Ever wonder why Germany has a robust renewables economy, while the U.S. keeps claiming it's not achievable? Here's a theory from Franz Unterskeller, German state minister for the environment, climate, and energy: We don't have the situation like you have in the U.S., where you have this Koch brothers. Also, "we believe in climate change," adds Frithjof Staiß, managing director of the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research. The heavily industrialized German state of Baden-Württemberg is aiming to decarbonize its economy by 2050. According to Unterskeller, that's possible in Germany because, unlike the U.S., there's a "broad consensus in society" that …

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the climate change denial machine. Two sociologists, Riley E. Dunlap of Oklahoma State and Aaron M. McCright of Michigan State, have analyzed the patterns of influence and disinformation that power climate change denial in the United States. Some of their findings: No component of the denial machine is untouched by the fossil fuels industry. And by powering that central echo chamber, corporate interests and the fossil fuel industry have been able to strongly influence American politics. Nonetheless, it is reasonable to conclude that climate change denial campaigns in the U.S. have played a crucial role in …

How much will switching to renewables raise your utility bill? How about NEGATIVE ALL OF IT? In Germany, wind and solar projects have regularly been generating so much surplus energy that utilities are paying consumers to take it off the grid. High winds -- although not that high, only 15 mph -- led to negative-price wind energy for nine hours on July 24, bringing Germany's total to 31 hours of below-zero-cost energy this year.  The companies hate this, obviously. Bloomberg's reporting about the phenomenon is all "OH GOD WIND CAUSES ECONOMIC DOOM": The gross margin at a coal power plant after …

The New York Times has an interactive infographic about the state of forests worldwide. Here's North America. The orange area has been decimated by the mountain pine beetle -- warmer winters mean the beetles live longer and simultaneously make the trees more vulnerable. And the bright red spots lost between 20 and 88 percent of their forested area between 2000 and 2005. (Lighter red areas lost less than 20 percent.)

Anyone who was sighing "Oh, to be in England, now that spring is here" back in April get another shot now. The weather has been so unseasonably warm that flowers are starting a second blooming season. Robert Browning would be psyched. The U.K. has been having some wackadoodle weather for a while now. First there was a drought, then an August cold snap that had autumn leaves showing up early, and now a second spring that's flummoxing the royal gardeners: "It is a very unsual year...I've been gardening for 30 years and have never seen anything like this," said [Royal …

John Stewart -- not that Jon Stewart, the one with the H -- was voted the U.K.'s most effective environmentalist in 2008. Like our Jon Stewart, he gets things done. So how come his visa was revoked while he was over the Atlantic, traveling to the U.S. for a speaking tour? Stewart was invited to this side of the pond by a coalition of environmental organizations, who had planned for him to speak in six cities across the country. Instead, he was detained for six hours at JFK Airport, then put on a plane back to London. What the hell? Well, it's …

Oh man, you're probably wishing you hadn't spent that $4,500 on a Rick Perry head planter yesterday. If you'd saved it, you could have put it towards ... well, a bag of onions, but also they'll throw in some dirt! The Pawelski family farm, located in New York's Hudson Valley, lost 48 of 51 acres of its onion crop to Hurricane Irene. FEMA doesn't cover agricultural losses, and USDA's coverage is slow and stingy -- and meanwhile the Pawelskis are $200,000 in debt, because at this stage of the growing season they'd sunk most of their money into their crop. …

Trees, man! They produce oxygen, they cool the planet, they make you smarter, and it turns out they also make your house worth more. It's like a Shel Silverstein book or something. A recent study of Portland, Ore., rental properties, led by Geoffrey Donovan of the U.S. Forest Service, found that the presence of trees can subtly increase rental prices, even once you control for factors like how popular the neighborhood is. A tree in the yard increased rent by $5.62; trees on the street increased it by $21. Donovan's previous research has found that there's a much bigger effect when …

If you have ever thought to yourself "self, I wonder what are the 50 most hipsterish bike tricks," wonder no more. Not sure how I feel about "the Hitler" -- guys, that one is historically not really funny? -- but you gotta love the "Def Leppard drummer," the "nasty internet commenter," and the "fall the hell off your bike and knock out a tooth" (also known as the no-hands trick I am best at). (Via @brainpicker)

This Japanese site sells ice cube molds depicting penguins and polar bears sitting on ice floes. As the ice melts, both the floes and the critters are destroyed, making this a pretty good simulation of the effects of global warming. Finally, a product that combines climate education with all the drinking you need to do when you think about it!