Thank you Nick Stokes, for passing on the “Woody Guthrie award for a thinking blogger” to me!
Sometimes I feel that my problem is that I think too much before I write (hence I don’t write very much…), so I’m glad to hear that the thinking and the few words that it results in are appreciated.
Nick helpfully laid out the history of the Woody Guthrie award when he got it a while ago: ArchieArchive brought it into the world and it’s had an interesting life since then, at some point coming (and remaining) into the hands of scientifically minded climate bloggers such as Greenfyre, Dan Satterfield, SkepticalScience, Science of Doom, and Nick Stokes @Moyhu. Needless to say, I am honoured to join this fine list of recipients.
Though it remains in climate spheres, it marks a bit of a change, in that SoD and Nick are both strongly technical bloggers, whereas I’m generally more focused on the broader context of climate issues (e.g. science communication). What I hopefully have in common with both of them is that I try to be constructive rather than argumentative.
Nick has really carved a nice niche with his blog, being skeptical in the original sense of the word: Investigating claims and issues that pique his interest (e.g. global temperature reconstructions). Investigative technical blogging may be a good word. Which of course gets me thinking about what my niche may be, if any. Non-violent contextual blogging? Wow, does that ever roll of the tongue!
What I’m trying to do with this blog is to provide context and reflection and to do so in as civilized a manner as possible, while not being afraid to call a spade a spade either. Especially the last part is a bit of a balancing act of course, and some may see me as a softie while to others I’m still a hardliner. So be it. You can’t please everyone (and I’m not trying to either). I’m trying to live and write by the golden rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. Of course I don’t always succeed and there are limits, but stretching them is an art form.
And while my ego is being boosted anyway, I stumbled upon Michael Cote’s blog when he wrote about his top-3 climate blogs, existing of RealClimate, ClimateProgress and …
Our Changing Climate. Bart Verheggen is a fantastic writer and climate insider. He covers the inner workings of the climate science and political fields like no other writer out there. He goes deep in his climate coverage, contextualizes the issues for his readers (rare), and provides high readability with intriguing stories. Best of all, no advertisements or book pitches. This makes OCC one of my top go to blogs.
Thanks Michael! Now let’s stop here before my feet get too big for my shoes. I’ll take some time to enjoy the WG award while thinking about a next recipient. Suggestions (esp hidden gems) welcome.
Cheers mate!
My view on climate change 
May 17, 2011 at 16:59
Congrats Bart! I’d suggest Kate at ClimateSight or Tamino.
May 17, 2011 at 17:58
Congrats, Bart.
Suggestions? A hidden gem to consider is Mauri Pelto’s blog on glaciers:
http://glacierchange.wordpress.com/
May 17, 2011 at 20:34
Well done and much-deserved.
May 17, 2011 at 21:15
Nice work! (Agree with all 3 suggestions so far.)
May 17, 2011 at 22:15
Since we’re already discussing next year, I will ask Bart not to forget John Nielsen-Gammon’s blog:
http://blog.chron.com/climateabyss/
Congratulations!
May 17, 2011 at 22:28
Thanks all and g’night!
May 18, 2011 at 04:51
I found this link on my blog and I am honoured that this award has fallen into such deserving hands. The award was originally designed for a blogger whose thoughtful posts on religion and politics impressed me. It is fitting that Woody Guthrie’s memory should now be kept in company with those who are helping to push back the new dark age of religious fervour and science denial with the crown of human endeavour, science.
May 19, 2011 at 01:10
Nick is a fine blogger and worthy thinker. He does like the role of foil in many cases, even when he’s not really disagreeing.
He has done some very cool work on 3D flow modeling as well.
May 19, 2011 at 16:31
Bart,
Congrats. You are a most worthy recipient. I’m a huge fan of your blog.
May 21, 2011 at 07:47
Woody Guthrie great folksinger and proud American Communist was about the last person who would join “a settled consensus”.
He must be turning in his grave!
May 25, 2011 at 03:24
Yay!
June 4, 2011 at 01:12
Kudos to Bart. No one is more deserving of this award. However, has anyone noticed the little Utah blog of Barry Bickmore? Here’s a guy who lives in a State whose leaders believe in their souls that oil and natural gas are useful, relatively benign resources! And despite that (did I mention he’s a Republican and Mormon?), he shoulders on – fighting for the survival of our planet. Maybe next year… If there were ever brothers in our struggle they were Joe Hill and Woody. Joe hill was executed in Utah. Just keep it in mind – Barry Bickmore.
Oh God how I hope we are right about the CO2 thing! I want to rub denialists faces in the foamy surf of rising seas.
June 4, 2011 at 11:46
Hi Zauberflötist,
Thanks for the heads-up regarding Barry Bickmore’s blog.
He has a fine writing style and I find it an important consolation that sensible, honest and concerned Republicans still exist… From my vantage point here in the Netherlands, it almost seems as if in the States people’s viewpoints are strictly dictated by political allegiance.
In that case it would be near impossible for a Conservative to take a stand in the struggle against climate change. And with that ‘enforced’ position of many Republicans, due to peer pressure, comes a need to negate reality by dishonesty, distortions, disinformation and conspiracy theories.
Maybe that dishonesty is just as destructive for society as climate change itself? Thanks again, I’m truly delighted to have found an honest man.
I don’t agree with your ‘I hope we are right about the CO2 thing!’ though. It would be great if consequences would turn out to be less dire. Sadly, most evidence points in the other direction :(