climate change Archives - Mark Marchand blog

Joining Bob Dylan in his famous movement to "go electric."

Following Bob Dylan to go electric: Our one year of driving an EV

Post published:February 18, 2024

Bob Dylan famously went electric, so we decided to try it too. So off we went last year to shirk off the yoke of an internal combustion, fossil-fuel-burning, pollution-emitting car. We joined the legions of drivers who chose a new electric vehicle, or EV. It wasn’t a huge leap for our family, since I was among the first New Yorkers to buy a hybrid Toyota Prius in 2000. We drove it for years, reveling in over 50 mpg and answering questions from curious strangers who waited in parking lots to talk with…

Street flooding north of New York City, Sept. 29, 2023. (Credit: New York Times)

Posing the ‘why’ behind the streak of bad weather

Post published:September 29, 2023

Should broadcast news organizations and their weather teams help us better understand the role of human-caused climate change in ongoing weather disasters? The deadly Maui wildfire, widespread New York City flooding, crop-wilting heatwaves, our breathing air fouled by Canadian wildfires, and so many other weather calamities are coming at us in head-spinning waves. Maybe it’s time to elevate the topic to the same painstaking investigation and reporting that take place after other disasters. All it would take is journalists and forecasters asking experts “why” this global bad weather avalanche accelerates. The…

Mapping a vision

Post published:December 8, 2021

I wrote the following article for the Adirondack Explorer newspaper, reporting on a new 30-year vision plan for the six-million-acre Adirondack Park, researched and written by the Adirondack Council. Below the article is a link to where the article resides on the newspaper's website. ***** Mapping a vision November 16, 2021 Vision 2050 report cover Adirondack Council plots journey to improved park management and communities By Mark A. Marchand Building on a 129-year-old promise to protect and nurture the Adirondack Park, the Adirondack Council on Tuesday unveiled a comprehensive roadmap for the…

Melting in the waters around Antarctica

Climate change in social media: One man’s pursuit of truth

Post published:July 3, 2021

Each crisis of our 21st century world gives birth to new “warriors” who use truth and science to help us safely navigate calamities. Our ongoing pandemic is a prime example. Out of the chaos of a muddled anti-science leadership effort in 2020 emerged dedicated scientists, researchers, and companies who swiftly developed vaccines that are saving millions of lives and slowing COVID-19’s spread. And of course, there are our doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers who fought valiantly against the rising tide of infections. Where would we be without them? As the pandemic…

Photo: Courtesy of NASA

A Book Review: “The New Climate War”

Post published:February 25, 2021

There is a new type of warrior emerging in the ongoing tussle between the evidence-based science of climate change and the diversionary tactics of fossil-fuel companies and political supporters. This rare but growing cohort in the winnable battle against climate change denial are scientists who can effectively communicate about complex science. They’re also willing to engage in pitched social media, news media, and other battles against the trolls, bots, and uber-conservative news outlets who are telling us to move along … nothing to see here. Photo: Courtesy of NASA One of the…