Author Archives: William Hooke

“Civilization exists under geological consent – subject to change without notice.” – attributed (sometimes) to Will Durant. “If you are afraid to fail, then you should go and become a banker.” Yossi Vardi “A banker lends you an umbrella when … Continue reading →

The previous LOTRW post left this question hanging: Why, in the aftermath of natural disasters, do we simply rebuild as before – in the same way, and on the same land – when this perpetuates losses and human suffering? On … Continue reading →

On this real world, natural threats and hazards – cycles of flood and drought; hurricanes and winter storms; earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions; and more – are much in evidence. They are not merely features that make Earth a bit … Continue reading →

Start with some context. Sea level rise is forecast to shrink the land area of Florida by some 1-10% by the end of the century. Much of this land is in Florida’s south. The area affected includes the Everglades and … Continue reading →

Yesterday’s LOTRW post is reproduced here verbatim, but in its original form — before the ChatGPT transformation of certain sections into unrhymed iambic pentameter. I’m doing this because some readers might be interested in just what was retained and what … Continue reading →

The great English poet John Milton (1608-1674) is most famous for his epic poems Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained[1]. To help you recall your high-school English literature: Milton’s Paradise Lost (1667) recounts the temptation of Adam and Eve by Satan … Continue reading →

As of this writing, it’s been two weeks since Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend area of the Florida coast and barreled inland, flooding a 500-mile-plus swath, most notably in Appalachian North Carolina. The known death toll, which … Continue reading →

…following up from the previous LOTRW post, recalling an occasion from nearly forty years ago (stop me if you’ve heard this). The event? An annual NOAA/OAR management retreat sometime in the 1980’s. The NOAA Environmental Research Laboratory directors had gathered … Continue reading →

“Everybody talks about impact, but nobody does anything about it.[1]” Have admired David Guston and his political science/policy research from afar. You should too – but probably from way closer-up. By way of helping you decide whether you want to … Continue reading →

Mention science diplomacy to a geoscientist or a social scientist focusing on Earthly matters, and you’ll likely bring to mind the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change or IPCC (consider, e.g., the reader’s comment with respect to the recent LOTRW post … Continue reading →