Solar eclipse to unite science students worldwide

Partial solar eclipse of March 8-9, 2016 via Fred Espenak/ NASA GSFC.

By Graham Jones of www.tensentences.com

Science is one of the few things in the world that truly transcends national borders. November, 2015, for example, marked 15 years of continuous human habitation aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the orbiting laboratory operated by five space agencies. Yet cross-border communication is never without its difficulties. Julie Robinson, NASA’s chief scientist for the ISS, tells the story about the time JAXA, the Japanese space agency, asked NASA to collaborate on a piece of equipment. The Americans thought that the Japanese wanted to collaborate on building the equipment; they went back with some questions. At one point in the discussion, NASA suddenly realized that JAXA didn’t want help building it. It was already built. JAXA had actually been asking if NASA wanted to collaborate on using the equipment. Dr Robinson commented:

The thing is, the discussion had been going on for two years before anyone realized.

The global nature of science, plus the challenge of global communication, are two central ideas behind a project organized by tensentences.com that will bring together university students in Indonesia and Japan – and elsewhere in the world – in 2016. A series of Global Communication and Science workshops will help students of all subjects improve their English-language skills, and gain a deeper appreciation of the wonders of science. The project will also connect Indonesian and Japanese students online for a series of cross-border teamworking activities.

The theme of the workshops is the forthcoming solar eclipse of March 8-9 2016, which will be a partial eclipse in large areas of East Asia, South-East Asia, Australia and Hawaii, and a total eclipse along a narrow path of totality running across the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and North Maluku. (Note: in Hawaii, the partial eclipse will take place during the two hours before sunset on March 8, while in Asia it’ll be March 9)

A solar eclipse – which, generally speaking, happens somewhere in the world two or three times a year – is one of the most spectacular things in science. It is a unique and powerful teachable moment; it is, literally, a stellar opportunity to educate and inspire.

The host university in Indonesia is Tadulako University in Palu, Central Sulawesi, which will experience two minutes of totality. Marsetyo Marsetyo, the head of the university’s international office, said:

More than 3,000 scientists from around the world will be coming to Palu to observe the eclipse.

For two minutes on the morning of March 9, 2016, Palu will be the center of the scientific world. So this really is a golden opportunity for our students to think about global communication and science.

Garuda Indonesia, the national airline of Indonesia, is sponsoring the workshops as part of its community development program. Fikdanel Thaufik, the airline’s vice-president for Japan, Korea and the U.S. said:

Education is a key part of our commitment to corporate social responsibility.

We are delighted to be supporting this project, which will build bridges between students in Indonesia and Japan, and help students to become more effective global citizens.

The workshops will be a mixture of science, astronomy and language activities, including script read-throughs of science-fiction movies.

An online part of the program, which will give students the opportunity to collaborate in cross-border groups, will also involve universities that are preparing for eclipses beyond March 9, 2015. These include the University of Mahajanga in Madagascar – an island off the southeast coast of Africa – where students will witness two-and-a-half minutes of annularity during an annular eclipse on September 1, 2016.

Looking even further ahead, 2017 will bring two solar eclipses. One is the annular eclipse of February 26, 2017, across parts of Chile, Argentina, Angola, Zambia and the Congo. Then there is what some are calling the Great American Eclipse of August 21, 2017, where the path of totality will run coast to coast from Oregon to South Carolina.

If your school, college or university is interested in joining the Global Communication and Science project, please contact us at www.tensentences.com.

A science competition held at Tadulako University earlier this year. Indonesia – the fourth most populous country in the world – is keen to propel itself forward within international science. Image via Mawan Kurniawan/ Metro Sulawesi/ Graham Jones.

Bottom line: Tadulako University and Garuda Indonesia are helping to support a series of English-language workshops in Indonesia and Japan to mark the solar eclipse of March 9, 2016.

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1LIcksK

Partial solar eclipse of March 8-9, 2016 via Fred Espenak/ NASA GSFC.

By Graham Jones of www.tensentences.com

Science is one of the few things in the world that truly transcends national borders. November, 2015, for example, marked 15 years of continuous human habitation aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the orbiting laboratory operated by five space agencies. Yet cross-border communication is never without its difficulties. Julie Robinson, NASA’s chief scientist for the ISS, tells the story about the time JAXA, the Japanese space agency, asked NASA to collaborate on a piece of equipment. The Americans thought that the Japanese wanted to collaborate on building the equipment; they went back with some questions. At one point in the discussion, NASA suddenly realized that JAXA didn’t want help building it. It was already built. JAXA had actually been asking if NASA wanted to collaborate on using the equipment. Dr Robinson commented:

The thing is, the discussion had been going on for two years before anyone realized.

The global nature of science, plus the challenge of global communication, are two central ideas behind a project organized by tensentences.com that will bring together university students in Indonesia and Japan – and elsewhere in the world – in 2016. A series of Global Communication and Science workshops will help students of all subjects improve their English-language skills, and gain a deeper appreciation of the wonders of science. The project will also connect Indonesian and Japanese students online for a series of cross-border teamworking activities.

The theme of the workshops is the forthcoming solar eclipse of March 8-9 2016, which will be a partial eclipse in large areas of East Asia, South-East Asia, Australia and Hawaii, and a total eclipse along a narrow path of totality running across the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and North Maluku. (Note: in Hawaii, the partial eclipse will take place during the two hours before sunset on March 8, while in Asia it’ll be March 9)

A solar eclipse – which, generally speaking, happens somewhere in the world two or three times a year – is one of the most spectacular things in science. It is a unique and powerful teachable moment; it is, literally, a stellar opportunity to educate and inspire.

The host university in Indonesia is Tadulako University in Palu, Central Sulawesi, which will experience two minutes of totality. Marsetyo Marsetyo, the head of the university’s international office, said:

More than 3,000 scientists from around the world will be coming to Palu to observe the eclipse.

For two minutes on the morning of March 9, 2016, Palu will be the center of the scientific world. So this really is a golden opportunity for our students to think about global communication and science.

Garuda Indonesia, the national airline of Indonesia, is sponsoring the workshops as part of its community development program. Fikdanel Thaufik, the airline’s vice-president for Japan, Korea and the U.S. said:

Education is a key part of our commitment to corporate social responsibility.

We are delighted to be supporting this project, which will build bridges between students in Indonesia and Japan, and help students to become more effective global citizens.

The workshops will be a mixture of science, astronomy and language activities, including script read-throughs of science-fiction movies.

An online part of the program, which will give students the opportunity to collaborate in cross-border groups, will also involve universities that are preparing for eclipses beyond March 9, 2015. These include the University of Mahajanga in Madagascar – an island off the southeast coast of Africa – where students will witness two-and-a-half minutes of annularity during an annular eclipse on September 1, 2016.

Looking even further ahead, 2017 will bring two solar eclipses. One is the annular eclipse of February 26, 2017, across parts of Chile, Argentina, Angola, Zambia and the Congo. Then there is what some are calling the Great American Eclipse of August 21, 2017, where the path of totality will run coast to coast from Oregon to South Carolina.

If your school, college or university is interested in joining the Global Communication and Science project, please contact us at www.tensentences.com.

A science competition held at Tadulako University earlier this year. Indonesia – the fourth most populous country in the world – is keen to propel itself forward within international science. Image via Mawan Kurniawan/ Metro Sulawesi/ Graham Jones.

Bottom line: Tadulako University and Garuda Indonesia are helping to support a series of English-language workshops in Indonesia and Japan to mark the solar eclipse of March 9, 2016.

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1LIcksK

Skyfall

View larger. | Composite image, acquired during the 2015 August Perseid meteor shower, by Matt Dieterich. He calls the photo ‘Skyfall.’ Visit Matt’s website or Facebook page.

Matt Dieterich submitted this composite image to EarthSky this week. It’s from the 2015 Perseid meteor shower in August, typically one of the year’s best showers. Matt wrote:

Talk about a night to remember! The morning of Thursday August 13, 2015 the Perseid meteor shower peaked. I was working at Mt. Rainier National Park and created this image from a 2-hour-long time-lapse video to record as many Perseid meteors as possible.

The alignment of our Milky Way was situated perfectly vertical over Mount Rainier, an active volcano.

Between 2 and 5am we counted over 200 meteors! Unfortunately, the camera recorded only about 40 of them.

Nikon D750 and Rokinon 24mm F/1.4

Each image with a meteor was manually aligned on one main star field to place meteors in their respective locations in the night sky.

Thank you, Matt!

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1QOVlwW

View larger. | Composite image, acquired during the 2015 August Perseid meteor shower, by Matt Dieterich. He calls the photo ‘Skyfall.’ Visit Matt’s website or Facebook page.

Matt Dieterich submitted this composite image to EarthSky this week. It’s from the 2015 Perseid meteor shower in August, typically one of the year’s best showers. Matt wrote:

Talk about a night to remember! The morning of Thursday August 13, 2015 the Perseid meteor shower peaked. I was working at Mt. Rainier National Park and created this image from a 2-hour-long time-lapse video to record as many Perseid meteors as possible.

The alignment of our Milky Way was situated perfectly vertical over Mount Rainier, an active volcano.

Between 2 and 5am we counted over 200 meteors! Unfortunately, the camera recorded only about 40 of them.

Nikon D750 and Rokinon 24mm F/1.4

Each image with a meteor was manually aligned on one main star field to place meteors in their respective locations in the night sky.

Thank you, Matt!

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1QOVlwW

Sun enters Ophiuchus on November 30

You can’t see the constellation Ophiuchus when the sun lies in front of it. But, each Northern Hemisphere summer, you’ll find this constellation to the north of the bright star Antares in the constellation Scorpius.

November 30, 2015. If you could see the stars in the daytime, you’d see the sun shining in front of the border of the constellations Ophiuchus and Scorpius on this date. The sun crosses a constellation boundary, into Ophiuchus, on November 30, 2015, at 7 a.m. CST in the central U.S. That’s 13 hours UTC on November 30.

At about this time each year, the sun passes out of Scorpius to enter Ophiuchus. Like Scorpius, Ophiuchus is a constellation of the Zodiac … but unlike Scorpius, Ophiuchus is not one of the traditional twelve zodiacal constellations.

The sun will remain in front of Ophiuchus until December 18.

The ecliptic – which translates on our sky’s dome as the sun’s annual path in front of the background stars – actually passes through 13 constellations, although this is not commonly known. After all, when you read the horoscope in the daily newspaper or a monthly magazine, you see only 12 constellations, or signs, mentioned. No one ever claims to be an Ophiuchus.

There are the 12 traditional zodiacal constellations. But the sun passes through Ophiuchus as surely as it does the others.

Today’s constellation boundaries were drawn out by the International Astronomical Union in the 1930s.

View larger. | Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.

Look at the chart carefully, and you’ll see that the border between Ophiuchus and the constellation Scorpius for the most part lies just south of, or below, the ecliptic. In ancient times, the Ophuichus-Scorpius border was likely placed to the north of, or above, the ecliptic. Had the International Astronomical Union placed its constellation boundary where the ancients might have, the sun’s annual passing in front of Scorpius would be from about November 23 till December 18, not November 23 to November 30.

Bottom line: As seen from Earth, the sun passes in front of the constellation Ophiuchus each year from about November 30 to December 18. In 2015, the sun enters Ophiuchus on November 30 at 7 a.m. CST (13 hours UTC on November 30).

Birthday late November to middle December? Here’s your constellation

EarthSky astronomy kits are perfect for beginners. Order today from the EarthSky store

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1l1yQbj

You can’t see the constellation Ophiuchus when the sun lies in front of it. But, each Northern Hemisphere summer, you’ll find this constellation to the north of the bright star Antares in the constellation Scorpius.

November 30, 2015. If you could see the stars in the daytime, you’d see the sun shining in front of the border of the constellations Ophiuchus and Scorpius on this date. The sun crosses a constellation boundary, into Ophiuchus, on November 30, 2015, at 7 a.m. CST in the central U.S. That’s 13 hours UTC on November 30.

At about this time each year, the sun passes out of Scorpius to enter Ophiuchus. Like Scorpius, Ophiuchus is a constellation of the Zodiac … but unlike Scorpius, Ophiuchus is not one of the traditional twelve zodiacal constellations.

The sun will remain in front of Ophiuchus until December 18.

The ecliptic – which translates on our sky’s dome as the sun’s annual path in front of the background stars – actually passes through 13 constellations, although this is not commonly known. After all, when you read the horoscope in the daily newspaper or a monthly magazine, you see only 12 constellations, or signs, mentioned. No one ever claims to be an Ophiuchus.

There are the 12 traditional zodiacal constellations. But the sun passes through Ophiuchus as surely as it does the others.

Today’s constellation boundaries were drawn out by the International Astronomical Union in the 1930s.

View larger. | Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.

Look at the chart carefully, and you’ll see that the border between Ophiuchus and the constellation Scorpius for the most part lies just south of, or below, the ecliptic. In ancient times, the Ophuichus-Scorpius border was likely placed to the north of, or above, the ecliptic. Had the International Astronomical Union placed its constellation boundary where the ancients might have, the sun’s annual passing in front of Scorpius would be from about November 23 till December 18, not November 23 to November 30.

Bottom line: As seen from Earth, the sun passes in front of the constellation Ophiuchus each year from about November 30 to December 18. In 2015, the sun enters Ophiuchus on November 30 at 7 a.m. CST (13 hours UTC on November 30).

Birthday late November to middle December? Here’s your constellation

EarthSky astronomy kits are perfect for beginners. Order today from the EarthSky store

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1l1yQbj

Around the Web: Some readings on Climate Change, Canada and COP21 [Confessions of a Science Librarian]

I think this post might signal the birth of a new all-consuming blogging obsession — climate change in general and specifically how the realities of climate change play out in the Canadian context, especially as it relates to public policy.

With the COP21 climate talks coming up in Paris, this seems like as good a time as any to focus more carefully and closely on what is probably the most defining issue of our times.

Not that this is the first time I’ve blogged about climate change. I’ve kept track of the issues fairly closely over the years and that has spilled into the blog, mostly in the form of the occasional book review such as:

• Love in the Time of Climate Change by Brian Adams
• The Cartoon Guide to Climate Change by Grady Klein and Yoram Bauman
• Climate Changed: A Personal Journey through the Science by Philippe Squarzoni
• This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs the Climate by Naomi Klein
• Who We Are: Reflections on My Life and Canada by Elizabeth May
• Bold Scientists: Dispatches From The Battle For Honest Science by Michael Riordan
• How to fake a moon landing: Exposing the myths of science denial by Darryl Cunningham
• Keystone XL: Down the Line by Steven Mufson
• Cooler smarter: Practical steps for low carbon living by The Union of Concerned Scientists
• Deep Water: As Polar Ice Melts, Scientists Debate How High Our Oceans Will Rise by Daniel Grossman
• Green Metropolis: Why Living Smaller, Living Closer, and Driving Less Are the Keys to Sustainability by David Owen
• The Story of Stuff: How Our Obsession with Stuff Is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health-and a Vision for Change by Annie Leonard
• Why Your World Is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller: Oil and the End of Globalization by Jeff Rubin
• Raising Steaks: The Life and Times of American Beef by Betty Fussell
• Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating with More Than 75 Recipes by Mark Bittman

And even a post on Climate Change Fiction, which has turned out to be one of my most popular ever. Not to mention that items on climate change have turned up in my Around the Web posts a number of times such as here and here.

And of course, one of the driving forces for my Canadian War on Science mega-obsession series of posts was the Harper government’s shameful record on climate change.

Needless to say, my purpose here isn’t to cheer on the Trudeau government in whatever it decides to do, though obviously they will very likely do better than the previous government. Holding them to account to failures and bad decisions and perhaps pointing the way to better policies is just as much my mission here.

So here goes. A fairly selective series of readings about climate change, Canada and COP21. With more to come.

• 2014.03.05. Pentagon Calls Climate Change Impacts “Threat Multipliers,” Could Enable Terrorism
• 2014.03.05. Water, Drought, Climate Change, and Conflict in Syria
• 2014.10.14. Pentagon Report: U.S. Military Considers Climate Change a ‘Threat Multiplier’ That Could Exacerbate Terrorism
• 2014.10.21. Harper Named World’s ‘Worst Climate Villain’ After Damning Report

   

• 2015.01.07. Climate change study says most of Canada’s oil reserves should be left underground
• 2015.01.07. Why leaving fossil fuels in the ground is good for everyone
• 2015.01.07. Leave fossil fuels buried to prevent climate change, study urges
• 2015.01.07. Oil sands must remain largely unexploited to meet climate target, study finds
• 2015.01.07. How Much Fuel We Need To Leave Buried To Beat Climate Change
• 2015.01.07. Where in the World Are the Fossil Fuels That Cannot Be Burned to Restrain Global Warming?
• 2015.01.08. The geographical distribution of fossil fuels unused when limiting global warming to 2 °C
• 2015.01.19. Looking ahead to the COP 21 climate summit in Paris

   

• 2015.02.09. Canada is going to the polls, you won’t believe what this might mean for climate change

   

• 2015.03.02. Climate Change Helped Spark Syrian War, Study Says
• 2015.03.31. Canada Will Miss Its Climate Target And We’ll All Miss Out

   

• 2015.06.xx. Is a Lack of Water to Blame for the Conflict in Syria?
• 2015.06.10. Pope’s call for action on climate change has shifted US views
• 2015.06.18. The 5 Most Important Points of Pope Francis’s Climate Change Encyclical
• 2015.06.18. Pope Francis Urges Climate-Change Action in Encyclical
• 2015.06.21. Exegesis of Pope Francis’s encyclical call for action on climate change

   

• 2015.07.08. UN Security Council Meeting on Climate Change as a Threat Multiplier for Global Security

   

• 2015.08.07. Linda McQuaig says oilsands ‘may have to be left in the ground’
• 2015.08.09. Linda McQuaig is right: Leave the oil in the soil
• 2015.08.09. NDP candidate Linda McQuaig’s comment on oilsands stirs up hornet’s nest
• 2015.08.09. NDP candidate under fire for saying ‘oilsands oil may have to stay in the ground’ to meet climate change targets
• 2015.08.11. Harper and Trudeau attack NDP candidate McQuaig for stating a scientific fact
• 2015.08.12. Most tar sands oil will stay in the ground, and Harper knows it
• 2015.08.12. On Linda McQuaig’s comments, Carbon budgets, and keeping oil sands “in the ground”
• 2015.08.21. Boreal forest being driven to tipping point by climate change, study finds
• 2015.08.24. Yes, some oil will have to stay in the ground
• 2015.08.25. Pentagon Issues Scary Climate Security Report, as Russia Lays Claim to Vast Arctic Territory

   

• 2015.09.07. How Climate Change is Behind the Surge of Migrants to Europe
• 2015.09.15. [Leap] Manifesto backed by prominent NDP supporters released ahead of election
• 2015.09.17. The Leap Manifesto isn’t radical. It’s a way out of Canada’s head-in-the-sand politics
• 2015.09.23. As a scientist, is the pope dodging the biggest contributor to climate change?
• 2015.09.24. Pope’s climate push is ‘raving nonsense’ without population control, says top US scientist
• 2015.09.27. Is David Keith’s climate solution genius or madness?
• 2015.09.29. Climate Justice Movement Highlights Women as ‘Key’ to Climate Solutions

   

• 2015.10.06. The Canadian Election and the Global Climate Crisis
• 2015.10.12. NATO: Climate Change Poses Significant Threat Multipliers
• 2015.10.13. Einstein easier to understand than IPCC’s climate-change language, study says
• 2015.10.26. Extreme heatwaves could push Gulf climate beyond human endurance, study shows
• 2015.10.27. No, Climate Change Won’t Make the Persian Gulf “Uninhabitable”

   

• 2015.11.xx. Canada’s Role at COP21
• 2015.11.02. Oil and Gas Industry Publicly Supports Climate Action While Secretly Subverting Process, New Analysis Shows
• 2015.11.04. Canada Now Has a Minister of Environment AND Climate Change
• 2015.11.04. Hillary Clinton: Climate change has contributed to refugee crises, including Syria
• 2015.11.05. Canada’s New Climate Change Minister ‘Excited’ To Tackle Emissions. Is this For Real?!
• 2015.11.05. Middle East may be uninhabitable this century due to deadly heat, study finds
• 2015.11.08. Persian Gulf temperatures may be at the edge of human tolerance in 30 years
• 2015.11.10. Trudeau government continues to refuse to commit to climate action specifics
• 2015.11.10. Fossil Fuel Industry’s Bad Behaviour in Spotlight During Run-up to Paris Climate Negotiations
• 2015.11.12. Entire Liberal cabinet responsible for climate-change agenda: Dion
• 2015.11.12. Meet the Climate Scientists Travelling by Bike and Foot from the Poles to Paris
• 2015.11.13. Minister of Environment and Climate Change Ministerial Mandate Letter
• 2015.11.15. Why Climate Change and Terrorism Are Connected
• 2015.11.19. Canada has consistently failed to deliver, but it’s not too late for us to make a major contribution at the climate summit in Paris.
• 2015.11.20. The First Thing Canada Can Do in Paris is Admit Why UN Climate Talks Have Failed for Two Decades
• 2015.11.22. Alberta’s Climate Plan: Game Changed
• 2015.11.22. Alberta’s climate change strategy targets carbon, coal, emissions
• 2015.11.22. Reaction to Alberta’s ‘ambitious’ climate change plan
• 2015.11.23. COP21: What is Canada’s role?
• 2015.11.23. What Prince Charles gets wrong – and right – about climate change and conflict in Syria
• 2015.11.23. Unlikely source bolsters Canada’s pledge for climate action
• 2015.11.24. ‘It’s a New Day’: Why Environmentalists Need to Change Their Strategy Under Trudeau Government
• 2015.11.24. Canada’s message at COP21
• 2015.11.26. Is the Paris climate conference part of the solution or part of the problem?
• 2015.11.26. Pope Francis Warns Against Special Interests Derailing Climate Talks
• 2015.11.26. Pope, in Africa, says failure of climate summit would be catastrophic
• 2015.11.26. Canada can help make the Paris climate agreement a strong one
• 2015.11.27. Energy and environmental economist on Alberta’s new climate strategy
• 2015.11.27. Alberta’s carbon tax plan ‘one more reason why the Western Canadian oilfield is going to slowly die’
• 2015.11.27. Canadians back bold climate-change action, poll finds
• 2015.11.27. Canada backs U.S., saying carbon-reduction targets shouldn’t be legally binding
• 2015.11.28. Justin Trudeau optimistic heading into Paris climate change talks
• 2015.11.28. COP21: Pope’s adviser urges Catholics to join climate marches
• 2015.11.28. Alberta’s new carbon direction is just, and just in time
• 2015.11.28. Three pillars of a sustainable Canadian energy infrastructure
• 2015.11.28. Trudeau to press India on climate change in Paris
• 2015.11.28. It’s adapt or die for Canada’s energy sector
• 2015.11.28. Canada should re-ratify Kyoto, says Elizabeth May
• 2015.11.28. Rachel Notley will sell a ‘different’ Alberta at climate change talks
• 2015.11.28. Premier prepared to show world a different Alberta at Paris climate change conference
• 2015.11.29. Climate change a low priority for most Canadians: Ipsos poll
• 2015.11.29. Pope Talks to Africa About Poverty, Climate, Greed
• 2015.11.29. Is climate change really to blame for Syria’s civil war?
• 2015.11.29. How Canada can move beyond empty promises in Paris

As usual, if I’ve made any errors of if I’m missing anything significant, please let me know in the comments.

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1OyJ0JP

I think this post might signal the birth of a new all-consuming blogging obsession — climate change in general and specifically how the realities of climate change play out in the Canadian context, especially as it relates to public policy.

With the COP21 climate talks coming up in Paris, this seems like as good a time as any to focus more carefully and closely on what is probably the most defining issue of our times.

Not that this is the first time I’ve blogged about climate change. I’ve kept track of the issues fairly closely over the years and that has spilled into the blog, mostly in the form of the occasional book review such as:

• Love in the Time of Climate Change by Brian Adams
• The Cartoon Guide to Climate Change by Grady Klein and Yoram Bauman
• Climate Changed: A Personal Journey through the Science by Philippe Squarzoni
• This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs the Climate by Naomi Klein
• Who We Are: Reflections on My Life and Canada by Elizabeth May
• Bold Scientists: Dispatches From The Battle For Honest Science by Michael Riordan
• How to fake a moon landing: Exposing the myths of science denial by Darryl Cunningham
• Keystone XL: Down the Line by Steven Mufson
• Cooler smarter: Practical steps for low carbon living by The Union of Concerned Scientists
• Deep Water: As Polar Ice Melts, Scientists Debate How High Our Oceans Will Rise by Daniel Grossman
• Green Metropolis: Why Living Smaller, Living Closer, and Driving Less Are the Keys to Sustainability by David Owen
• The Story of Stuff: How Our Obsession with Stuff Is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health-and a Vision for Change by Annie Leonard
• Why Your World Is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller: Oil and the End of Globalization by Jeff Rubin
• Raising Steaks: The Life and Times of American Beef by Betty Fussell
• Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating with More Than 75 Recipes by Mark Bittman

And even a post on Climate Change Fiction, which has turned out to be one of my most popular ever. Not to mention that items on climate change have turned up in my Around the Web posts a number of times such as here and here.

And of course, one of the driving forces for my Canadian War on Science mega-obsession series of posts was the Harper government’s shameful record on climate change.

Needless to say, my purpose here isn’t to cheer on the Trudeau government in whatever it decides to do, though obviously they will very likely do better than the previous government. Holding them to account to failures and bad decisions and perhaps pointing the way to better policies is just as much my mission here.

So here goes. A fairly selective series of readings about climate change, Canada and COP21. With more to come.

• 2014.03.05. Pentagon Calls Climate Change Impacts “Threat Multipliers,” Could Enable Terrorism
• 2014.03.05. Water, Drought, Climate Change, and Conflict in Syria
• 2014.10.14. Pentagon Report: U.S. Military Considers Climate Change a ‘Threat Multiplier’ That Could Exacerbate Terrorism
• 2014.10.21. Harper Named World’s ‘Worst Climate Villain’ After Damning Report

   

• 2015.01.07. Climate change study says most of Canada’s oil reserves should be left underground
• 2015.01.07. Why leaving fossil fuels in the ground is good for everyone
• 2015.01.07. Leave fossil fuels buried to prevent climate change, study urges
• 2015.01.07. Oil sands must remain largely unexploited to meet climate target, study finds
• 2015.01.07. How Much Fuel We Need To Leave Buried To Beat Climate Change
• 2015.01.07. Where in the World Are the Fossil Fuels That Cannot Be Burned to Restrain Global Warming?
• 2015.01.08. The geographical distribution of fossil fuels unused when limiting global warming to 2 °C
• 2015.01.19. Looking ahead to the COP 21 climate summit in Paris

   

• 2015.02.09. Canada is going to the polls, you won’t believe what this might mean for climate change

   

• 2015.03.02. Climate Change Helped Spark Syrian War, Study Says
• 2015.03.31. Canada Will Miss Its Climate Target And We’ll All Miss Out

   

• 2015.06.xx. Is a Lack of Water to Blame for the Conflict in Syria?
• 2015.06.10. Pope’s call for action on climate change has shifted US views
• 2015.06.18. The 5 Most Important Points of Pope Francis’s Climate Change Encyclical
• 2015.06.18. Pope Francis Urges Climate-Change Action in Encyclical
• 2015.06.21. Exegesis of Pope Francis’s encyclical call for action on climate change

   

• 2015.07.08. UN Security Council Meeting on Climate Change as a Threat Multiplier for Global Security

   

• 2015.08.07. Linda McQuaig says oilsands ‘may have to be left in the ground’
• 2015.08.09. Linda McQuaig is right: Leave the oil in the soil
• 2015.08.09. NDP candidate Linda McQuaig’s comment on oilsands stirs up hornet’s nest
• 2015.08.09. NDP candidate under fire for saying ‘oilsands oil may have to stay in the ground’ to meet climate change targets
• 2015.08.11. Harper and Trudeau attack NDP candidate McQuaig for stating a scientific fact
• 2015.08.12. Most tar sands oil will stay in the ground, and Harper knows it
• 2015.08.12. On Linda McQuaig’s comments, Carbon budgets, and keeping oil sands “in the ground”
• 2015.08.21. Boreal forest being driven to tipping point by climate change, study finds
• 2015.08.24. Yes, some oil will have to stay in the ground
• 2015.08.25. Pentagon Issues Scary Climate Security Report, as Russia Lays Claim to Vast Arctic Territory

   

• 2015.09.07. How Climate Change is Behind the Surge of Migrants to Europe
• 2015.09.15. [Leap] Manifesto backed by prominent NDP supporters released ahead of election
• 2015.09.17. The Leap Manifesto isn’t radical. It’s a way out of Canada’s head-in-the-sand politics
• 2015.09.23. As a scientist, is the pope dodging the biggest contributor to climate change?
• 2015.09.24. Pope’s climate push is ‘raving nonsense’ without population control, says top US scientist
• 2015.09.27. Is David Keith’s climate solution genius or madness?
• 2015.09.29. Climate Justice Movement Highlights Women as ‘Key’ to Climate Solutions

   

• 2015.10.06. The Canadian Election and the Global Climate Crisis
• 2015.10.12. NATO: Climate Change Poses Significant Threat Multipliers
• 2015.10.13. Einstein easier to understand than IPCC’s climate-change language, study says
• 2015.10.26. Extreme heatwaves could push Gulf climate beyond human endurance, study shows
• 2015.10.27. No, Climate Change Won’t Make the Persian Gulf “Uninhabitable”

   

• 2015.11.xx. Canada’s Role at COP21
• 2015.11.02. Oil and Gas Industry Publicly Supports Climate Action While Secretly Subverting Process, New Analysis Shows
• 2015.11.04. Canada Now Has a Minister of Environment AND Climate Change
• 2015.11.04. Hillary Clinton: Climate change has contributed to refugee crises, including Syria
• 2015.11.05. Canada’s New Climate Change Minister ‘Excited’ To Tackle Emissions. Is this For Real?!
• 2015.11.05. Middle East may be uninhabitable this century due to deadly heat, study finds
• 2015.11.08. Persian Gulf temperatures may be at the edge of human tolerance in 30 years
• 2015.11.10. Trudeau government continues to refuse to commit to climate action specifics
• 2015.11.10. Fossil Fuel Industry’s Bad Behaviour in Spotlight During Run-up to Paris Climate Negotiations
• 2015.11.12. Entire Liberal cabinet responsible for climate-change agenda: Dion
• 2015.11.12. Meet the Climate Scientists Travelling by Bike and Foot from the Poles to Paris
• 2015.11.13. Minister of Environment and Climate Change Ministerial Mandate Letter
• 2015.11.15. Why Climate Change and Terrorism Are Connected
• 2015.11.19. Canada has consistently failed to deliver, but it’s not too late for us to make a major contribution at the climate summit in Paris.
• 2015.11.20. The First Thing Canada Can Do in Paris is Admit Why UN Climate Talks Have Failed for Two Decades
• 2015.11.22. Alberta’s Climate Plan: Game Changed
• 2015.11.22. Alberta’s climate change strategy targets carbon, coal, emissions
• 2015.11.22. Reaction to Alberta’s ‘ambitious’ climate change plan
• 2015.11.23. COP21: What is Canada’s role?
• 2015.11.23. What Prince Charles gets wrong – and right – about climate change and conflict in Syria
• 2015.11.23. Unlikely source bolsters Canada’s pledge for climate action
• 2015.11.24. ‘It’s a New Day’: Why Environmentalists Need to Change Their Strategy Under Trudeau Government
• 2015.11.24. Canada’s message at COP21
• 2015.11.26. Is the Paris climate conference part of the solution or part of the problem?
• 2015.11.26. Pope Francis Warns Against Special Interests Derailing Climate Talks
• 2015.11.26. Pope, in Africa, says failure of climate summit would be catastrophic
• 2015.11.26. Canada can help make the Paris climate agreement a strong one
• 2015.11.27. Energy and environmental economist on Alberta’s new climate strategy
• 2015.11.27. Alberta’s carbon tax plan ‘one more reason why the Western Canadian oilfield is going to slowly die’
• 2015.11.27. Canadians back bold climate-change action, poll finds
• 2015.11.27. Canada backs U.S., saying carbon-reduction targets shouldn’t be legally binding
• 2015.11.28. Justin Trudeau optimistic heading into Paris climate change talks
• 2015.11.28. COP21: Pope’s adviser urges Catholics to join climate marches
• 2015.11.28. Alberta’s new carbon direction is just, and just in time
• 2015.11.28. Three pillars of a sustainable Canadian energy infrastructure
• 2015.11.28. Trudeau to press India on climate change in Paris
• 2015.11.28. It’s adapt or die for Canada’s energy sector
• 2015.11.28. Canada should re-ratify Kyoto, says Elizabeth May
• 2015.11.28. Rachel Notley will sell a ‘different’ Alberta at climate change talks
• 2015.11.28. Premier prepared to show world a different Alberta at Paris climate change conference
• 2015.11.29. Climate change a low priority for most Canadians: Ipsos poll
• 2015.11.29. Pope Talks to Africa About Poverty, Climate, Greed
• 2015.11.29. Is climate change really to blame for Syria’s civil war?
• 2015.11.29. How Canada can move beyond empty promises in Paris

As usual, if I’ve made any errors of if I’m missing anything significant, please let me know in the comments.

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1OyJ0JP

Gift This, Not That: Year In Space vs. Space Views From Hubble Calendars (Synopsis) [Starts With A Bang]

“No one regards what is before his feet; we all gaze at the stars.” –Quintus Ennius

For the space, science or astronomy enthusiast, there’s nothing like looking up at the Universe with your own eyes and discovering it. But during the day, while you’re seated at your desk, office or computer, many of us crave connecting with the Universe then, even if briefly, even if only for a moment. And there are many, many wall calendar options out there for you to choose from.

Image credit: The Scientific American Space: Views From The Hubble Space Telescope 2016 calendar.

But despite the efforts of many major publishers, like Scientific American (above), they fail to engage on the five major points: size, astronomical events, historical happenings, scientific information, and bonuses like extra pictures, scientist profiles and more. There is one calendar, though — the Planetary Society’s Year In Space 2016 calendar — that satisfies on all fronts.

Image credit: Steve Cariddi, The Planetary Society and the Year In Space 2016 calendars.

Come find out all about it, and find out how to order or win one for yourself today over on Forbes!

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1QOaNt4

“No one regards what is before his feet; we all gaze at the stars.” –Quintus Ennius

For the space, science or astronomy enthusiast, there’s nothing like looking up at the Universe with your own eyes and discovering it. But during the day, while you’re seated at your desk, office or computer, many of us crave connecting with the Universe then, even if briefly, even if only for a moment. And there are many, many wall calendar options out there for you to choose from.

Image credit: The Scientific American Space: Views From The Hubble Space Telescope 2016 calendar.

But despite the efforts of many major publishers, like Scientific American (above), they fail to engage on the five major points: size, astronomical events, historical happenings, scientific information, and bonuses like extra pictures, scientist profiles and more. There is one calendar, though — the Planetary Society’s Year In Space 2016 calendar — that satisfies on all fronts.

Image credit: Steve Cariddi, The Planetary Society and the Year In Space 2016 calendars.

Come find out all about it, and find out how to order or win one for yourself today over on Forbes!

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1QOaNt4

2015 SkS Weekly Digest #48

SkS Highlights... El Niño Watch... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... 97 Hours of Consensus...

SkS Highlights

The Road to Two Degrees, Part Two: Are the experts being candid about our chances? by Andy Skuce attracted the highest number of comments of the articles posted on SkS during the past week. Two-faced Exxon: the misinformation campaign against its own scientists by Dana Nuccitelli drew the second highest number of comments. 

El Niño Watch 

GENEVA – The “El Nino” phenomenon, which sparks global climate extremes, is this year the worst in more than 15 years, the U.N. weather agency said in the middle of November, warning it was already causing severe droughts and flooding.

The World Meteorological Organization said El Nino, which occurs every two to seven years, had resurfaced a few months ago, become “mature and strong,” and was expected to become even more powerful by the end of the year.

“Severe droughts and devastating flooding being experienced throughout the tropics and subtropical zones bear the hallmarks of this El Nino, which is the strongest in more than 15 years,” WMO chief Michel Jarraud said in a statement.

World weather agency issues El Nino warning, AFP-JIJI/Japan Times, Nov 28, 2015

Toon of the Week

 

Hat tip to I Heart Climate Scientists

Quote of the week

At a joint news conference here Tuesday with President François Hollande of France, President Obama veered from his focus on the terrorist attacks in Paris to bring up the huge international gathering beginning in the French capital on Monday to hammer out a global response to climate change.

“What a powerful rebuke to the terrorists it will be when the world stands as one and shows that we will not be deterred from building a better future for our children,” Mr. Obama said of the climate conference.

Obama’s Legacy at Stake in Paris Talks on Climate Accord by Coral Davenport, New York Times, Nov 28, 2015

Coming Soon on SkS

• How much does animal agriculture and eating meat contribute to global warming? (Dana)
• Uncertainty is Exxon'sfriend, but it's not ours (Stephan Lewandowsky, Richard Panost, Timothy Ballard)
• The Deep Ocean: Climate change’s fingerprint on this forgotten realm (Roz Pidcock)
• Guest Post (John Abraham)
• The pope as philosopher: faith, climate change and public reason (Lawrence Torcello)
• 2015 SkS Weekly News Roundup #49 (John Hartz)
• 2015 SkS Weekly Digest #49 (John Hartz)

Poster of the Week

Hat tip to The Story of Stuff Project

SkS Week in Review

• 2015 SkS Weekly News Roundup #48 by John Hartz
• A Buoy-Only Sea Surface Temperature Record Supports NOAA’s Adjustments by Zeke Hausfather and Kevin Cowtan (Climate etc)
• The Road to Two Degrees, Part Two: Are the experts being candid about our chances? by Andy Skuce
• Two-faced Exxon: the misinformation campaign against its own scientists by Dana Nuccitelli (Climate Consensus - the 97%)
• Study drives a sixth nail into the global warming ‘pause’ myth by John Abraham  (Climate Consensus - the 97%)
• Tracking the 2C Limit - October 2015 by Rob Honeycutt
• 2015 SkS Weekly Digest #47 by John Hartz

97 Hours of Consensus: Ken Denman

 

Quote derived with author's permission from:

"The issue is not a lack of scientific evidence, the issue is the unwillingness of people and governments to act. It seems to defy logic. But a lot of addictions defy logic. Our society is completely addicted to cheap power."

Ken Denman's bio page 

from Skeptical Science http://ift.tt/21n3k86

SkS Highlights... El Niño Watch... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... 97 Hours of Consensus...

SkS Highlights

The Road to Two Degrees, Part Two: Are the experts being candid about our chances? by Andy Skuce attracted the highest number of comments of the articles posted on SkS during the past week. Two-faced Exxon: the misinformation campaign against its own scientists by Dana Nuccitelli drew the second highest number of comments. 

El Niño Watch 

GENEVA – The “El Nino” phenomenon, which sparks global climate extremes, is this year the worst in more than 15 years, the U.N. weather agency said in the middle of November, warning it was already causing severe droughts and flooding.

The World Meteorological Organization said El Nino, which occurs every two to seven years, had resurfaced a few months ago, become “mature and strong,” and was expected to become even more powerful by the end of the year.

“Severe droughts and devastating flooding being experienced throughout the tropics and subtropical zones bear the hallmarks of this El Nino, which is the strongest in more than 15 years,” WMO chief Michel Jarraud said in a statement.

World weather agency issues El Nino warning, AFP-JIJI/Japan Times, Nov 28, 2015

Toon of the Week

 

Hat tip to I Heart Climate Scientists

Quote of the week

At a joint news conference here Tuesday with President François Hollande of France, President Obama veered from his focus on the terrorist attacks in Paris to bring up the huge international gathering beginning in the French capital on Monday to hammer out a global response to climate change.

“What a powerful rebuke to the terrorists it will be when the world stands as one and shows that we will not be deterred from building a better future for our children,” Mr. Obama said of the climate conference.

Obama’s Legacy at Stake in Paris Talks on Climate Accord by Coral Davenport, New York Times, Nov 28, 2015

Coming Soon on SkS

• How much does animal agriculture and eating meat contribute to global warming? (Dana)
• Uncertainty is Exxon'sfriend, but it's not ours (Stephan Lewandowsky, Richard Panost, Timothy Ballard)
• The Deep Ocean: Climate change’s fingerprint on this forgotten realm (Roz Pidcock)
• Guest Post (John Abraham)
• The pope as philosopher: faith, climate change and public reason (Lawrence Torcello)
• 2015 SkS Weekly News Roundup #49 (John Hartz)
• 2015 SkS Weekly Digest #49 (John Hartz)

Poster of the Week

Hat tip to The Story of Stuff Project

SkS Week in Review

• 2015 SkS Weekly News Roundup #48 by John Hartz
• A Buoy-Only Sea Surface Temperature Record Supports NOAA’s Adjustments by Zeke Hausfather and Kevin Cowtan (Climate etc)
• The Road to Two Degrees, Part Two: Are the experts being candid about our chances? by Andy Skuce
• Two-faced Exxon: the misinformation campaign against its own scientists by Dana Nuccitelli (Climate Consensus - the 97%)
• Study drives a sixth nail into the global warming ‘pause’ myth by John Abraham  (Climate Consensus - the 97%)
• Tracking the 2C Limit - October 2015 by Rob Honeycutt
• 2015 SkS Weekly Digest #47 by John Hartz

97 Hours of Consensus: Ken Denman

 

Quote derived with author's permission from:

"The issue is not a lack of scientific evidence, the issue is the unwillingness of people and governments to act. It seems to defy logic. But a lot of addictions defy logic. Our society is completely addicted to cheap power."

Ken Denman's bio page 

from Skeptical Science http://ift.tt/21n3k86

089/366: Seasonal [Uncertain Principles]

Saturday was still warm, but grey and rainy, so we needed indoor activities. We took the kids down to the Roberson Museum to see their annual Christmas display, with lots of trees donated and decorated by local organizations, toys and games from the 50’s and 60’s, and a giant model train display. And the “International Forest” of trees decorated in the style of various countries.

The Polish display at the Roberson “International Forest” of Christmas trees.

This is the Polish display; SteelyKid was duly impressed to learn that the word for the heraldic bird at the top of that flag is the same as her surname.

Anyway, it was all seasonally appropriate and stuff, then we went home, and after dinner watched the “Frosty the Snowman” cartoon. But snapped the tv off before “Frosty Returns” could start, because we’re not monsters.

Today, we’ll be driving back up to Niskayuna, and back to a semi-normal routine.

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1PUyxf2

Saturday was still warm, but grey and rainy, so we needed indoor activities. We took the kids down to the Roberson Museum to see their annual Christmas display, with lots of trees donated and decorated by local organizations, toys and games from the 50’s and 60’s, and a giant model train display. And the “International Forest” of trees decorated in the style of various countries.

The Polish display at the Roberson “International Forest” of Christmas trees.

This is the Polish display; SteelyKid was duly impressed to learn that the word for the heraldic bird at the top of that flag is the same as her surname.

Anyway, it was all seasonally appropriate and stuff, then we went home, and after dinner watched the “Frosty the Snowman” cartoon. But snapped the tv off before “Frosty Returns” could start, because we’re not monsters.

Today, we’ll be driving back up to Niskayuna, and back to a semi-normal routine.

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1PUyxf2