Regular Op-Ed Columns

Lily Pads


Photo:  Seeing that one of these lily pads was plastic inspired a column. 


 

What do I write about?  The list speaks for itself.

List though January 18, 2018.

  • 450. January 18, 2018.  Danger Lurks at Base of California Foothills.  (On Debris flows being a natural consequence of the terrain, and not to be confused with mudslides.)
  • 449. January 3, 2018.  How We Shape our Fallible Memories. (On looking back on my best reading experience of 2017, Oliver Sacks’s The River of Consciousness.) 
  • 448. December 21, 2017.  Happy Solstice: Brighter Days are Ahead. (On the transformation for Christmas greetings, or Holiday greetings, or the fundamental celebration, the astronomical solstice.)
  • 447. December 7, 2017.  Moody’s puts a price on Climate Change.  (On building in all the wrong places and the true cost of deregulation in America’s vulnerable places.)
  • 446.  November 23, 2017.  Thankful for Science, Our Beautiful Blue Planet. (On the good news that whole earth works together in almost miraculous ways.)
  • 445.  November 8, 2017.  As We Go Global, We Lose Human Diversity.  (On biodiversity and globalization, especially in Homo sapiens.)
  • 444. October 25, 2017. Connecticut’s Best Books of the Year. (On the return of the Connecticut Book Awards with immigration, white racism, and art history).
  • 443. October 11, 2017.  Amazon, Please Stay Away (Wink, Wink). (On the failure of our state government to get it’s fiscal and economic house in order.)
  • 442.  September 28, 2017.  U.S. Courts Taking Climate Change Seriously. (On the rise of the judicial branch relative to the others).
  • 441.  September 14, 2017.  End Relief for Self-Inflicted Natural Disasters. (On the efficiency of designing with Nature, rather than against her.)
  • 440. August 31, 2017.  Failed Connecticut Legislators Need to Get it Together. (On not doing their job, which is to compromise for the sake of the state.)
  • 439.  August 17, 2017.  Solar Eclipse Puts Us in our Natural Place.  (On the deeper benefits of the eclipse, after the “Holy Cow” moments are gone.)
  • 438.  August 2, 2017. Don’t Drain These Swamps, Mr. Trump.  (On reversing the negative connotation of the word and on reversing the WOTUS rule, the Waters of the United States.)
  • 437.  July 20, 2017.  Keep English Part of the Liberal Arts. (On the affordability of liberal arts for small colleges.)
  • 436.  July 6, 2017.  Celebrating Thoreau’s Independence at 200.  (On skipping the fireworks and following his commitment to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.)
  • 435.  June 21, 2017.  Climate Change: Turning Carbon into Rock. (On sequestration using geothermal heat to create carbonate rock.)
  • 434.  June 7, 2017.  Crumbling Foundations a Natural Disaster. (On whether or not a chemical reaction can be a natural disaster.)
  • 433.  May 24, 2017.  We’re Well Rid of Confederate Symbols. (On political correctness and racism: Washington, Jefferson, and other slaveholders.)
  • 432.  May 10, 2017.  Climate Change and the Nuclear Power Riddle.  (On whether the costs of carbon fuels are worth the risk of nuclear power).
  • 431.  April 26, 2017.  “Fearless Girl” Disarms Wall Street’s Bull.  (On the power of art to communicate cultural memes.)
  • 430.  April 12, 2017.  Trump Cuts Sending Scientists to Streets. (On economic suicide, the cutting of research in science and technology.)
  • 429.  March 30, 2017.  Connecticut Gets High marks in Literature.  (A good reason to live in the state, and an announcement of the return of the Connecticut Book Awards.)
  • 428.   March 15, 2017.  Failing U.S. Concrete May Cost Trillions.  (Engineering studies reveal that the life span of concrete is being shortened by changes in our atmosphere).
  • 427.   March 1, 2017.  Don’t Dig Larson’s Hartford Highway. (A strong statement opposing Rep. Larson’s plan to put miles of interstate beneath the Connecticut River Valley).
  • 426.   February 16, 2017.  Oroville Dam One of Many Aging Structures.  (Rebuilding the tallest dam in the U.S. should send a message to southeast Asia’s plan to tame the Mekong River.)
  • 425.   February 2, 1017.  Let’s Drag This Skeleton Out of UConn’s Closet.  (The State Museum of Natural History has a skeleton it should exhibit as an alternative mascot to Jonathan.  Let’s call her Meggie.)
  • 425.   January 18, 2017.  Big Oil Moves in with New Administration. (On the parallels between tobacco and petroleum industries)
  • 424.   January 4, 2017.  Time to Put Humans Back into Nature. (On Anthropocene, rather than environmental thinking).
  • 423.   December 21, 2016.  Give Trump Coal — Those Jobs are Not Coming Back. (On the automation and the economy of coal mining).
  • 422.   December 6, 2016.  Just Who Is In the Working Class?  (On a powerful word that we should stop using).
  • 421.  November 22, 2016.  Thankful for Those Easing Journey Home. (On the wonderful normal people of this nation, as opposed to our politicians).
  • 420.   November 8, 2016.  The Power Grid’s Achilles’ Squirrels. (On power outages caused by evolved behavior).
  • 419.   October 26, 2016.  Dylan Doesn’t Know His Rolling Stone. (On the pointless geo-lyrics of the the most popular rock song ever).
  • 418.   October 12, 2016.  A Clear-Eyed Indictment of Broken Education System. (On Judge Moukawsheer’s decree and good writing).
  • 417.   September 29, 2016. The Wild Canine in Your Backyard. (On Coyotes and human behavior).
  • 416.   September 15, 2016. Don’t let Amtrack Tear Through Shoreline Villages. (On poor transportation planning and ignorance of geology).
  • 415.   September 1, 2016. Piltdown Man Shows How Biases Can Trump Facts. (On the messy nature of science from a famous hoax).
  • 414.   August 18, 2016.  No Rain is Only Half the Drought Story. (On the real cause of flooding and New England’s drought).
  • 413.  August 3, 2016.  CT’s Vacant Old State House a Sign of Decline. (On political failure to pass a budget, a venerated state capitol shuttered).
  • 412.   July 21, 2016.  Simple Chemical to Blame for Rotting Basements.  (A good argument for learning the basics of geology).
  • 411.   July 7, 2016.  Nothing Entertaining About Zoo’s Animal Prisoners. (The case against zoos).
  • 410.   June 22, 2016.  A Lesson from Yellowstone’s Deadly Hot Springs. (Drawing a conclusions from the tragic death of Colin Scott).
  • 409.    June 9, 2016.  When School’s Out, Set Kids Free to Learn.  (On my own childhood reflections of summer vacation, where the real cognitive integrations took place.)
  • 408.     May 26, 2016.  We’ve Fallen Into our Virtual Looking Glass. (On the neurological and philosophical  implications of cell phone addiction.)
  • 407.     May 12, 2016.  Raising Glastonbury Dam is An Environmental Win.  (On watershed mitigation for main-stem corruption.
  • 406.     April 14, 2016.  Sexually Confused Fish are an Environmental Alarm.  (On endocrine disrupting chemicals in our national wildlife refuges.)
  • 405.     March 31, 2016.  Rename Glacier National Park? It’s Melting. (On climate change, melting glaciers, and Argentina’s glacier protection law.)
  • 404.     March 17, 2016.  Do You Behave When No One is Looking? (On the science of religion and the evolution of social networks.)
  • 403.     March 3, 2016.  Good Reasons to Pull for UConn Co-op.  (On the value of a good independent bookstore and the cooperative, rather than corporate reading community.)
  • 402.     February 18, 2016.  No Getting to Bottom of Sound Dredging Fight.  (On agency speak as a new language and the dumbing down of technical language.)
  • 401.     February 4, 2016.  In Face of Real Wars, I’ll Skip ‘Star Wars.’   (On the spread of war through popular entertainment.)
  • 400.     January 20, 2016.  No One Noticed Cheaper Flint Water was Contaminated? (On the geochemistry that public officials should know.)
  • 399.     January 6, 2016.  Hartford Symphony’s Value is Greater than its Music. (On the social implilcations of cultural organizations.)
  • 398.    December 24, 2015. Lump of Coal for Christmas? I’ll Take Two.  (On the disappearance of coal for space heating and on being thankful for better alternatives.
  • 397.    December 9, 2015.    Blame Technology for Student Jaywalkers?  (On the attention span and patience of college-age students breaking state law.)
  • 396.    November 26, 2015.   Thankful for the Earth’s Shifting Ways. (On the real cause of Earth’s highest biodiversity: geology.)
  • 395.    November 11, 2015.  Real Trout Brook Battle is Man vs. Nature — Again.  (On know knowing what floodplains are good for, and massive overbuilding.)
  • 394.    October 29, 2015.  Windsor Locks Turns Its Back on Casino Lure. (On the absurdity of casino politics near state borders.)
  • 393.    October 14, 2015.  One Scientist’s Plea to Shed “Watershed.” (Linguistically, the word refers to the divide between catchments).
  • 392.    September 30, 2015.  Nothing Like a Good Dose of Manure to Clear the Airway. (On the startling hypothesis that early exposure to manure microbes helps prevent asthma).
  • 391.    September 17, 2015.  Gender, Ethnicity, Age Often Trump Science. (On what guides our policy decisions relative to actual information.
  • 390.  September 3, 2015, State Off Target on Willington Firearms Facility. (On over-reaching by state authority and the reminder that noice is a pollutant).
  • 389.  August 20, 2015, p. A14., U.S. Rife with Abandoned, Polluted Mines. (On the catastrophic failure at Gold King Mine, Colorado).
  • 388.  August 6, 2015, p. A8, Don’t Brake for Ducks in the Road. (On highway safety and our instinct to save wildlife.)
  • 387.  July 23, 2015, (online) Shrouded Superfund Site is A Grim Reminder. (On not pretending sites got away just because they’re hidden.)
  • 386.  July 9, 2015, (online) Happy to Live in Land of Steady Habitats.  (on the state budget and the need for landscape conservation)
  • 385.  June 25, 2015, (online)  Time to Face Up the World’s Worst Problelm –Us.  (On Pope Francis’s unwillingness to treat overpopulation)
  • 384.  June 11, 2015, (online) Idealized Online Work World is No Place for Me (on the new-image of officeland, young, Californian, congested, and car-based).
  • 383.  May 28, 2015, (online) Real Grades Would Show We’re Not all Above Average.  (On creeping grade inflation, standardized testing, and Common Core Standards.)
  • 382.  May 14, 2015, p. A12,  Immersed in the Light We Cannot See. (On invisible radiation, a liberal arts education, and book group insights.)
  • 381.  April 30, 2015, p. A12, Glastonbury Pays for Going Against Nature. (On the certainly of landslides and the bias of the developers to look the other way.)
  • 380.  April 16, 2015, p. A12, Importing Water to Fuel UCONN Mansfield Growth Foolish.  (On non-sustainability and water diversions.)
  • 379.  April 2, 2015, p. A14, Malloy Cuts Hit Unique Cultural Assets. (On budget politics and our sense of place in Connecticut.)
  • 378.  March 19, 2015, It’s the Winter that Breaks our Pavement. (On the cause of potholes and proper engineering prevention.)
  • 377.  March 5, 2015, The Continuing Mystery of Flight 370. (On the physiography and sedimentation of the abyssal ocean floor).
  • 376.  February 15, 2015, Obama Right to Oppose Keystone Pipeline. (On environmental politics and the future of sociology.)
  • 375.  February 5, 2015, p. A12, Snowdrifts Raise my Cosmic Consciousness. (On Comet 67P/C-G and the origin of everthing we know).
  • 374.  January 21, 2015, online, What’s the Risk of More Connecticut Quakes?  (On the balance between calming anxiety and the need to know.)
  • 373.  January 7, 2015, online,  Boy Scout Leader’s Actions Top Stupid List. (On a cascade of stupidity from defacing natural resources to counterproductive signage).
  • 372.  December 11, 2014, online, The Great Climate Change Denial Industry. (On a national policy bought and sold by petrodollars.)
  • 371.  November 25, 2014, online, Being Grateful for Non-material Riches. (Henry Thoreau as a model for sustainability in an age of Black Fridays.)
  • 370.  November 12, 2014, online, Political Shifts Threaten Sane Energy Policy. (On a do-nothing Congress that fiddles while Rome burns.)
  • 369.  October 29, 2014, online, Warming Sooner Solved by Science Than Politics. (On the rate of rise of greenhouse pollution –the fastest ever– and a quarter century of political posturing.)
  • 368.  October 16, 2014, p. A12, Water Rich Connecticut in Minor Drought (On the several kinds of new years, the water year included.)
  • 367.  October 2, 2014, p. A14, Let Go of Plagarism Charge Against Foley (On the slippery slope of plagarism in the internet age.)
  • 366.  September 18, 2014, p. A14, Enjoying the Melodious Roar of Harleys (On the mental health benefit of reframing noise pollution as minimalist music.)
  • 365.  September 4, 2014, p. A14, Historic Image of Connecticut Not Reality (On impossible scenery and retrospective image-making ).
  • 364.  August 21, 2014, p. A12, Keep Special Interests Out of Water Plan (On water politics vs. water reality. Why not plan for the essence of life?)
  • 363.  August 7, 2014, p. A12, Connecticut Must Retreat from the Shore (On the shoreline politics of “Shore Up,” which suggests going vertical, in stead of horizontal.)
  • 362.  July 24, 2014, p. A14, GPS Gets You There Without Being There (On having a sense of place grounded in ground truth).
  • 361.  July 10, 2014,  Science Vs. Beliefs on Creationism, Climate (On denying climate change and earthly evidence of creation).
  • 360.  June 25, p. A14, Cashing In on Climate Change — Wanna Bet? (On an egregious example of not understanding the severity of the situation).
  • 359.  June 11, 2014, Protection of State Lakes Gets Little Attention (on how Connecticut lakes are at the bottom of the pile with respect to funding and public attention).
  • 358.  May 28, 2014, Honorary Degrees are a Dubious Bit of Pomp (on how unearned degrees devalue those that are earned).
  • 357.  May 15, 2014, Politics Catches Up with Climate Change (on the U.S. National Climate Assessment and regional needs).
  • 356.  May 1, 2014, State Should Restrict Shoreline Rebuilding (on the seashore resturant “Dock & Dine” which should be demoiished, rather than defended but going vertical).
  • 355.  April 17, 2014,  Good Case that College Athletes are Employees (on the Northwestern University ruling and third graders in Guilford, CT).
  • 354.  March 20, p. A10, 2014, No Delay: Implement Common Core Standards (on the difference between educational politics and educational
  • 353.  March 6, 2014, p. A16, Private Property Rights Trumped by Nature (on EPA’s new wetlands policy extending protection everywhere)
  • 352.  February 19, 2014, p. A12, Martian ‘Jelly Doughnut’ A Geologist’s Delight (on calling attention to an undertaught subject: How the earth works.”
  • 350.  January 22, 2014, p. A12, King’s Holiday Honors Values, Recalls Lessons (on my favorite holiday, given the values promulgated).
  • 349.  January 8, 2014, p. A12, When Politicians Fight, Facts Take Beating (on how poliitical biases de-active our analytical reasoning: true for liberals and conservatives.)
  •  348.   December 26, 2013, p. A12, The Next Frontier: The Brain  (on my candidate for top science story of the year).
  • 347.  December 12, 2013, p. A12, No Room on the Range for Wild Horses (on the failed government policy and eating horse flesh).
  • 346.  November 28, 2013, p. A12, JFK and the Demise of the WASP Stronghold (on the rapidity of culture change).
  • 345.  November 14, 2013, p. A16, Don’t Insult Teachers — They are “Doing” (on the merits of alternative teacher certification).
  • 344.  October 31, 2013, p. A17, Honey, They Shrank the Town Green (on a case where the “New Urbanism” that forgot its roots).
  • 343.  October 17, 2013, p. A16, I-Phone Zombies Lost in Electronic Shallows (on brain changes due to habituated use of the internet and social networks).
  • 342.  October 3, 2013, p. A12, Colorado Floods Bad, Heavy Rains Worse (on flood probability and watershed behavior).
  • 341.  September 19, 2013, p. A12, Don’t Neglect Troops’ Spiritual Side (on the conflict between atheism and military purpose).
  • 340.  September 5, 2013, p. A16, Syrian Crisis Needs International Response (on treating it like an earth-shattering asteroid).
  • 339.  August 22, 2013, p. A12, Alcohol, Marijuana Prohibitions Don’t Work (on the Pine-Ridge Reservation and Indian Alcohol Policy).
  • 338.  August 8, 2013, p. A10, Get Scared at What’s Coming This Way (on the Russian Asteroid and repeat probabilities).
  • 337.  July 25, 2013, p. A10, Connecticut’s ‘Not Going for the Dogs (on owning members of your family).
  • 336.  July 11, 2013, p. A12, Old Man of the Mountain Rises in Myth (on American mythmaking and reality).
  • 335.  June 27, 2013, p. A12, Finally, Carbon Limits on Power Plants (on King Coal and its hopeful demise).
  • 334.  June 13, 2013, p. A12, Bombing Snakes with Poisoned Mice (on the control of invasive snakes in Guam and a threat to Hawaii).
  • 333.  May 30, 2013, p. A12,  Metro-North a Success Despite Derailment (on overlooking how good we’ve got it with mass transit).
  • 332.  May 16, 2013, p. A12, The Mark You don’t Want to Hit (on reaching 400 parts per million of atmospheric CO2).
  • 331.  May 2, 2013, p. A12, Grade Inflation Undermining Universities (on self-esteem and hyperinflation).
  • 330.  April 18, 2013, p. A12, Effort to Revive Extinct Pigeon Misspent (on the  Passenger Pigeon as a genetic chimera).
  • 329. April 4, 2013, p. A14, Red-light Cameras Just the Ticket (on human nature and legal enforcement).
  • 328.  March 21, 2013, p. A10, Enjoying our Atmosphere?  Remember Mars (putting climate change in context).
  • 327. March 7, 2013, Time to Break Sugar, Diabetes Connection (on a global survey confirming the connection).
  • 326.  February 21, 2013, p. A10, Floating in a Cosmic Shooting Gallery (on the log-log scale of asteroid impacts and being thankful for each day).
  • 325.  February 7, 2013, p. A14, Loon Deaths Raise Environmental Alarm (on the fallout from invasive species).
  • 324.  January 24, 2013, p. A12, Superintendents Outline Strong School Reform (on the NextED plan for reforming a failing system).
  • 323. January 10, 2013, p. A12, Living on the Ebb and Flow of Disaster (on the use and misuse of our shorelines).
  • 322.  December 27, 2012, p. A12, Gun Control Easiest Problem to Address (on the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting).
  • 321.  December 13, 2012, p. A12, End of World Delayed –Tomorrow’s Coming (on cyclical calendars and the Mayan Calendar Bunk).
  • 320.  November 29, 2012, p. A14, Salmon Failure Timely Environmental Alarm (on making use of failure).
  • 319.  November 15, 2012, p. A14, Without Readiness, Disaster Warnings Fail (On the importance of communication alerts).
  • 318.  November 1, 2012, p. A14, Hurricane Sandy Climate Change Message (on the power behind the megastorm).
  • 317.  October 18, 2012, p. A14, Presidential Candidates Ignoring Environment (on saying the obvious and pointing out how vulnerable democracy is to bad news).
  • 316. October 4, 2012, p, A14, Human Ox pulls Celebrate Agrarian Past (on doing re-enactments right).
  • 315.  September 20, 2012, p. A12, Teaching State History Unites Civic Family (on the use of history to build identity).
  • 314.  September 6, 2012, p. A14, Motorocycle Noise Pollution Silences Nature (on the link between noise and birds in the the state of “Live Free or Die.”)
  • 313.  August 23, 2012, p. A14, Feds Stalled, Nuclear Waste Here Indefinitely (on the politics of Yucca Mountain).
  • 312.  August 9, 2012, p. A10, The Plan was No Violent Videos (on kids and violent movies).
  • 311.  July 26, 2012, p. A14, Human Nature Fueling Global Warming (XXX).
  • 310.  July 12, 2012, p. A12, State All Wet on Lake Protection Efforts (on the governor saying one thing and doing another).
  • 309.  June 28, 2012, p. A14, Man Prime Offender as Invasive Species (on the havoc we create by failing to understand dispersal).
  • 308.  June 14, 2012, p. A18, Getting our Brains Around Political Choices (on the organic psychology of decision-making).
  • 307.  May 17, 2012, p. A12, Swimming with the E.Coli in Chicago (on letting individuals make their own choice).
  • 306.  May 3, 2012, p. A14, Dogs Menacing Passerby are Bullying (on making the owner link).
  • 305.  April 19, 2012, p. A14, Drillers Frack, Earth Quakes, Links Growing (on a pointed review of fears).
  • 304.  April 5, 2012, p. A14, Climate Change Heating Up Our Winters (XXXX).
  • 303.  March 22, 2012, p. A14, Not-so-mad Scientists on the Loose (XXX).
  • 302.  March 8, 2012, p. A14, Ancient Seeds Yield Life, Give Hope (on the germination of an ice-age seed).
  • 301.  February 23, 2012, p. A14, Obama’s Military Cuts Honor Eisenhower (on the warrior-servant who worried about military spending).
  • 300.  February 9, 2012, p. A14, Fuming Over Unending Emissions Test (on the absurdity of state regulation).
  • 299.  January 26, 2012, p. A14, Halt Keystone Pipeline, Protect Sand Hills (on the sensitive of stabilized dune fields).
  • 298.  January 12, 2012, p. A14, Change in Latitude; Change in Attitude (XXXX).
  • 297.  December 29, 2011, p. A12, Cut Heating Costs, Live Closer Together (on BTU sprawl).
  • 296.  December 15, 2011, p. A14,  Esty’s Green Strategy has Profit Motive (on what “going green” really means).
  • 295.  December 1, 2011, p. A14, Development Fight Costs Public Too Much (on mandatory public review of unneeded projects).
  • 294.  November 3, 2011, p. A16, Had Enough? Bury the Power Lines (on a public nuisance of trees and power lines).
  • 293. October 20, 2011, p. A18, Hartford’s Stone Field, Symbol of Resistance (on public art and the Occupy Movement).
  • 292, September 22, 2011, p. A15, Real Risk Lies in Forgetting about Quake (on the memory component of the disaster cycle).
  • 291, September 8, 2011, p. A 15, Why Leave Power Lines in Harm’s Way? (on power outages and forest ecology).
  • 290, August 25, 2011, p. A13, Drought a Sign of Increasing Vulnerability (on climate change and political hydrology).
  • 289, August 11, 2011, p. A11, Political Hypoxia Killing Coastal Waters (on the corn lobby, the Iowa caucus, and the Dead Zone).
  • 288, July 28, 2011, p. A13, One Union Label Does Not Fit All (on state employees not being a monolithic block).
  • 287, July 14, 2011, p. A13, Cut Down of Deer to Halt Lyme Disease (on the out-of-control deer population and its costs).
  • 286, June 30, 2011, p. A 13, Why Cougar Story Won’t Just Go Away (on the first road-kill mountain lion in Connecticut).
  • 285.  June 17, 2011, p. A11, God’s Popularity Dipped, but Holding Steady (on Culturnomics, a new discipline).
  • 284.  June 2, 2011, p. A13, Sand Trap Ends Mars Rover’s Stellar Round (on the end of a space era and a golfer’s nightmare).
  • 283.  May 19, 2011, p. A13, Old Man River Shouldn’t Be Shackled (on the recent retreat of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers).
  • 282.  May 5, 2011, p. A17, How We’ll Know When Gas is High Enough (a critique of personal choices and federal policies).
  • 281.  April 21, 2011, p. A13, UConn Dilemma: Which Way the Water Drains (on campus as an island of urban pollution in a rural town).
  • 280.  April 7, 2011, p. A15, On West Coast, Two Versions of the “Big One” (on the contrasting seismotectonics of Cascadia and California).
  • 279. March 23, 2011, p. A13, Nuke Disaster: No Calculating for Chaos (on non-linear behavior of natural systems and overconfidence).
  • 278. March 10, 2011, p. A15, Radon Danger is Well Worth a Warning (on the downside of Mother Earth and geo-ignorance).
  • 277. February 24, 2011, p. A15, Why is the User of State Services a “Consumer”? (on good intent and bad language within the State Department of Developmental Services).
  • 276. February 10, 2011, p. A13, Realizing Weather is Different from Climate (on record-breaking snowfalls & temperatures, public perception, and climate change).
  • 275. January 27, 2011, p. A13, Sorting by Species Rather than Culture Makes Sense (on the oppositional measurment of cultural diversity and biodiversity).
  • 274. January 13, 2011, p. A15, Penguin Plunge Warmest Ever (on the true impact of climate change: Bikinis in January).
  • 273. December 30, 2010, p. A11, An Ugly Ghost of Environmental Present (on invasive species, Asian Carp, American History, and hindsight).
  • 272. December 16, 2010, p. A15, People Know Less, Deny More (on that perfect Christmas give, “Merchants of Doom, by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway).
  • 271. December 1, 2010, p. A15, There’s No Denying CO2 Turns Up the Heat (on climate change politics within the 112th Congress).
  • 270. November 18, 2010, p. A13, Sugar Isn’t Free of Carbon, Consequences (on the dominance of marketing over fact and the duplicity of industry to sell “carbon-free” carbohydrate).
  • 269. November 4, 2010, p. A13, Twain Brought Mining’s Peril to Surface (on the rescue of Chilean Miners and the prescience of Mark Twain’s Comstock Lode).
  • 268. October 21, 2010, p. A15, Voting Against Red/Blue Dichotomy (on my distaste for partisan politics and an endorsement of an indepedent).
  • 267. October 7, p. A13, An Invasion Launched from Water Gardens (on invasive species as the public face of a private search for beauty).
  • 266. September 23, 2010, p. A13, Climate Change Brings Rivera to Michigan (on the unusual warmth of Lake Superior and basic physics).
  • 265. September 9, 2010, p. A13, Supersized Game Leaves a Bad Taste (on the social, psychic, and environmental impact of college football hyperbole).
  • 264. August 26, 2010, p. A15, Golf’s Reward? A Healthy Dose of Humility (on bartender philosophy and self-flagellation: it feels good).
  • 263. August 12 2010, p. A13, Ridgeline Houses Insult nature, Fellow Man (on the “Magisteral Gaze,” and t he social and environmental costs of ridgeline houses).
  • 262. July 29, 2010, p. A11, Fenced-in Kill isn’t Hunting — It’s Murder (on blood lust and sport, rather than hunting and food).
  • 261. July 15, 2010, p. A15, Preservation Pioneer Blazed New Trails (on Sam Dodd and saving Nature from behind the scenes).
  • 260. July 1, 2010, p. A13, Thoreau Didn’t Like Granite Monuments (on the desecration of his Home Site with “hammered stone” monuments, which he detested)
  • 259. June 17, 2010, Note: Column written but not on retrievable archive (will find).
  • 258. June 03, 2010, p. A13, Holiday, Graduation Bring Sacrifice to Mind (on graduation and Memorial Day, both great sacrifices).
  • 257. May 20, 2010, p. A15, Human Errors Plague of Petroleum Age (on the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico and spill vs. leak semantics).
  • 256. May 6, 2010, p. A13, Some Students Just Don’t Get It (on the myth that college is 13th grade and the lack of common courtesy).
  • 255. April 22, 2010, p. A11, Europe at the Mercy of Broken Bubbles (on Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull and the explosion process).
  • 254. April 8, 2010, p. A11, Biofuel Production Puts Pressure on Water (on a train derailment that didn’t need to happen and the politics of synfuels).
  • 253. March 25, 2010, p. A13, Drop Noxious “Homeland Security” with “Defense” (on the Coast Guard losing its image and the euphemism of the Department of War).
  • 252. March 11, 2010, A Sign of Life In the Bowels of the Earth (on the Chilean Earthquake and the apt analogy between flatulence and seismicity).
  • 251. February 25, 2010, p. A13, Climate Change Science Trumps Opinion (on the cause of ice ages and their ends).
  • 250. February 11 , 2010, p. A13, Sussing Out What the Framers Meant (on the first ammendment sushi, and literary theory).
  • 249. January 28, 2010, p. A11. Haiti: Caught in a Geological Squeeze (on the origin of Hispanolia and the inevitability of destruction).
  • 248. January 14, 2010, p. A13, At Least It Isn’t Raining Stones (on optimism and silicate snow on exopolanets).
  • 247. December 31, 2009, p. A11, A Few Points I must Profess (a yearly wrapup of letters responding to my columns).
  • 246. December 17, 2009, p. A13, Climategate: Much More Heat than Light (on the email leaks and media spin).
  • 245. December 3, 2009, p. A15, UConn’s Parking Lot C: The Big Cover-Up (on “green” parking lots, especially the one shielding the landfill).
  • 244. November 19, 2009, p. A17, Geothermal Can be Earth-Shaking News (on seismic activity and deep geothermal extraction, and hysteria).
  • 243. November 5, 2009, p. A15, Dickens was Right About Climate Change (on the political good news and bad news).
  • 242. October 22, 2009, p. A15, Marketing Aside, UConn is no Wannabe (on a response to a book criticizing UConn as a corporate University).
  • 241. October 8, 2009, p. A19, Ardie A Step Closer to Evolutionary Split (on the new homonid reconsturction).
  • 240. September 24, 2009, Lebanon Lake Owners on the Hook for Cleanup (on the town politics of lake pollution).
  • 239. September 10, 2009, p. A19, A New Market: Environmental Risk (on combining geoscientist and financial careers).
  • 238. August 28, 2009, p. A15, High Cost of Pets is Borne by All (on the ethics of wildlife imports and the high cost of pet care).
  • 237. August 13, 2009, p. A17, Cellphone Blather is a Noxious New Pollution (on breaches of etiquette, especially in natural areas).
  • 236. July 30, 2009, p. A21, There’s No Big E at the Science Center (on the absence of evolution, or even natural bioscience at the new Science Center).
  • 235. July 16, 2009, p. A17, Putting Their Water on a Pedastal (on water towers as ecological spiritial icons).
  • 234. July 2, 2009, p. A17, Protecting Water Saves Tiny Town’s Store (on the inclusion on lake eutrophication into community decisions).
  • 233. June 18, 2009, p. A23 National Survey’s Results are Clear: Lakes Need Help (on the EPA’s new national report).
  • 232. June 4, 2009, p. A19, California’s Water Disaster Waiting to Happen (on the potential seismic failure of state infrastructure).
  • 231. May 21, 2009, p., A21, A Lake of a Pond? Culture Muddies Waters (on cultural geology and vernacular names).
  • 230. May 7, 2009, p. A23, Green is Just a Color — Not a Virtue (on the color chauvinism of “going green”).
  • 229. April 23, 2009, p. A19, Nature Lost in the Heart of Commerce (on Chicago’s Merchandise Mart, over the top overdevelopment).
  • 228. April 9, 2009, p. A23, How Warming Really Turns up the Heat (on global methane releases from permafrost).
  • 227. March 26, 2009, p. A19, Science Isn’t Facts — It’s Learning to Understand (on Einstein’s creativity and school pedagogy).
  • 226. March 12, 2009, p. A17, The Goose that Escaped Lake’s Icy Grasp (a modern-day Aesop’s fable about the determination to live).
  • 225. Feb 26, 2009, p. A20, If Evolution’s Dangerous, Geology’s Not Far Behind (on celebrating Darwin’s Bicentennial birthday, Part II, and why geology is a touchy subject in public schools).
  • 224. Feb 12, 2009, p. A21, There Will Be An Answer — Evolution (on celebrating Darwin’s Bicentennial birthday, Part I).
  • 223. Jan 29, 2009, p. A19, Warming May Take Us Far Back Into the Past (on geologically recent global warming that was completely natural).
  • 222. Jan 15, 2009, p. A15, Yellowstone: Just the Tip of the Volcano (on news that isn’t news and reverence for Earth).
  • 221.     Jan 2, 2009, p. A11, A Happy New Year for Science – And State (on the Obama Science Platform)
  • 220.     Dec 18, 2008, p. A23, Government Workers Minding The Store (on the politics of muzzling government employees).
  • 219.     Dec 4, 2008, p. A19, How About a Giveback by UConn Bosses?  (on cost-cutting in academia).
  • 218.     Nov. 6, 2008, p. A29, Other Mammals Face Bigger Problems (on the sad state of mammalian extinctions).
  • 217.     Oct 22, 2008, p. A27, A Long Way from Science to Beliefs (on Darwinism and the slippery slope between science and religion.)
  • 216.     Oct. 9, 2008, p. A27, The Perils of a Popularity Contest (on the use of a citation impact factor in science assessment).
  • 215.     Sep  25, 2008,  p. A 15, Leave Barrier Islands to the Wind and Tides. (on Hurricane Ice and Galveston, TX).
  • 214.     Sep 11, 2008, p. A9,  Wasilla: Outpost Built on a Broken Dream. (on geography and presidential politics).
  • 213.     Aug. 28, 2008, p. A11, Makeover Nice, but Pond Needs Deeper Solution. (on Mirror Lake and pond eutrophication).
  • 212.     Aug 14, 2008, p. A9, Ice Getting Thinner. (On climate change and a poet’s death by falling through the ice).
  • 211.     Jul. 31, 2008, p. A11, $37 Million to Pen Up Excess Wild Horses?  (on environmental damage and the BLM strategy to hand-feed wild horses).
  • 210.     Jul. 17, 2008, p. A11, By the River’s Rules: Natural Processes Make Way for No Man’s Home.   (On migration of the Connecticut River and lax regulation).
  • 209.     July 3, 2008, p. A11, Anthropologists Have No Place on Battlefield. (on the use of anthropologists as spies and professional ethics).
  • 208.     Jun 19, 2008, p. A11, A Short Drive from Traffic Jams to Empty Roads (on a futuristic vision regarding high gasoline prices).
  • 207.     June 5, 2008, p. A13, Grand Canyon Dating Undercuts Creationism.  (on new geological studies from the Grand Canyon and the impossibility of Noah’s Flood).
  • 206.     May 22, 2008, p. A17, The Roots of Spring: A Planetary Collision (on the cause of Earth’s seasonality and the irony of beauty from terror).
  • 205.     May 8, 2008, p. A15, Football’s Footprint: Will UConn Offset Carbon from Far-Flung Football Program? (on President Hogan’s Climate Pledge).
  • 204.     Apr 24, 2008, p. A17, Taking a Dim View of Ridgeline Development (on Traprock Ridges and housing policy).
  • 203.     Apr 10, 2008, p. A15, Teens Can’t Appreciate What They Don’t Read (on the decline of reading among this cohort).
  • 202.     Mar 27, 2008, p. A13, What Children Believe. (on psychological research, ingrained beliefs and fundamentalism)
  • 201.     Mar 13, 2008, p. A11, Green Isn’t Always Good. (on the global problem of using “green” to indicate environmental correctness).
  • 200.     Feb 28, 2008, p. A13, When Fans Really Rock. (on global soccer matches picked up by seismometers in Africa).
  • 199.     Feb 14, 2008, p. A13, An Independent Shut Out of a Defining Choice.  (on Joe Leiberman and the two-party system).
  • 198.     Jan 31, 2008, p. A11, Breeding Disasters. (on global population as the uber problem of our times).
  • 197.     Jan 17, 2008, p. A9, Biblical Literalism: Troubling and Wrong. (on Mike Huckabee’s candidacy and an Obama endorsement).

COLUMNS ABOVE ARE PUBLISHED EVERY OTHER THURSDAY

COLUMNS BELOW ARE PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY

  • 196.     Jan 3, 2008, p. A9, A Window on the Brain (on the most under-rated scientific paper of the year).
  • 195.     Dec. 27, 2007, p. A11, Christmas Kindness in Alaska – With a Side of Soup. (on the significance of the holiday in a dark place).
  • 194.     Dec. 20, 2007, p. A11, TV Suffers Writer’s Block. (on wishing the writer’s strike would be longer and grown-up whining).
  • 193.     Dec. 13, 2007, p. A11, The Power to Reshape Earth (on the Anthropocene and human as the dominant geological agent).
  • 192.     Dec. 6, 2007, p. A11, A Lot More to Autumn than Fall.  (on the organic chemistry of leaf color and the physics of their fall).
  • 191.     Nov. 29, 2007, p. A13, Death to the Penny.  (on copper mining, small change and the archaeology of currency).
  • 190.     Nov. 22, 2007, p. A15, We Should be Thankful for the Water.  (on forgetting how important fresh water is to Thanksgiving)
  • 189.     Nov. 15, 2007, Earth: A Lot Deeper than Most are Taught. (on the state of earth science education in the U.S.)
  • 188.     Nov. 8, 2007, p. A9.  Perpetuating a Polarity Between Black and White. (on false dichotomies in general and their intentional divisiveness).
  • 187.     Nov. 1, 2007, p. A13., Stop Playing with Fire: Sprawling Into Burn Zones is Predictably Disastrous. (on chaparral, the U.S. Forest Service, and the waste of tax dollars).
  • 186.     Oct 25, 2007, p. A11., Sowing Their Wild Oats. (on celebrating Connecticut authors and the Amish Practice of Rumspringa).
  • 185.     Oct. 18, 2007, p. A13. Behind Gore, Science. (on critiques of An Inconvenient Truth and the history of the greenhouse effect).
  • 184.     Oct 11, 2007, p. A11.  Best Being Left Behind?  (on the state of math education and the U.S. refusal to participate in global education testing).
  • 183.     ct. 4, 2007, p. A15. A Line in the Fresh Air.  (on air-drying clothes, energy savings and neighborhood covenants).
  • 182.     Sept 27, 2007, p. A15. Out of the Blue: Peruvian Meteorite Shows Larger Forces at Work.  (on planetary risk and birth rates).
  • 181.     Sep 20, 2007, p. A15, Disrespecting Walden. (on building cairns on his cairn and quotes about stonework).
  • 180.     Sep 13, 2007, p. A9, Water Shortage Should KO Student Apartment Project. (on groundwater hydrology and the identity theft of town names).
  • 179.     Sep 6, 2007, p. A13, The Wrong Course. (on the environmental impact of golf, especially as the industry declines).
  • 178.     Aug 30, 2007, p. A9, Weather’s Dividing Lines.  (on the role of plants in meteorology and the rabbit-proof fence in Australia).
  • 177.     Aug 23, 2007, p. A9, Money, Mission Skew Rankings. (on the respective commitments of public vs. private universities).
  • 176.     Aug 16, 2007, p. A9, The Big Polluted: Runoff Clouds Mississippi With Algae, Solids.  (on phosphorous and eutrophication of the nation’s most important river, visible during the bridge collapse).
  • 175.     Aug 9, 2007, p. A9, Not on Russia’s Plate. (on plate tectonics and Soviet expansion into the Arctic).
  • 174.     Aug 2, 2007, p. A9, Chasing Story Isn’t Worth the Risk of Disaster.  (on the beautiful ferocity of nature, helicopter crashes, and info-tainment).
  • 173.     Jul 26, 2007, p. A9, Nothing Liberal About Conservation. (on the conversion of African Rain Forests and conservative politics).
  • 172.     Jul 19, 2007, p. A11, Dry Days Loom in the West. (on climate change on our watch and U.S. Water polity).
  • 171.     Jul 12, 2007, p. A9, From Hazard to Catastrophe. (on natural hazards, the control of language and a failed government policy).
  • 170.     Jul 5, 2007, p. A13, Politics Aside, New Orleans A Lost Cause. (on the geological impossibility called New Orleans).
  • 169.     Jul 28, 2007, p. A13, Tarzan: A Great Jumping-Off Point. (on the origin of human bipedality and arboreal limb-walking).
  • 168.     Jun 21, 2007, p. A11, No Time Left for Dunking.  (on strip mall development, gasoline consumption and donuts).
  • 167.     Jun 14, 2007, p. A11, Evolution Leads to Dinosaur Artist’s Discovery. (on the Hall of the Dinosaurs at Yale Peabody Museum and the notion of a “lucky break” for artists).
  • 166.     Jun 7, 2007, p. A9, Stalking Good Food. (on locovores and the agricultural policy of rhubarb vs. celery).
  • 165.     May 31, 2007, p. A11, A Day to Remember Land That’s Been Lost. (on the need for a memorial day for landscape death).
  • 164.     May 24, 2007, p. A11, The Myth Museum. (on the new Creation Museum built outside Cincinnati by “Answers in Genesis).
  • 163.     May 17, 2007, p. A11, A Hurdle, Not a Miracle.  (on fetal ontogeny and misunderstandings in the abortion debate).
  • 162.     May 10, 2007, p. A11, Reaping Consequences of Technology. (on groundwater arsenic poisoning in India)
  • 161.     May 3, 2007, p. A 13, The Cat Menace. (on feral cats, the decline in songbirds, and the definition of wild).
  • 160.     April 26, p. A11.  Chased Out by Vultures (on species protection and private interest) [2007].
  • 159.     April 19, p. A11.   A Tragedy, but Hardly a Surprise (on the Virginia Tech shooting and the sexualization of violence. [2007].
  • 158.     April 12, p. A11.  The Right Thing for the Wrong Reasons (on the U.S. Supreme Court forcing the EPA to regulate carbon dioxide.  [2007].
  • 157.     April 5, p. A9.  A Little Overheated (on the specific denotations and connotations of global warming). [2007]
  • 156.     March 29, p. A11.  More Heat Than Light (on agreeing with CO2 warming skeptics). [2007]
  • 155.     March 22, p. A11.  When an Idea Prevails (on Clovis technology and the War in Iraq). [2007]
  • 154.     March 15, p. A9.  Why So Reckless (on academic toxic waste disposal and the cost of research). [2007]
  • 153.     March 8, p. A7.  Science at the Wheel  (on David Baltimore’s innaguration and politics). [2007]
  • 152.     March 1, p. A7.  Natural Disaster? (on leapfrogging degradation at Skywalk, in the western Grand Canyon). [2007]
  • 151.      February 22, p. A11.  Don’t Monkey with Science (on Intelligent Design and Barry Goldwater). [2007]
  • 150.      February 15, p. A11.  A Storm of Debris (on the danger of space junk and the Chinese testing) [2007]
  • 149.      February 8, p. A15.  Super-sizing While the Earth Burns (on Emperor Nero, the super bowl, and global warming). [2007]
  • 148.      February 1, p. A9.  Tapping into Earth Power  (on the importance of geothermal energy development). [2007]
  • 147.       January 25, p. A9.  Inching Closer to Doomsday (on the Doomsday clock and adjustment for environmental impacts of global warming). [2007]
  • 146.       January 18, p. A11. Dog Attack Raises Readers’ Hackles (follow-up on Jan 4 column on individual rights in public spaces). [2007]
  • 145.       January 11, p. A9.  Recreational Risk; Living Dangerously has Rewards, Responsibilities (on lost climbers on Mount Hood and evolved risk behaviors). 2007.
  • 144.      January 4, p. A11.  Attacked on the Beach; Aggressive Dogs, Angry Owner Ruin Sunset Stroll (on public use of natural places). [2007]
  • 143.      December 28, p. A11.  Fake-Tree Disorder (on Richard Louv’s Nature Deficit Disorder and plastic Christmas trees). [2006]
  • 142.      December 21, 2006, p. A11.  Examining Ethics of Fruit (on a statewide ruling on the ethics of holiday giving and value of giving something natural). [2006]
  • 141.       December 14, p. A17.  A Black Day for the Earth (on holiday retailing and obsessive materialism). [2006]
  • 140.      December 7, p. A19.  How is CO2 Pollution?  (on the likely Supreme court ruling that EPA must do its job). [2006]
  • 139.       November 31, p. A11.  Move the Lighthouse, Even the Bard Agrees (on Surfing and Environmental vs. historic preservation at  Montalk Point, Long Island, NY). [2006]
  • 138.       November 23, p. A13.  We’re Off the Menu (on holiday turkey traditions, escaped emus, and dinosaur extinction). [2006]
  • 137.       November 16, p. A15.  Waste in the Water (on aquifer duplicity and the environmtal cost of bottled water). [2006]
  • 136.       November 9, p. A13.  In Nature’s Way (on California’s chaparral wildfires). [2006]
  • 135.       November 2, p. A11.  Playing Games with Glaciers (on global warming and the real Yale-vs-Harvard rivalry in College Fjord, Alaska). [2006]
  • 134.       October 26, p. A13.  Radioactivity’s Role (on deep geothermal life drawn from radioactivity). [2006]
  • 133.       October 19, p. A11.  Glass of Science is Half-Empty (on science education and mandatory testing). [2006]
  • 132.       October 12, p. A9.  World’s Getting Flatter  (on overuse of the term globalization; homogenization would be better). [2006]
  • 131.       October 5, p. A15.  No Stone Unturned (on geologists traveling through airport security with scientific specimens…alas confiscated). [2006]
  • 130.       September 28, p. A13.  Marketing’s Missing Link: Intelligence (on Neanderthal intelligence vs. college students). [2006]
  • 129.       September 21, p. A13.  Don’t Mess with Nature  (on the growing mud volcano at Sidoarjo, Indonesia and oil drilling). [2006]
  • 128.       September 14, p. A13.  Grown-Up Thinking  (on functional nuclear magnetic resonance imagining and the definition of an adult). [2006]
  • 127.      September 7, p. A17.  In Chile,  Long Time to Overcome 9/11 (on the previous 9/11 during the CIA-Pinochet coup in 1973). [2006]
  • 126.     August 31, p. A11.  Little Lost Planet (on Pluto’s demotion and the march of scientific progress). [2006]
  • 125.     August 24, p. A11.  Defining Best Professors (on spoiled college kids and deathbed memories). [2006]
  • 124.     August 17, p. A11.  Science Has No Measure for Strength of Prayer (on the Templeton-funded study on intercessory prayer; it doesn’t work). [2006]
  • 123.     August 10, p. A15.  Lesson in Entertainment (on Al Gore’s, inconvenient truth, and lamenting the loss of the lyceum) [2006]
  • 122.     August 3, p. A11.  Digging Into History (on historical archaeology and historic truth). [2006]
  • 121.     July 27, p. A11.  Roadkill’s got a Role in the Natural Order (on evolution and animal-sensitive habitats). [2006]
  • 120.     July 20, p. A9.  Midnight Golfers Fight Global Warming (on Alaskan environmental changes and midnight darkness from forest fire smoke). [2006]
  • 119.     July 13, p. A11.  Fishing Lessons (on the importance of outdoor education and natural limnology). [2006]
  • 118.     July 6, p. A9.  A Better Anthem  (on America the Beautiful vs. Star Spangled Banner, musically and otherwise). [2006]
  • 117.     June 29, p. A15.  Something Sinister in the Air (on methane in marine sediments and catastrophic warming). [2006]
  • 116.     June 22, p. A11.  Size Really Matters (on China’s Three-Gorges Dam and problematic hydrology). [2006]
  • 115.     June 15, p. A19.  Hope Takes Flight; For Birdwatchers, the Goal is Always in Sight (on the ivory billed woodpecker and the point of birdwatching). [2006]
  • 114.     June 8, p. A15.  Agency Working too Hard on Paperwork Mountain (on the cost of excessive vigilance by the Department of Mental Retardation). [2006]
  • 113.     June 1, p. A11.  The Spirit of Exploration (on the new science center and the training of future scientists). [2006]
  • 112.     May 25, p. A15.  Hello, New Breed (on genetic hybrids between grizzlies and polar bears in the Arctic and global warming). [2006]
  • 111.     May 18, p. A11.  What’s Nature Really Worth? ; Adding Up the Value of Earth’s “Services”  (on ecosystem services).
  • 110.     May 11, p. A15.   It’s Going Under: One More Reason to Stop Pouring Money Into Doomed City. (on the loss of  hurricane season). [2006]
  • 109.     May 4, 2006, p. A11.   School’s Out for…Spring? (on UConn’s early graduation). [2006]
  • 108.     April 27, 2006, p. A13.   It May Be Hot Down Below, But It’s Cold Up There (on Easter and springtime).
  • 107.     April 20, 2006, p A9.  Immigration, Cellphones, and the Rule of Law (on setting rules that aren’t enforced).
  • 106.     April 13, 2006, p. A13.   Rising Waters Should Erase All Doubts (on rapid ice sheet melting).
  • 105.     April 6, 2006, p. A15.   Bambi Myth Must Die (on the scourage of whitetailed deer).
  • 104.     March 30, 2006, p. A11.  Children Being Cheated Out of Fuller Education (on No Child Left Behind).
  • 103.     March 23, 2006, p. A19.   Daytime Lobotomy in the Jury Room (on intrusive television in otherwise dignified settings).
  • 102.     March 16, 2006, p. A9.  Where Elephants Roam?  American High Plains Preserve Would Protect Species  (on the true benchmark for habitat restoration).
  • 101.     March 9, 2006, p. A19.  Darfur’s Drumbeat of Disaster (on the “dead heart” of Africa in geological terms).
  • 100.     March 2, 2006, p. A11.   Mountain in Motion (on deadly lahars in the Philippines).
  • 99.       February 23, 2006, p. A17.   Goldilocks and Gridlock (on transportation improvements and the Indiana toll road).
  • 98.       February 16, 2006, p. A15.   The Geese Have Got to Go (on gross-outs and water pollution from too many geese).
  • 97.        February 9, 2006, p. A11.  Highway’s No Place for a Giant TV Sex Ad  (on electronic billboards and invasive TV).
  • 96.        February 2, 2006, p A13.   Broadwater Drawbacks  (on liquefied natural gas facility in Long Island Sound).
  • 95.        January 26, 2006, p. A11.  Dust from the Beginnings (On the space mission Stardust).
  • 94.        January 19, 2005, p. A9.   Evolving Curriculum (On Intelligent Design as Philosophy).
  • 93.        January 12, 2006,  p. A11.   Elemental Danger (On the Sago coal mining disaster).
  • 92.        January 2, 2006, p. A11.  A Handful of Resolutions for a Top-Drawer New Year (On the stories of drawer junk).
  • 91.        December 29, 2005, p. A13.  What Are penguins Doing Here? (On the absence of penguins from the Arctic).
  • 90.       December 22, 2005, p. A15.  It’s Christmas — And Not Just for God’s Sake (On Christmas as a secular word).
  • 89.       December 15, 2005, p. A15.  Two Predators Engagted in Timeless Ritual. (On the New Jersey Bear Hunt).
  • 88.       December 8, 2005, p. A13.  The Places You’ll Go (Review of Book Award Finalists on on the Environment).
  • 87.        December 1, 2005, p. A15.  Big-Box Schools Have Their Price. (On supersized high schools).
  • 86.        November 24, 2005, p. A13.  Thanks for the Mysteries (a Thanksgiving day natural meal).
  • 85.        November 17, 2005, p. A17.   Nature for Its Own Sake (An obituary for John Fowles and an ode to trees)
  • 84.        November 10, 2005, p. A13.  No More Name Changes (On the silliness of UConn Husky Way).
  • 83.        November 3, 2005, p. A11.  No Difference Beteen a Chilean and a Pole? (on cross-cultural personality traits).
  • 82.        October 27, 2005, p. A13.  Dead Deserve Revenge: Thefts, Vandalism Despoil Bolton Resting Place (on cemetery gravestone thievery).
  • 81.        October 20, 2005, p. A13, Pumpkins Aweigh!: Pumpkin Flood a reminder of fall high-water season. (On river flooding from hurricane storms).
  • 80.       October 13, 2005, p. A11.  For the Love of Leaves: Don’t Begrudge Heritage Corridor a Little Green (on autumn).
  • 79.        October 6, 2005, p. A11.  Faith Trumps All: On Human Origins, Most Think With their Hearts. (On Dover Pennsylvania’s Evolution Decision).
  • 78.        September 29, 2005, p. A13.  Safe in the Center: Rugby’s A World Away from Gulf (on the stable continental interior).
  • 77.        September 22, 2005, p. A11.   No Sense in Rebuilding (New Orleans).
  • 76.        Septemeber 15, 2005, p. A9.  Running a River Dry: Blame Thoughtless Overconsumption at UConn (on selfish students wasting water).
  • 75.        September 8, 2005, p. A13.  Warming Welcome? Trend could tip us into gentler Cycle. (on the North Atlantic Multi-Decadal Oscillation).
  • 74.        September 1, 2005, p. A11.  Spoiled or Preserved? Edgartown’s a gem — not so for the doorway to Denali. (on blight).
  • 73.       August 25, 2005, p. A11.  Have Faith; Together We Can Weather The Storm. (On the heat wave and climate change).
  • 72.       August 18, 2005, p. A11.  Cleanup: Open and Shut Case (on toxic military waste and saving the submarine base at Groton).
  • 71.       August 11, 2005, p. A9.  Under a Cloud: Bomb’s Roots Deep Within our Nature. (on the 50th aniversary of bombing Japan).
  • 70.       August 4, 2005, p. A11.  Silly, But So Exclusive: Buy-in is high, but reward is status (on Martha’s Vineyard’s Private Beaches).
  • 69.       July 28, 2005, p. A9.   Down the Drain: Who’s to Blame for Disappearing Siberian Lakes?
  • 68.       July 21, 2005, p. A7.  Addicted to Golf: Incredibly Bad courses Show How Far Committed Players Will Go.  (on the comparative geomorphology of courses)
  • 67.       July 14, 2005, p. A11.  It All Runs Downhill (On silly signage, protecting Long Island Scound, and taxpayer’s money).
  • 66.       July 7, 2005, p. A13.  Military Calling Shots at MIT? (On Theodore Postol and the militarization of campus).
  • 65.       June 30, 2005, p. A13. Destroying Tracks of History at UConn (The state fossil, Eubrontes, being ignored)
  • 64.       June 23, 2005, p. A11.  A Place for Windmills (Yes for Nantucket, No for Berkshires).
  • 63.       June 16, 2005, p. A19.   Tapping the Feeling of Fatherhood (what I think about being a Dad.)
  • 62.       June 9, 2005, p. A15.   Not Necessarily for God. (Memorial Day should not be for public religion).
  • 61.       June 2, 2005, p. A15.   No Dummy He Is: Brain Size Matters, But I’ts Not the Whole Story. (an essay on Yoda from Star Wars and Homo florsiensis).
  • 60.       May 26, 2005, p. A13, How Geography Funds Got Lost: (John Rowland’s corruption took down the CT Geographic Alliance).
  • 59.       May 19, 2005, p. A15.  Belief Doesn’t Make it Science: Creationism Born Again as Intelligent Design. (on religion in the classroom).
  • 58.       May 12, 2005, p. A9.  Barriers in the Stream (The effects of large dams on the world’s river systems).
  • 57.       May 5, 2005, p. A15.  Earth Calling Space Cowboy (NASA’s budget preferences for heroic missions at expense of earth science.)
  • 56.       April 28, 2005, p. A9.  Unidentifiable Freeway Objects Heading Your Way (On the dangers of poorly secured or thoughtlessly secured loads).
  • 55.       April 21, 2005, p. A13.   In Praise of Dust: Much Maligned Material Plays Key Roles in Cycle of Life.
  • 54.       April 14, 2005, p. A13.   Fishing With Buddha: Under The Surface, Angling Taps a Spiritual Current. (reflections on opening day).
  • 53.       April 7, 2005, p. A19.   The Wilding of Ruburbia (Return of the coyotes to New England).
  • 52.       March 31, 2005, p. A9.   Deadly Lake Defanged (Lake Nyos, Africa and limnic eruptions).
  • 51.       March 24, 2005, p. A9.  Religious Values Casting Long Shadow Over Science . (Life and Death with the Terry Schiavo Case).
  • 50.       March 17, 2005, p. A13.  Oil Glutton U.S. Should pass on Wildlife Refuge (Environmental impacts on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge).
  • 49.       March 10, 2005, p. A11.  Getting A Measure Of The Oceans’ Warming (Climate science and the new findings from oceanography).
  • 48.       March 3, p. A11.  It’s hard to Relate to Einstein’s Example (Scientific heroes and appropriate models).
  • 47.        February 24, 2005,  p. A11.   Warning: Labels Should Be Critically Considered Before Application (On Banning Evolution from the public schools).
  • 46.        February 17, 2005, p. A11.   Liberal Academia? Look Who’s Minding The Store (on the conservative element in academia).
  • 45.        February 10, 2005, p. A13.   Death Penalty Isn’t Rocket Science – Unfortunately (On the complexity of social science and the death penalty).
  • 44.        February 3, 2005, p. A 11.   The Farming Life is no Country Club (Farmland preservation isues).
  • 43.        January 27, 2005, p. A7.   To Student’s Benefit, UConn Campus Taken by Storm (Governor’s call to stay home during blizzard releases tickets for students).
  • 42.        January 20, 2005, p. A7.   We all pay a price for ignoring the warning signs (California landslides are ignored).
  • 41.        January 13,  2005, p. AA.  The fearful practice of treating global warming as fiction (Michael Crichton’s new book creates a problem for those who like fiction).
  • 40.        January 6, 2005, p. A9.  Tragedy and triumph on many levels (Year in Review)
  • 39.        December 30, 2004, p. A9.  Tsunami warning system could have saved lives. (Indian Ocean tsunami).
  • 38.        December 23, 2004, p. A9.  Unwrapping a gift from the heavens. (Star of Bethlehem and the Chesapeake Bay impact structure).
  • 37.        December 16, 2004, p. A13.  Canst Thou hear me now? (cell phones and church steeples are a good combination).
  • 36.        December 9, 2004, p. A15.   Time’s a-wasting: Get going on Yucca Mountain. (If the Japanese can site one, then why can’t we?)
  • 35.        December 2, 2004, p. A15.   My weekly correspondence with the public. (review of first seven months).
  • 34.        November 25, 2004, p. A11.   The day the turkeys listened. (developing self confidence through turkeys).
  • 33.        November 18, 2004, p. A15.   Kerry ignored the frog vote. (expert speaker gagged for political reasons in a state that went blue).
  • 32.        November 11, 2004, p. A15.   Choking on second hand television. (visual/noise pollution).
  • 31.         November 4, 2004, p. A19.   Fossils from out of left field. (new human species, Homo floresiensis).
  • 30.        October 28, 2004, p. A11.   I would love a well-planned parade. (conflict of interest between acaemics and athletics).
  • 29.        October 21, 2004, p. A13.   Bush is for technology; Kerry is for science (based on statements to the AAAS).
  • 28.        October 14, 2004, p. A13.   There’s a better way to choose school names (chosing between academic achievment and social equity).
  • 27.        October 7, 2004, p. A11.   Appreciating subtlety, but longing for fireworks. (Mt. St. Helens and the presidential debates).
  • 26.        September 30, 2004, p. A15.   That Sinking Feeling n New Orleans (New Orleans subsidence).
  • 25.        September 23, 2004, p. A17.   Blurring the line between art and science. (geology and impressionist art.)
  • 24.        September 16, 2004, p. A15.   Healing the Land’s Chemical Wounds (brownfields and wildlife refuges).
  • 23.        September 9, 2004, p. A11.   Any way you slice it, Spam is bad for the environment. (Agricultural feedlots and internet spam)
  • 22.        September 2, 2004, p. A19.  The few, the proud the archaeologists. (cultural resource management).
  • 21.       August 26, 2004, p. A11.  Mother Nature is not out to get you. (hurricanes).
  • 20.       August 19, 2004, p. A11.  Keeping greenhouse gas from seeing the light of day (on underground sequestration).
  • 19.       August 12, 2004, p. A15.  Earth tips the scales (Earth has bulges of weight gain and loss.).
  • 18.       August 5, 2004, p. A9.  What does it really mean to be a “Native American?” (Kennewick Man).
  • 17.       July 29, 2004, p. A15.   Ernst Mayr belongs in the Hall of Fame. (evolutionary bilogy).
  • 16.       July 22, 2004, p. A11. It’s easier to stay Connected in Canada (internet services).
  • 15.       July 15, 2004, p. A13.   The unwelcome predators in my backyard. (feral cats should be taken care of)
  • 14.       July 8, 2004, p. A9.   An environmental disaster to celebrate (historical debris flow).
  • 13.       July 2, 2004, p. A11.   The “old man” has met his maker: Nature. (New Hampshire’s Old Man in the Mountain).
  • 12.       June 24, 2004, p. A13.   Set children straight on climate change. (On being critical of Hollywood climate change scenarios).
  • 11.       June 17, 2004, p. A13.   Academics have reason to cheer for college athletics. (on accademic marketing).
  • 10.       June 10, 2004, p. A15.   For mad humanist, life’s trials written in stone. (celebrating insights form nature writing).
  • 9.         June 4, 2004, p. A11.   Climate change: coming to a region near you. (commentary on the movie, The Day After Tomorrow).
  • 8.         May 27, 2004, p. A15.   Cicada-phobia: good news for the environment (outbreak of periodic cicadas).
  • 7.         May 20, p. A13.   Our monument to wastefulness. (on the Hartford landfill).
  • 6.         May, 13, 2004, p. A11.   The mother of all scheduling conflicts (on family policy, Mother’s Day, and Commencement).
  • 5.         May 6, 2004, p. A13.   Pollution could leave river in no condition to thrive. (on Long Island Sound policy).
  • 4.         April 29, p. A13.   Spring weekend, There’s a message in the madness (on youth culture).
  • 3.         April 22, 2004, p. A13.   Brainy “cabbage” deserves better treatment (on the plant “skunk cabbage” being a misnomer).
  • 2.         April 15, 2004, p. A15.   Getting Soaked Could pay off for Eastern States (on western water policy).
  • 1.         March 26, 2004, p. A13.   Uconn’s Geology Department was a Dinosaur (on why the geology department was dissolved).

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