Review of IPCC AR6 Synthesis Report

The Synthesis report released on 20 March provides a context for the three previously released parts of the AR6. This is a powerful indictment of the fossil fuel industry and our overall lack of progress in addressing this problem. The survival of civilization depends on our immediate collective action. After a single news cycle the mainstream media has simply moved on to other issues. I … Continue reading Review of IPCC AR6 Synthesis Report

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Review of IPCC AR6

This a comprehensive review of the AR6 for my students at the University of Florida. It may be viewed but not downloaded or copied. One error in the narrative is the statement that hurricanes are becoming more frequent. The overall global frequency of cyclones has decreased since the 1800s. Atlantic hurricanes has decreased in the first half of the 20th century but since about 1960 … Continue reading Review of IPCC AR6

Climate change year-end review 2022

This is has been a terrific semester that has included some of the best students of my career. This is my year-end review of the lessons on climate change that have been presented in the three courses that I teach. I hope you find this useful. A correction: the CO2 concentration from NOAA just before the volcano shut down the Keeling laboratory at Mona Loa was … Continue reading Climate change year-end review 2022

No slack for UF and the methane power plant

Some have objected to my concerns about the new fossil-gas power plant at UF because they feel the administration’s options are financially limited due to the extreme expense of retrofitting the campus to remove dependence on methane to produce steam and chilled water. The new plant is budgeted at $200 million. Secondly, they point out the the new plant could easily be converted to hydrogen, … Continue reading No slack for UF and the methane power plant

Mission failure at the University of Florida

A version published in the Gainesville Sun 3 September 2021 The mission of higher education is the maintenance and renewal of civilization. This statement comes as an epiphany to many who hear it for the first time. Public higher education in the US has been diminished at the hands of legislatures and business interests who believe that higher education exists solely to serve the economy. … Continue reading Mission failure at the University of Florida

The false summit of climate change progress

There are several reasons why the changes underway represent a false summit leaving an extremely steep climate landscape yet to be scaled. It is important to realize that most of these changes are promises, rather than anything close to becoming reality. In the US, we can count on GOP elected officials at the state and federal level to oppose most of the proposed changes to energy policy and climate change mitigation. The GOP will protect the fossil fuel industry in myriad ways that will leave the average voter at a loss to say exactly what is happening.
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