By: Chandu Visweswariah Bill Gates’ book “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster” was published two weeks ago (Knopf, 2021). An easy read, an informative read, a well-written read, but having been immersed in climate-related literature for over a decade, my overwhelming response was, “Yawn, nothing really new here.” Nonetheless, pulling all the elements of climate stabilization into a single book…
Where on Earth is Dot tv?
By: Leo Wiegman As one of the youngest nations on Earth, Tuvalu could be among the first countries to disappear from the face of the Earth as rising sea levels render some islands uninhabitable. Just over 11,000 Tuvaluans live on the 9 atoll islands of Tuvalu. Tuvaluans have inhabited their archipelago for thousands of years. Located about midway between Hawaii and…
A Tale of Two (Local) Cities
By: Chandu Visweswariah “A Tale of Two Cities” is an 1859 historical novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. This blog is about the City of Ithaca, NY and the Town of Bedford, NY before and during the climate revolution. It has been a good week from a climate perspective as United…
Presidential Inauguration Meets Climate Action: Day 1 and Beyond
By: Patty L. Buchanan January 20 was a triumphant day for climate action. Starting with his Inaugural Speech, President Biden recognized that there is: Much to repair. Much to restore. Much to heal. Much to build. And much to gain. While calling out the multiple crises cascading upon us that we must push through to overcome, he promised that he…
The Confluence of Local and Global Climate Crisis Discourse
By: Patty L. Buchanan There was a recent notable confluence of local and global discourse on the climate crisis. On Sunday, January 10, Croton’s Care for Creation Ministry (C4C) hosted a remarkable program with 7 speakers to discuss climate stabilizing solutions percolating right here in Croton. On the same day, there was another program about the climate crisis that was live-streamed with…
The Incumbent Mirage
By: Chandu Visweswariah This past week I received numerous holiday greetings expressing a sentiment that the sender was glad to put 2020 in the rearview mirror. The assumption is that the vaccine is here, the election is over, and better days are ahead. Thanks to rigorous scientific advances and the magic of messenger Ribonucleic Acid (mRNA), we believe we will…
Let’s Make Sustainable Resolutions for 2021
By: Susan B. Buck Sustainable: 1. able to continue over a period of time. 2. causing little or no damage to the environment and therefore able to continue for a long time. (dictionary.cambridge.com) Resolution: 1. a firm decision to do or not to do something 2. the quality of being determined 3. the action of solving a problem, dispute, or contentious…
Long Cold Nights of Reflection for Longer Brighter Days Ahead
By Patty L. Buchanan. Image Credit: Kym Mackinnon, Unsplash This year-end-period with the longest and coldest nights brings a precious time for reflection. The quietest holiday season you may ever know shares time with so many circumstances that conjure the need for change. This time of reflection must be given its due. Image Credit: Fabrice-Villard, Unsplash This year of so…
UN Progress Report on Emissions; COVID Effects and Opportunities
By: Patty L. Buchanan The United Nations Environmental Program published a report this week analyzing global progress on reducing emissions, entitled the Emissions Gap Report 2020 (the Report). It’s mostly distressing news, with a few bright spots. Specifically, the Report considers how we are doing in meeting our 2030 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission reduction goals. It focuses on the gap between “where…
A Holiday Gift for our Planet – Reducing our waste
By: Shubir Kapoor The holiday season is upon us. Especially in this year of COVID-19, many of us are reflecting more deeply on those less fortunate and how we can help. While in this frame of mind, let’s also consider future generations who will be impacted by our actions today. Let’s leave them a legacy showing we cared. How we…
