Reflections from the Chair, July 2021
The final week of June brought almost inconceivable levels of heat to the Pacific Northwest. A temperature of 121ºF in Canada?! Can any of us feel anything positive about this news, even as it confirms what we are constantly trying to make more people aware of? In the face of this grim reality, I want to […]
Gifts of Trees (by Maureen Kellen-Taylor, PhD)
We moved along the trail by the creek, drawn to each other to talk, and walk in matching gait, freed from arbitrarily assigned chat rooms.
Reflections form the Chair, June 2021
I am writing this time on Memorial Day, always a day of somber reflection for me. For those in the Chapter who are Facebook friends, you may have seen a very old photo that I posted today. It was taken 50 years ago, at which time I was serving in the Marine Corps. I was […]
America’s National Parks in a Hotter World
New York Times, May 19, 2021 By Zoë Schlanger For generations, the core mission of the National Park Service has been absolute conservation. Instructions to preserve iconic landscapes unchanged are inscribed in the founding documents of many parks. But what happens when climate change makes that impossible? Park managers have been asking themselves that question […]
Reflections from the Chair, May 2021
Responsibility Plus Relationship Equals Retention The Virtual US Training Program wrapped up May 7th. That was the final day for participants to complete the requirements to become a member of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps and earn their green ring. I had the privilege of serving as a Mentor Lead again. I worked with the […]
Reflections from the Chair – April 2021
I suddenly realized that we are 7 days into April, and I’m late with my monthly blog post. I think the delay reflects my “pressured” feeling that a great deal is going on both in the chapter and in Climate Reality nationally, and that has kept me very busy. At the same time, I need […]
Speak Out!
One way to speak out is to publish Letters to the Editor. On Sunday (3/7/21), the Dallas Morning News published a really terrible Op-Ed by Kenneth Hersch, Chief Executive of the George W Bush Presidential Center. His thesis was that investments in renewable energy had failed, so it’s time to switch to funding “adaptation.” (see […]
Reflections from the Chair, March 2021
A month ago, I shared some reflections, questions really, on why people join Climate Reality and what motivates them to stay involved. As we begin a new month, those questions are still very much on my mind; but they now have a particular focus. That focus is political activism. I have been reading Michael Mann’s […]
Reflections from the Chair, February 2021
Two of the enduring questions for me over the life of the chapter has been what brings people to Climate Reality and once they find the chapter what motivates them to stay involved. After more than 3 years as Chair, I don’t think I am any closer to an answer. Our membership rolls doubled in […]