Shroompocalypse Now!

The world didn’t end today, but maybe the Mayans gave us a substantial enough portion of apocalypse to sate us for a while. We survived the Mayans, Y2K, Harold Camping, medieval fears of the year 1,000 and the rest. We’ll even somehow weather the black truffle scare of 2012. Let’s call on the media to make a New Year’s resolution for 2013 to stop scaring the public with climate propaganda scare stories and start showing us some respect.

What is the Anthropocene and Are We in It? | Science & Nature | Smithsonian Magazine

To Andrew Revkin, a New York Times reporter (now blogger) who suggested a similar term in 1992 that never quite caught on (“Anthrocene”), it’s significant that the issue is being debated at all. “Two billion years ago, cyanobacteria oxygenated the atmosphere and powerfully disrupted life on earth,” he says. “But they didn’t know it. We’re the first species that’s become a planet-scale influence and is aware of that reality. That’s what distinguishes us.”

Twitter / climatebrad: "In the scheme of things, we ...

"In the scheme of things, we human beings are not a very intelligent species." - Michael Schlesinger, @GlobalStudiesIL http://bit.ly/12tSO0k

With climate change, winter isn't what it used to be | Snow Sports | The Seattle Times

At Snoqualmie Pass, the skiing right now is as great as ever. But long term?

"By 2050, there won't be any more skiing at Snoqualmie; it's over," said Cliff Mass, atmospheric scientist at the University of Washington.
...
"We joke about building a shrine to the easterly air flow, it is such a nice benefit for us," said Guy Lawrence, marketing director for Snoqualmie. The resort has enjoyed five years running of great snow and long seasons, Lawrence said, with some starting before Thanksgiving and running into May.

Mass agreed that it's still business as usual at the pass — but not for much longer. "But then, we'll still have Crystal and Baker. We have higher places, and places with more snow. But at Snoqualmie it'll be over."