The first of many “Climate Stories” will be here tomorrow. The Chinese language uses a distinct phrase to distinguish mountains with glaciers from those without. 雪山(XueShan), literally “snow mountain,” refers to mountains that have snow year-round, while mountains that rarely or never have snow are simply called “山”. Climate change threatens the very names, the majesty, … Continue reading 雪山：Can mountains be endangered?
International Divestment Day is coming up. If destroying the natural systems that keep civilisation afloat is wrong, so is profiting from that destruction. The fossil fuel industry is dying a slow death, and it’s time to pull the cord once and for all. It’s time to put your money where your mouth is, and divest … Continue reading International Divestment Day
My camera, ~1000 pictures, and two near-full notebooks are gone, with small and diminishing hope of return. They were in a red drysack that got lifted from my backpack somewhere along the road from Kunming （昆明） to Dali（大理). The camera can be replaced with a month’s work, but the memories, the posts planned, and the … Continue reading Best Laid Plans
Read more here: http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/1/29/senate-passes-keystone.html Quick facts: A project has passed the senate that will lead to the creation of 36 permanent jobs (according to state department analysis) and untold ecological and economic climate change-related damage. It has already been passed in the house, but President Obama has vowed to veto the bill. Senators voting yes on KXL … Continue reading Keystone XL Passes the Senate, 62-36
View at Medium.com Some incomplete arguments, but a fresh perspective and important points. This weekend I’ll have an update on my plans for the rest of break–the sudden disappearance of my camera and notebooks has changed some things. Continue reading Climate change on the market–comic
Vivek Wadhwa is an entrepreneur, a fellow at the Stanford center for Corporate Governance, and the head of research at Singularity University, a Silicone valley institution dedicated to studying how technology can and will shape our future. Here he is explaining his thoughts on the role of technology in the next decades: This is exciting. … Continue reading For Lack of a Better Civilization: The Future
Things were going well. It was nearing the end of the regular classes, but the crush of finals hadn’t yet arrived. I was pleasantly busy, and looking forward to the Christmas Party that another teacher had invited me to. The English word “Party” doesn’t mean the same thing here that it does in the US. … Continue reading Christmas in Ancient China
Let’s just say everything is still falling into place. I had hoped by this point to have a plan for more than the first week of a two-month vacation. I’ve sent countless emails and couchsurfing requests, hoping to find a place to work or stay on the cheap, somewhere that would allow me to explore … Continue reading The Plan: Spring Festival
360 by bike 