Richard Alley is an action figure scientist who gets to tell it like it is about global warming. He encounters a lot of denial and ignorance, which has worn him into a particular character, a lot like a Disney character but actually he's with PBS.
I hadn't realized Gus, one of our Wanderers, was a webmaster for the show. As first webmaster for BFI (Buckminster Fuller Institute) and Kenneth Snelson both, I felt some affinity, as an unsung hero. Lew, to my left, a sanitation engineer, put me onto a goldmine of Project Earthala stuff: the 50 machines we'll need.
I suggested we order today and start shipping to Nicaragua, of course alluding to a certain case being prosecuted against some villainous characters. Indeed, Lew had the right attitude: we would want to check that this was real and working equipment, and not allow for any switcheroo during shipment (or change of serial numbers, as appears to have happened to our all American friends).
We got to see some of the global warming TV clips ahead of most others, including the roller coaster one. Alley is a brave man, one of the bona fides needed for a TV personality in the big leagues (Lara Logan, Katie Couric...).
The Bagdad is on an exclusive circuit involving only some of the best science museums. You could say we were a focus group I suppose. We had some detailed paperwork to fill out for the NSF. OMSI was hosting (our science museum), with McMenamins supplying the venue and grub (I shared a pitcher of Hammerhead).
I put in time with FNB today, a serious attempt at mitigating fossil fuel use, and the tip of the iceberg when it comes to counter-intelligence against the Protestant "Waste Ethic" (was "Work Ethic" (guffaw)) and its hell-bent nature. Car head commuters everywhere, none of them compensating for the damage they do, never mind about the fancy underwear "day job" (snicker).
Anyway, his talk was effective, as I'm sure are the book and DVD. The science is essentially done for the moment. There's lots more to know, but the denial phase has nothing to do with that phase of the empirical process.
Now it's more a Darwinian process, like American Idol or Gong Show, for figuring out who gets to tell us our lifestyle is moronic and ugly. Bad news if you're in fashion, unless you've been planning for this day (many have, surprise surprise).
This guy is a candidate, certainly, and takes it well beyond Al Gore in saying what's inconvenient for some of the high inertia "personal fortune" types, who bet wrong and can't -- and don't have to -- admit it. They'll say that we "owe them" but we know that we don't.
Tara needed to work out and study. Carol is preparing for bird migration season (already upon us). OPDX is taking care of itself (Ty made a wicked good mushroom potato soap at SDW yesterday, Melody, new Catherine, Will, another family also on staff).
:: by of and for the occupants ::
