Hello World (well, about 50% of it so far)!
Lack of Environment 90 day viewing statistics by Country
When you start getting visits from people in places like Saint Lucia, Djibouti, and the Faroe Islands – you are surely entitled to feel pleased with your geographical reach? However, given the subject of this blog, I am particularly pleased to see that someone from the Maldives has visited (twice)… But, whatever, hello to all my readers – in 95 different countries!
Over the last year, this blog has received 29,691 hits (an average of more than 80 per day and 570 per week) and 2,514 comments (although about 40% of those were probably me).
Even though it has not proven possible (yet) to turn it from a hobby into a vocation; I have really enjoyed blogging about some of the most important issues that many on the planet today are still refusing to acknowledge. However, it has been suggested to me that I need to focus on solutions rather than problems and, whilst I agree that the world needs solutions not problems; my area of expertise is not solutions: I did not do Keele’s MSc in Environmental Sustainability and Green Technology; I deliberately chose to do their MA in Environmental Politics instead. Nevertheless, so as not to become too tiresome, I may yet change the focus, tagline, and even name of this blog. Who knows – I certainly don’t – not yet anyway…
In the meantime, notwithstanding my job hunting activities, it will be business as usual for the foreseeable future; which means somewhere between 2 and 5 posts per week (mostly not at weekends)…
I think we must hope that the crop failures suffered all around the world this year, which will undoubtedly cause commodity prices to peak in the coming months, do not lead to huge civil unrest (as they did in 2011). However, if they do, and if it is worse than 2011, I will have absolutely no pleasure in saying I told you so…
Thank-you in anticipation of your continuing company on this journey.
Glad to see that Norway and South Africa are so well represented
Schalk
11 August 2012 at 17:43
I agree that Norway is higher than many might have expected but not RSA… so you will have to visit more often!
Martin Lack
11 August 2012 at 18:05
Congrats! And well deserved, if I do say so myself.
And although I am very saddened by the current problems with global agriculture, and I certainly do not want to see an increase in unrest caused by increased food prices, I hope that this will be the year that the planet wakes up and takes our climate situation seriously.
Keep up the great work Martin.
jpgreenword
12 August 2012 at 21:35
Congratulations on your year milestone, Martin! I started my latest blog, Transition Times, a year ago too, though I don’t remember the exact date–it was definitely early August, because I was in Nova Scotia when I started it. And like yours, it has grown exponentially in the first year, and been visited by viewers from all over the world (I love those world stats!).
As a professor of (among other things) media studies, I love the way blogging gives us all channels to air our views and share information. We are all much better informed now than we were even five years ago, thanks to the blogosphere.
Thank YOU for being such a vigilant watchdog on the climate scoffs, and here’s to another good year of blogging!
Jennifer Browdy de Hernandez
13 August 2012 at 11:07
Thanks for your kind words, Professor Browdy de Hernandez! I cannot understand why I have not taken the opportunity to use your correct (new) title before.
I am glad to hear you are still enjoying Nova Scotia (and up very early in the morning again)? I have always had a fascination with geography and a desire to see the World. Trying to look beyond my immediate difficulty (of being unemployed), it is one of my greatest regrets that climate change will make my seeing much of it morally irresponsible (unless I do as one “skeptic” suggested and canoe across the Atlantic and cycle across America to raise money for a suitable charity).
On the question as to whether the blogosphere has helped or hindered the improvement of the public understanding of climate science, I think the jury is most definitely still out: Whilst the Internet has unquestionably provided access to information (power) to people living under all but the most repressive of governments; it has also provided access to junk science; and an endless echo chamber for a bogus debate which the media still seems to find hard to avoid; e.g. see 04:20-05:00 here:
How do you edit videos and re-post them on You Tube?
Martin Lack
13 August 2012 at 11:32