE SEA, is now available in paperback. The sequel, READING THE WIND, will be out on July 22nd. Each post explores one way the books address a problem we are also [...]
Hurray for the Elements of Change
I’m pleased with the price of gas. Change is already happening. Our Mayor came back from a climate conference where one speaker said the measured particulates in the air are already slightly lower since gas went up. He said people cheered. Elementary economics: Price changes behavior. Global warming warning signs are coming faster and harder [...]
Reading Recommendation: Maximum Ride, The Final Warning by James Patterson
There are reasons Patterson is such a phenomenally successful writer. Among them is an ability to tap into our collective needs/angst as well as just managing pacing and hooks better than just about anyone else. Anyway, he hooked me through the latest edition of his Maximum Ride books. If you haven’t met Max yet, well, [...]
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