Tag Archives: climate change

Koch Inc: Oligarchs of Order and Ordure

By Robin Bates | Published: October 23, 2014

A Scott Bates poem framing our oil barons as “the officious oligarchs of order and ordure” and “the lizards of ooze.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged "O Is a Dirty Oil Man", Environment, global warming, Koch brothers, oil barons, ozone depletion, Scott Bates | Comments closed

Kingsolver Tries to Save the Planet

By Robin Bates | Published: October 7, 2014

I’m not entirely sure what to make of Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behavior (2012), which I’m currently teaching in my Introduction to Literature class. It fits well with my theme, which is “Humans in Nature,” and I certainly agree with Kingsolver’s point that climate change is one of the greatest dangers facing humankind. I just have […]

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged Barbara Kingsolver, Flight Behavior, monarch butterflies | Comments closed

Hydrocarbons Unleash an Angry God

By Robin Bates | Published: September 17, 2014

Euripides’ “The Bacchae” can be read as a parable of climate change denialism.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged Bacchae, Euripides, Nature | Comments closed

Mass Extinctions Followed by Life

By Robin Bates | Published: August 21, 2014

Richard Shelton’s poem “Death” reminds us that we are part of the world that we are destroying.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged death, evolution, Field Museum, global warming, mass extinctions, Richard Shelton | Comments closed

GOP Denies a Giant Problem

By Robin Bates | Published: June 3, 2014

Faced with climate change denialism, Obama has been forced to take executive action. Jonathan Swift would understand.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged Barack Obama, climate change denialism, climate change politics, global warming, GOP, Jonathan Swift, politics | Comments closed

This Is the Way the World Ends

By Robin Bates | Published: May 15, 2014

Robert Frost’s “Fire and Ice” reflects upon how the world will end. Recent news of melting Antarctic glaciers says we can expect fire and ice to both play a role.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged "Fire and Ice", C. S. Lewis, global warming, Last Battle, melting Antarctic ice, melting glaciers, Robert Frost | Comments closed

Melville and Climate Change Denial

By Robin Bates | Published: May 12, 2014

Melville’s “Benito Cereno” perfectly captures Rightwing denial of climate change.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged Barack Obama, Benito Cereno, climate change denialism, Environment, GOP, Herman Melville, politics | Comments closed

Out of Denialism and into Responsibility

By Robin Bates | Published: February 20, 2014

Denialism such as we are seeing with regard to climate change is well describe in “All the King’s Men.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged All the King's Men, climate change denialism, Robert Penn Warren | Comments closed

Will Californians Become the New Okies?

By Robin Bates | Published: February 13, 2014

The California drought is prompting “Grapes of Wrath” comparisons.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged California drought, Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck, water shortfall | Comments closed