A C. T U. A L. L Y

Today is my 100 th blog post, and it’s also December 8, 2019, the Second Sunday of Advent.   I had never heard the term before we moved to Germany.   Here’s what it means, from the horse’s mouth ( christianity.com ): The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus , meaning “coming,” which is a translation of the Greek word parousia . Scholars believe that during the 4 th and 5 th centuries in Spain and Gaul, Advent was a season of preparation for the baptism of new Christians at the January feast of Epiphany, the celebration of God’s incarnation represented by the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus ( Matthew 2:1 ), his baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist ( John 1:29 ), and his first miracle at Cana ( John 2:1 ). During this season of preparation, Christians would spend 40 days in penance, prayer, and fasting to prepare for this celebration; originally, there was little connection between Advent and Christmas. By the 6 th centur...

This one is going to be a little dry.   But to avoid getting inundated like a coastal city, sometimes you have to go dry.  I'm referring to the UN Gap Emissions Report 2019 , which came out at the end of November.  Warning:  The news is bleak.   Nonetheless, you really should know what's in the Gap Report , so here’s a primer.   What is the emissions gap?   From the link to the Executive Summary of the Gap Report Gap Report Exec Summary : This is the tenth edition of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Emissions Gap Report. It provides the latest assessment of scientific studies on current and estimated future greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and compares these with the emission levels permissible for the world to progress on a least-cost pathway to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. This difference between “where we are likely to be and where we need to be” has become known as the ‘emissions gap’. Where do we...