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Whooping cough cases on track for 50-year high

The culprit, according to the CDC, isn't a lack of vaccinations -- it's that the vaccinations may be too weak.

Soot Hearings: Speaking Out For Public Health

On Tuesday, hundreds of Philadelphia residents rallied and spoke at an Environmental Protection Agency hearing on new safeguards to cut deadly soot pollution nationwide. Today, many more will rally at another soot hearing in Sacramento. I grew up in the Smoky Mountains, where – believe it or not – dangerous levels of air pollution sometimes […]

Residents of Key West have a choice: dengue fever or GMO mosquitoes?

Oh, we forgot one. The existing solution to the mosquito problem is widespread use of insecticide. Probably not much more appealing.

Stop Fracking, Heal the Planet

Mark Ruffalo and Josh Fox have just released a short video about why it is so important for people to come to Washington, D.C. on July 28 to take part in the Stop the Frack Attack demonstration. They’re right! It is! Join them! Mark and Josh talk about two major reasons to come to DC […]

The right gets mad about the carbon tax, as everyone knew they would

On Friday, we predicted outrage over a right-wing convening on the carbon tax. It happened. We're basically psychic.

Could the U.S. Cut Household Electricity Use by Two-Thirds?

Your mind-blowing chart of the day, courtesy of Arne Jungjohann at the Heinrich Böll Foundation.  To be fair, there’s little need for air conditioning in Germany compared to the United States, but air conditioning only accounts for about 20% of U.S. household electricity consumption.  Leaving it out make it 9,200 kWh vs. 3,100 kWh. Wow. […]

The Exaggerated Promise of Renewable Energy

The continued existence and expansion of human civilization is wholly dependent on affordable sources of energy. The latest study just released by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (an organization that exists to study and promote the viability of renewable energy) suggests that it may be possible to get 80% or so of our electric power […]

Friday music blogging: Hacienda

Hacienda is a quartet out of San Antonio, Texas. They’ve been putting out albums since 2008, getting a reputation for great live shows. Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys heard one of their early demos and has been a big backer from early on. Auerbach produced the band’s latest, Shakedown, and it’s a doozy. It’s […]

Hundreds Rally Against New Chicago Coal Plant

On Tuesday hundreds of Chicagoans rallied against a coal gasification plant proposed for the city’s southeast side. These residents are against this planned facility because of the pollution it would bring – not to mention what a poor plan it is to build another dirty coal facility after the city just announced the closure of […]

Despite basic economics, your power bill is going up

What, you thought you could beat the power companies? Foolish human.