Author Archives: alan

Church of England promises to divest from fossil fuels

Posted on July 23, 2018 by alan

Science magazine (13 July 2018) reports (News | In Brief, p. 114) that the Church of England has decided to divest itself from fossil fuel companies. The Church divested itself of £12 million in assets from tar sands and coal … finish reading Church of England promises to divest from fossil fuels

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PSU Chemists May Have Unlocked Juul’s Appeal

Posted on June 9, 2018 by alan

E-cigarettes are often promoted as a “healthy” alternative to cigarettes (“The Promise of Vaping and the Rise of Juul” New Yorker, 14 May 2018). The public health appeal of this is simple: nicotine is notoriously addictive (even without the flavorings … finish reading PSU Chemists May Have Unlocked Juul’s Appeal

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Real News About the Climate

Posted on December 6, 2017 by alan

Here are two recent “real news” stories that should make you worried about the self-serving fools in charge of our government, corporations, and just about any other person or institution with a financial incentive to keep things as they are: … finish reading Real News About the Climate

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Forced From Home exhibit – this week only

Posted on October 16, 2017 by alan

Doctors without Borders has mounted a free exhibition, “Forced From Home,” in Pioneer Courthouse Square on the refugee crisis. Hours are 9 am – 5 pm. Days Mon 10/16 (that’s today) through Sun 10/22. Here’s a brief description of what you will … finish reading Forced From Home exhibit – this week only

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Are Chemists Ready for Virtual Reality?

Posted on September 12, 2017 by alan

Virtual reality (VR), once the province of supercomputer labs, is going mainstream. A few months ago, I strapped on a VR headset in Prof. Joel Franklin’s computer lab so that I could explore multi-hued computer-generated landscapes, some realistic, others purely fanciful. … finish reading Are Chemists Ready for Virtual Reality?

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Unanswered Questions for Geoengineers & Reed College

Posted on August 20, 2017 by alan

(Update: On 11 Oct 2021 the Reed College Board of Trustees announced its decision to divest the college’s endowment from fossil fuels. Read about it here.) “The Paris agreement aims to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 to 2C … finish reading Unanswered Questions for Geoengineers & Reed College

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CO2 emissions melting sea ice

Posted on May 24, 2017 by alan

Portland temperatures topped 90F on Monday reminding us that summer is, if not yet here officially, right around the corner. And summer brings big questions for climate scientists like, “how much ice will remain in the Arctic when summer is over?” As these … finish reading CO2 emissions melting sea ice

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People’s Climate March – Portland

Posted on April 28, 2017 by alan

Tomorrow’s march is titled “Climate Action Rooted in Justice.” It starts at 12 pm in Dawson Park in NE Portland and winds for over a mile through NE Portland. The park is located between N Williams and N Vancouver adjacent to Legacy … finish reading People’s Climate March – Portland

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Climate says, “Science is not a hoax!”

Posted on April 20, 2017 by alan

There are those (Trump, Tillerson, Pruitt, …) who pretend that the scientific evidence on changes in global climate is a hoax, but we know better. Science has the facts. Those deny the science are guided by one overriding concern: sticking to business … finish reading Climate says, “Science is not a hoax!”

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Bright Times for Computational Chemistry

Posted on March 17, 2017 by alan

I can still remember when computational chemistry was considered a special, esoteric (some would have said “useless”) sub-specialty within physical chemistry. Three recent articles in scientific journals show that the times have changed. Future research will have a computational component almost … finish reading Bright Times for Computational Chemistry

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