Tragically, STAY COOL recently lost one of our bright stars. On Monday, January 6, 2020, Advisory Council member John Atcheson passed away in a car accident. John joined the council in 2018, and served alongside his wife, Linda Pratt, who is the current Chair of the Advisory Council. John was a dedicated father and grandfather and leaves behind two children, two stepchildren, and three grandchildren. Our hearts go out to Linda and John’s families as they cope with this unexpected loss.
John was passionate about environmental protection and worked for the US Environmental Protection Agency for many years. The team at STAY COOL is grateful to have had his expertise and guidance. He kept us informed on the latest advances in climate change research and helped create more awareness about the application of science toward protecting the environment. He played a strong role in our organization’s various climate policy initiatives and was most knowledgeable about national and international action.
John was a talented writer, having published two books, and he was a regular contributor to the Common Dreams NewsCenter https://www.commondreams.org/. Joe Romm, founder of ClimateProgress, called John’s novel, A Being Darkly Wise, a must-read for those interested in climate change and “one part diary of a Washington insider, one part introductory science textbook, one part love story, one part wilderness guide, and one part scary-as-hell thriller.” Notably, Common Dreams posted this excellent tribute to John.
John recently took on the role of newsletter editor for STAY COOL, and many of our detailed blog entries were authored by him, including these good reads:
- THE 2019 ARCTIC REPORT CARD: A FAILING GRADE January 5, 2020
- Isotopes – fingerprints in climate change, or how we know,what we know November 8, 2019
- Science Corner – Carbon Budgets: One of the most important concepts you’re probably not familiar with September 3, 2019
- Good News – we can decarbonize the economy – including the transportation sector – sooner than we thought, at a net savings! July 11, 2019
- A TALE OF TWO QUOTES: the contest between hope and despair at the 2019 San Diego Climate Summit April 5, 2019
John was humble, humorous and loved life. As he wrote on the “About John” page of his website (https://jbatcheson.com/aboutjohn.html): “Life is Good” and we know he had a good one. We will miss you, John.
John’s wife Linda shared the following message:
In lieu of flowers, you are welcome to make a contribution to a nonprofit that is aligned with John’s strong commitment to environmental protection. One example is an organization in which he was actively engaged: STAY COOL for Grandkids. Another example is a contribution to our church, UUFSD, where John’s name will be placed on our Memorial Wall.
