Episode 26 – Seven Simple Rules for Saving the Planet

Ikonokast
Ikonokast
Episode 26 - Seven Simple Rules for Saving the Planet
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Yurt
A yurt

One person alone doesn’t make much of a difference, really.  But that’s no reason to throw your hands in the air, say “what does it matter,” and take a hot shower with water heated by a gas-burning tank.  There are simple actions that you can take in your life, that don’t require turning into a scoldy, crunchy, hippie living in a yurt on a commune in Vermont.  (Although there’s nothing wrong with that.)

In this episode, Mike and Greg are each other’s guests, and we go over things you can do both at home and in talking to your local and national government representatives to help restore carbon balance to nature.

Engineers are working the problems, too.

We are using new bumper music, “Happy Dance” by Mr. Smith.  Legal notifications under the Creative Commons License. 

 

 

 

Episode 19 – Science for Congress with Volcanologist Jess Phoenix

Dr. Jess Phoenix
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Episode 19 - Science for Congress with Volcanologist Jess Phoenix
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Jess Phoenix for Congress
Jess Phoenix, a geologist, announces her candidacy for the 2018 congressional race for Steve Knight’s 25th district seat at Vasquez Rocks in Agua Dulce on Monday, April 18, 2017. Katharine Lotze/The Signal

Jess Phoenix is running for California’s 25th District Congressional seat. Our Congress lacks expertise in science and how science works at a basic level, and as a result there are some poorly thought out decisions are being made. Even worse, Congress is allowed to engage in explicitly anti-science political activities, such as assembling activist science deniers as the so-called science committees or subcommittees in both houses. This would not be as easy if there were a few dozen actual scientists in the House and Senate.

Jess Phoenix sees this as a challenge that must be met by scientists joining as active and influential members of the government. The seat she is running for is currently being held by a climate denialist.

Please consider donating to the campaign. Even if you don’t live in her future district, as a nation we need to have more scientists guiding policy from seats of power, such as the House of Representatives. Here is the campaign site: Jess2018.

Here is a TEDx talk, about geology, by the candidate:

Greg Laden interviewed Dr. Phoenix for this podcast.