Author Archives: Tim Kovach

detroit water brigade

In the wake of the Detroit shutoffs, do Americans have a right to water?

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Originally posted on Drink Local. Drink Tap., Inc’s blog. In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly formally recognized there exists a human right to water and sanitation. The body called… Read more »

sealed parking lot runoff

Your driveway is making you sick: On the health risks of coal tar sealants

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Originally posted on Drink Local. Drink Tap., Inc’s blog. Coal constitutes a hellish cocktail of toxic substances, ranging from heavy metals like mercury and lead to known carcinogens like cadmium… Read more »

Don’t blame it on the rain: On the root causes of Northeast Ohio’s flooding problems

“Après moi, le déluge” – King Louis XV (1710-1774) Northeast Ohio has a flooding problem, as anyone affected by the severe storms last evening can attest. The region has experienced at… Read more »

typhoon haiyan damage

Sorry, Roger Pielke, climate change is causing more disasters

Back in March, controversial political scientist Roger Pielke, Jr. published his first post for FiveThirtyEight. The piece centered on the argument that climate change is not contributing to an increase in… Read more »

oec clean energy infographic

What is the real cost of freezing Ohio’s clean energy standards?

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https://www.epa.gov/statelocalenergy/co-benefits-risk-assessment-cobra-health-impacts-screening-and-mapping-tool I have asthma. According to the CDC, I am one of 831,787 Ohioans and 25.9 million Americans living with this condition (PDF). That means that 1 out of every 12 Americans is… Read more »

naval station pensacola

Will climate change disasters really lead to more conflict? Maybe.

The US military has devoted a considerable amount of attention to climate change, which makes sense given the various risks it poses to military operations. These risks include potential increased… Read more »

cyclone nargis damage

Why peace & international engagement may threaten Burma’s fragile ecosystems

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This article is cross-posted from New Security Beat. Political and economic changes in Burma have been as rapid as they are surprising. In just three years, the country has gone… Read more »

tea party global warming sign

Climate hawks should focus more on the persuadable, less on the trolls

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For years, climate hawks have devoted considerable time and energy to refuting arguments proffered by those who deny the basic tenets of climate change. This focus on countering climate deniers… Read more »