I recently attended the “Extreme Weather Events and Climate Change: How do we Address Uncertainty” symposium at Rutgers University where I learned from leading climatologists and social scientists* a few simple concepts that help make the connection between the increased intensity and frequency of storms and global warming. While it may still be too early to attribute individual storms to climate change, there is a lot we are certain about that can be emphasized. Read more.

Perhaps even more important than the percentage of people who accept the reality of anthropogenic climate change is the number of people who believe that something can be done about it. This is because when—and I believe it is a matter of when, not if—the public truly wakes up to climate change as a mortal danger, it will be critical that people feel at least a glimmer of hope that the harm can be minimized. Read more.

Social Change Institute @ Hollyhock from Stina Brown on Vimeo.

Mike Rowlands, President of Octopus Strategies, shares his reflections on the 2011 Social Change Institute. "In the face of the most complex problems mankind has ever confronted, simple answers don’t exist. Instead, effective resolutions require careful study and sensitive responses; “emergent practices” will present themselves as they percolate up out of wide-reaching collaborations."  For the full post.

Recent polling indicates that Canadians are more likely than Americans to support cap-and-trade and believe that global warming is occurring. Additionally, a majority of voters in Western states (Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming) are skeptical about climate change, but support EPA regulation of CO2.  Read more.