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What to look for in 2024 regarding our accelerating Climate Crisis
We at This Spaceship Earth have long thought that two things are critical for humanity to slow and then stabilize global warming: actions and a deep sense of urgency. We are not accomplishing enough… and certainly not with the urgency required. Urgent action is needed. Is our species up to this reality? What […]
Systems Changes Needed in Governance, Insurance and Disaster Preparedness
I was in the room seven years ago when David Houle, the futurist, addressed the annual conference of Sarasota County realtors. If you don’t know, Sarasota is a seaside city on the Gulf coast of Florida. It has several heavily populated barrier islands just a couple feet above sea level. He said, “When will it […]
Hieroglyphic Stairway – my great, great grandchildren won’t let me sleep
It says above that I authored this. I did not… just found this poem and posted it. I’ve embedded the transcript below, but I think you’ll enjoy this video of the author reciting it more (you may need to click the replay button at the bottom left of the YouTube screen). Hieroglyphic Stairway by […]
We Are All Earthlings
There is a scene early in the movie Top Gun: Maverick to which I am particularly sympathetic. It immediately follows the moment when Maverick (Tom Cruise) has tested an experimental aircraft past its breaking point. We then see Maverick walking into a small rural town, entering a diner and after drinking a glass of water […]
Heat Stroke Reality – the Summer of 2023
The future predictions of climate scientists are now our current reality. The summer of 2023 is the hottest summer on record in the US and in much of Europe. June was the hottest month on Earth since measurements started. The hottest day on record was July 3. That record was broken on July 4. That […]
Insuring Climate Risks w/ AI, IoT, Satellites & Big Data
Insurers are being overtaken by the pace of change. Our climate crisis (among several other factors including technology) is redefining the nature of risk. The industry needs to move quickly to keep up with consumer expectations, close protection gaps, and respond to emerging threats. Now is a moment of truth for insurers to consider their […]
Climate Resilience Planning Could Have Averted Southwest’s Christmas Debacle
Southwest estimates the loss from their scheduling system meltdown to be around $825M. Those are just the direct costs of lost revenue from canceling more than 15,000 of its flights starting on Dec. 22. It doesn’t include the costs for fines, brand erosion and systems upgrades which will increase the loss to well over a […]
WHY??? Small Word, Huge Impact
This post was written by Hallie Booth, an 8th grade science teacher and the 2022 Kentucky Middle School Teacher of the Year. I remember the first time I called a corporation to see if they were interested in helping some of my students with a project they were working on. I instruct my students […]
“Net Zero by 2050” is Greenwashing
by Bob Leonard A common sign that complex systems are approaching tipping points is rising volatility. Our climate system is enormously complex, global in size, and interconnected with all facets of our biosphere. The extreme weather in 2021 – the heat domes, droughts, fires, floods and cyclones – is deeply concerning. If Earth systems […]
Our Climate Crisis: from Denial to Disconnection
by David Houle (previously published in the Sarasota Herald Tribune) If you read this newspaper, or any other newspaper, or watch the news on television, you know that we have entered a climate crisis that is deadly real. It can no longer be denied. Here are just a few of the stories […]
