Monthly Archives: April 2011

As I write this, Tuscaloosa and Birmingham are reeling from earlier blows today. Huntsville is hunkered down. The DC area is scrambling to pick itself back up, taking advantage of a breather between storms. Ithaca is bracing for the worst. … Continue reading →

Day 3 of the AMS Washington Forum? It’s all about making a difference, through the mastery of “difference.” Huh? What does that mean? To see, let’s look at each session. The Nationwide Network of Networks Stakeholders. We’ve discussed this before. … Continue reading →

Day 1 of the AMS Washington Forum provides a look at where things stand – with the Congress and with federal agencies, and with two major national initiatives. The first – the National Climate Assessment – challenges government, the private … Continue reading →

Google the phrase “butterfly effect,” and you’ll learn this term describes sensitivity to initial conditions in chaotic systems. A little pointy-headed? A tiny bit abstract? Not at all. One familiar and important example: Earth’s weather. We owe the phrase and … Continue reading →

Today St. Louis suffers, but breathes a sigh of relief. Last night a storm moving through the area spawned high winds, hail, and one or (possibly) more tornadoes that destroyed dozens of homes and hit the main terminal building of … Continue reading →

Today is Earth Day! Lots to think and talk about, but before we dive in, just out of curiosity…at what point today, and in what way, did you first consciously remember this? Was it some firsthand experience with nature…you were … Continue reading →

Living on the real world is getting tough. Resource extraction is more difficult. The rate of habitat loss, reduction in biodiversity, and environmental degradation are picking up speed. Age-old hazards pose greater risks, and new hazards bring new dangers. This … Continue reading →

“The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the Lord God said, ‘The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach … Continue reading →

What do you think about our (that is, humanity’s) future on the Earth? Why? How about those around you? What do they think? Do you share their views? Would you characterize those as optimistic? Pessimistic? Or in between? Do these … Continue reading →

This past weekend, millions of Americans have been preoccupied with Monday’s deadline for filing their 2010 federal income taxes. But from Thursday through Saturday, those who had any spare time to look out the window or turn on the news … Continue reading →