A commenter on the ...andThenTheresPhysics blog has shared a terrific excerpt from a 100-year-old science book by Huxley and Gregory he found in his attic. It's about the greenhouse effect and how we knew way back then that adding CO2 to the atmosphere would increase the surface temperature on earth. The atmosphere surrounding the earth… Continue reading The age of science denial
Category: Climate change
Has Elon Musk solved the climate crisis?
I just watched this video of Elon Musk revealing Tesla's new "Powerwall", a battery pack for the home. The Powerwall can store energy from solar panels when the sun's shining and then deliver this stored energy to the home when it's dark. I have to say it sounds wonderful and Elon Musk had me convinced… Continue reading Has Elon Musk solved the climate crisis?
Cousins, Provence, wine-making, and climate change
I'm back in Aberdeen after an amazing trip to France for my sister's wedding. We landed in Aberdeen last night to heavy snow! I'm feeling very tired today and think I need a holiday to recover from my holiday 🙂 I got these nice photos of the cousins together yesterday: As we drove back… Continue reading Cousins, Provence, wine-making, and climate change
Rants: Zips, Tony Abbott, and wills
I feel like having a bit of a rant about a few things so if you don't like that kind of thing then feel free to stop reading. Zips. They're always getting stuck. They seem to be very poorly made these days and they always get stuck, usually when you're in a public changing room half-undressed and… Continue reading Rants: Zips, Tony Abbott, and wills
Duthie Park and ice shelves
I took this photo of Duthie Park today. I love watching the plants change as we move deeper into spring. There's about to be an explosion of green there as all the buds on the trees open up probably in the next week or so. Duthie Park is a gorgeous place: great for running, walking,… Continue reading Duthie Park and ice shelves
Ice-skating, The Satrosphere, and climate change
It has been a very sunny and warm 17°C today. We've been out on our bicycles and I must admit that it was almost a bit too hot. Whose idea was it to move to such a balmy climate? For me the range from 5°C-10°C is the best for cycling otherwise I get stinky armpits. We went to… Continue reading Ice-skating, The Satrosphere, and climate change
Ethical investments?
I just got around to joining the superannuation program offered by my employer in the UK and so I thought I'd investigate fossil fuel divestment. After all, I don't want my, er, £364 going into the pockets of fossil fuel companies. I'm sure fossil fuel companies are shivering with fear just at the thought of… Continue reading Ethical investments?
In praise of cinnamon buns and hydro power
I've just discovered something quite wonderful. Apparently the smell of cinnamon buns has been shown to increase blood flow to the penis. Just joking! I mean, it is true apparently, but that's not the wonderful thing I want to talk about. It was just a cheap shot to get your attention 🙂 Perhaps not quite as exciting as an… Continue reading In praise of cinnamon buns and hydro power
Global warming = smelly armpits
One of the best things about living in a cold climate is an almost complete absence of armpit stink. Women aren't supposed to get smelly armpits but we do in fact get just as smelly as men. Perhaps we have the heating too low in our home here in Scotland but for whatever reason, I find… Continue reading Global warming = smelly armpits
Pocket money and pedal power
Elizabeth wants to earn some pocket money so I told her that if she did some jobs around the house we'd give her some money. I suggested that she make her bed and tidy the bedroom so she disappeared for a little while and then came back and said: Elizabeth: Mum, I made my bed, I… Continue reading Pocket money and pedal power
How whales change climate
This is a wonderful 5 minute video about the many wonderful things whales do for our planet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M18HxXve3CM
I shave my armpits and the ice is still melting
I'm finding the school trip with Busby and two kids easier and easier. It's almost too short a journey for me now. Certain "Skeptics" (you know who you are) might mock me and my bicycle and all I have to say in response is that I have a damn fine set of legs now thanks to cycling everyday. So… Continue reading I shave my armpits and the ice is still melting
Thin Ice kickstarter campaign
Thin Ice is a brilliant documentary made by geologist and amateur cameraman, Simon Lamb. I've seen it a couple of times and it's my favourite climate science film. It's informative, clear, and it doesn't have the Hollywood drama of some of the other climate documentaries which is a good thing in my view. I think… Continue reading Thin Ice kickstarter campaign
Creepers against climate change
I'm feeling a bit disheartened. There were not very many people at the Auckland climate march. Maybe a few hundred? I feel a bit disappointed about this. Don't people care? It feels a bit like that right now. Perhaps I'm just down because it's the end of a week with lots of disappointing news. The people… Continue reading Creepers against climate change
What’s a country?
We're planning to attend the people's climate march in Auckland tomorrow despite having lots of other things to do like an open home to prepare for. I told the kids about it this afternoon and Daniel's response was: "How long will it take? Will I still get some Minecraft mods tomorrow?" 🙂 The recent Scottish referendum… Continue reading What’s a country?
My birthday, computer science, clouds, pauses, and helmets
I'm 39 tomorrow, boo hoo. Only one more year and I'm 40. That's scary. Apparently a new computer science curriculum has been launched in English schools as a replacement for the old ICT course. I think this is wonderful. Teaching children how to create software is far more useful than simply teaching them how to use it;… Continue reading My birthday, computer science, clouds, pauses, and helmets
Getting E. coli to make propane
Apparently some scientists have made propane in a lab with little more than the bacteria in our guts: E.coli. This is interesting for a number of reasons. It would make propane produced in this way a renewable fuel. You don't hear the words renewable and propane together in a sentence very often! It's also a synthetically… Continue reading Getting E. coli to make propane
Taking climate change to the streets
How do we get the majority of the population engaged with the problem of climate change? Apparently some young Australians don't even know what climate change is. How can this possibly be? There are plenty of websites about the topic: masses of them, in fact. But you can't force a disinterested person to go and read… Continue reading Taking climate change to the streets
What’s in store for your habitat?
What's going to happen to your habitat with a changing climate? I thought I'd skim through chapters 22 - 30 from IPCC report part II which deal with regional impacts. I actually wrote this quite a few months ago and never finished it but a recent post about the impacts of climate change at ...and… Continue reading What’s in store for your habitat?
I will be a hummingbird
This is a nice story with an important message. The world needs more hummingbirds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGMW6YWjMxw
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