I was bashing on Newsweek the other day, and in general that magazine really is weak on climate/energy issues.
Lest you think I’m just a hater of old media, however, I should point out that Newsweek competitor Time has been doing fantastic stuff on green issues lately, mainly thanks to the tag team of Michael Grunwald and Bryan Walsh.
For some Walsh, check out the magazine’s top ten green stories of 2008. (And while you’re in a listy mood, check out Grist’s top ten.)
Grunwald had two great pieces last week: The first is a clear and accessible introduction to the extraordinary potential of energy efficiency. Is there any topic where public education is more urgently required? One small beef: Where’s cogeneration?
The second is about gargantuan capital costs hampering the much-discussed nuclear renaissance.
Needless to say, Time‘s audience dwarfs Grist’s. We do a lot of carping around here about the way mainstream journos distort green issues and reinforce mindless conventional wisdom. So it’s worth noting that writing about wonky material for a very broad audience in a way that’s accurate, accessible, and educational is no easy task. It’s worth calling out those doing it right, so kudos to Grunwald, Walsh, and Time.
We now return to our regularly scheduled bitching and moaning.
