global-warming – Between Hell and High Water

Fighting Adaptation to Reality

By Mike Koetting August 18, 2026

My last post argued that since serious environmental mitigation was politically implausible (at least for the time being), we needed to step up our efforts to adapt to changing environmental conditions. I am not talking about projections of what might happen. I am talking about responding to realities that are facing us here and now.

This post expands on that theme. I start with a few micro-case studies that illustrate some of the challenges. Then I try to place that in a larger focus.

Fifty Years of Environmental Avoidance

By Mike Koetting August 4, 2026

I recently ran across an article contending that the 1972 Limits to Growth projections about environmental threats were on track. That reminded me that when these were first published, my friend Rick Casey, then at the National Catholic Reporter, commissioned me to write a review. Although long since moved on, he was able to track down the review for me.

Turns out, it held up fairly well. But, before that….