Can we invent ourselves out of climate change? Ben Franklin thought so.
Joyce E. Chaplin is the James Duncan Phillips professor of early American history at Harvard University and author of the forthcoming book 'The Franklin Stove: An Unintended American Revolution,' from which this piece is adapted.
The winter of 1740-1741 was miserable. Boston Harbor froze over. So did the Venice Lagoon. Crops died and famine reigned. Up to a fifth of Ireland's population might have died, a greater toll than for the 19th-century famine called the Great Hunger.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Bonnaroo 2025 cancelled after just one night due to severe storms days after co-founder's death
The remainder of music festival Bonnaroo has been cancelled due to weather just days after the death of one of its co-founders. Set to run through Sunday at Bonnaroo Farm in Manchester, Tennessee, the music festival was cancelled Friday evening after hours of delays and even an evacuation notice. 'Today, the National Weather Service provided us with an updated forecast with significant and steady precipitation that will produce deteriorating camping and egress conditions in the coming days,' Bonnaroo shared via Instagram. 'We are beyond gutted, but we must make the safest decision and cancel the remainder of Bonnaroo.' The festival promised at least partial refunds for all ticket holders, many of whom paid hundreds of dollars to attend. Luke Combs was the only of the four headliners to deliver a performance. He took the stage Thursday night and performed alongside fellow country star Miranda Lambert onstage, as well as Marcus King and Jon Bellion. The other headliners, Tyler, the Creator, Olivia Rodrigo and Hozier, have all had their sets cancelled. Additional performers slated to take the stage included Vampire Weekend, GloRilla, Tyla, Avril Lavigne, Queens of the Stone Age, John Summit, Dom Dolla, and Glass Animals. 'We have put our hearts and souls into making this weekend the most special one of the year, and cannot express how crushed we are to have made this decision,' Bonnaroo's statement concluded. 'Thank you in advance for your patience, your positivity and your unfailing Bonnaroovian spirit.' Many fans were disappointed by the cancellation, with some noting it wasn't the first time in recent years attendees found themselves in this situation. 'Wondering what this means for the future of bonnaroo honestly. 3 cancellations in 5 years isn't looking good for us,' one fan wrote on Instagram. 'First and last bonnaroo. Absolute s*** show, not to mention not a speck of rain was seen after they cancelled,' another shared, while someone else agreed: 'Literally spent THOUSANDS of dollars flying from Hawaii……. first roo and most likely my last.' The fan-favorite festival's last minute cancellation came days after the death of one of its co-founders. Jonathan Mayers, who helped create a number of major American festivals, died earlier this week at 51. No cause of death has yet been announced. In a statement to Billboard, Red Light Management founder Coran Capshaw said: 'This is incredibly tough news for so many of us. Jon was the creative force behind so much of what people experience at Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, and many other events over the years. We're all really going to miss him.' Mayers co-founded promotions company Superfly with partners Rick Farman, Richard Goodstone and Kerry Black in 1996. They hosted their first concert during Mardi Gras. The four worked together to launch Bonnaroo in 2002 after securing the festival site on farmland in Manchester, an hour outside of Nashville. They worked closely with Capshaw's Red Light Management and other industry figures to book headliners, including the Grateful Dead's Phil Lesh and Bob Weir. In 2008, Mayers partnered with Another Planet Entertainment to create the Outside Lands festival in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Mayers left Superfly acrimoniously in 2021, and the following year sued his former partners Farman, Goodstone and Black, accusing them of civil misrepresentation, breach of contract and fraud. Mayers alleged that they had misrepresented the value of his shares in the promotions company. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2023. Superfly said in a statement to Billboard: 'We are heartbroken with the passing of Jonathan. He was a cherished part of Superfly's story, woven into it's history and legacy. In addition to the role he's played in bringing joy to millions, we will miss his razor sharp wit, infectious smile and contagious laugh. No one could light up a room like Jon.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
American weather presenters say coverage of wildfires on the Prairies has intensified
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Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Hamilton Spectator
American weather presenters say coverage of wildfires on the Prairies has intensified
EDMONTON - Three American TV weather presenters say their viewers' appetite is soaring for information on the swaths of wildfire smoke drifting in from the Canadian Prairies. 'The smoke has really dominated our weather forecasting headlines,' says Jacob Morse, a meteorologist for KFYR-TV in Bismarck, N.D. Morse said North Dakota has been hazy all week due to smoke coming from Manitoba and Saskatchewan, where fires have been raging for more than two weeks, forcing more than 30,000 people from their homes. 'We've been talking about it constantly. We're educating viewers on where the fires are and then why the smoke comes here (and the) communities impacted,' he said. Eric Snitil, chief meteorologist for WROC-TV in Rochester, N.Y., says a few years ago, his news network had two or three smoke graphics it projected on its green screens, mainly because of wildfires elsewhere in the United States. 'Now we couldn't be building these fast enough because of Canada,' Snitil said. 'It's forcing us meteorologists to not just look out for weather in our own backyard here in New York. I find myself now looking at data for Canada and what's the fire conditions looking like many thousands of miles away.' He said the appetite from viewers has grown because smoke affects such a large number of people at one time. Bill Kardas, a chief meteorologist of WKTV in Utica, N.Y., says weather presenters across the U.S. have been ramping up their coverage of Canadian wildfire smoke since 2023. As Canadians dealt with their worst wildfire season that year, he said his state turned apocalyptically orange from the smoke. Snitil said meteorologists in New York weren't prepared. 'Most people around here never experienced anything like the 2023 wildfire smoulder,' said Kardas, a weatherman of 20 years. 'There really wasn't a lot of knowledge as to what was generating this, why is this happening, is this normal, has this ever happened before.' This year, Kardas said his viewers began to notice smoke in the air last week as blazes on the Canadian Prairies intensified. It has prevented many Americans from leaving their homes, he said. 'We're 2,000 miles away and we're feeling the effects of this,' he said. 'I can't imagine how horrible it must be to be dealing with it in proximity.' Mike Flannigan is a professor in the University of Alberta's department of renewable resources and the director of the Western Partnership for Wildland Fire Science. He said there are two main reasons why Canadian smoke is making international headlines. First is that there is more smoke and wildfires to begin with, he said. This year's fire season — the second worst since the 2023 wildfire season — has seen wildfires consume 3.7 million hectares, six times the area of Prince Edward Island. 'And there's probably more (smoke) than that because our fires today are burning more intensely and more deeply,' Flannigan said. Smoke from the flames this year has also crossed oceans and even been detected in Europe. He said people are paying attention to Canadian wildfires globally because they are more aware of the dangers of smoke as science has evolved. 'I'm a fire guy. We talk about good fire and bad fire. There's no such thing as good smoke. It's bad, bad, bad. And it's becoming more frequent,' Flannigan said. 'It affects IQ, it affects fetus development and of course, lungs. It's full of thousands of chemicals.' He said he hopes the global spread of Canadian wildfire smoke encourages more people to think about human-caused climate change. 'We can prevent some of these wildfires through fire bans, forest closures, education,' Flannigan said. 'If (the Earth continues) to warm, we're going to have longer fire seasons, carry more lightning and drier fields which promote fires.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
