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Keystone cave? No, Keystone Kabuki.
The payroll tax cut extension deal, approved by the Senate 89-10 this morning, is being widely reported as including a requirement that the State Department act on the Keystone XL pipeline within 60 days. Talking Points Memo labels it a GOP win on Keystone, and Politico reports:Greens call out Keystone XL deal. However, David Dayen at […]
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Truthy consequences: A world without Grist
It’s a cruel world out there, but at Grist we work hard to keep it habitable — or at least to keep you chuckling as it goes to hell in a carbon-colored handbasket. Yes, you could blow your cash on other things (Shake Weights!) instead of donating to Grist. But imagine a future without Grist […]
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As Economic Growth Fails How Do We Live? Part I: The Four Horsemen of the Economic Apocalypse
As recently as a year ago it was considered heresy to suggest economic growth would not soon resume. Now, however, as The Big Engine That Couldn’t has faltered for several years, it is becoming increasingly clear the economy is running off the tracks. Both investors and the public are beginning to realize the long-revered goal of endless economic growth […]
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21st Century Activism: Why big business doesn’t always have to be the bad guy
Today is a great day for the future of the IT sector. Over the past few years, we’ve campaigned hard against Facebook to get them to commit to clean energy – specifically, we wanted them to change their siting policy-the decisions that they make about how to power their massive football-stadium-sized data centers. When […]
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Solar power can fit on existing land use
This post originally appeared on Energy Self-Reliant States, a resource of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s New Rules Project. While large-scale solar creates contention between environmental advocates and renewable energy proponents, the truth is that there are thousands of acres in already developed land where solar can easily fit. This infographic explains a few of […]
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Here comes the sun – the chart Paul Krugman left out
This post originally appeared on Energy Self-Reliant States, a resource of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s New Rules Project. Nobel economist Paul Krugman made waves last month when his column “Here Comes the Sun” noted that the rapidly falling cost of solar electricity – “prices adjusted for inflation falling around 7 percent a year” – […]
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Major coal vctory: LS Power agrees to abandon two coal projects, invest in solar
Today, the Sierra Club is celebrating a landmark victory that was a long time coming. We have reached a settlement with LS Power to cancel their plans to build two new coal plants — the Longleaf plant in Georgia, and the Plum Point 2 plant in Arkansas. These two coal plants are Nos. 160 and […]
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The top green and Gristy stories of 2011
Sharing systems are all the rage Can less consumption be more fun? Yes, when it’s social. The “collaborative consumption” trend didn’t start this year (the Zipcar car-sharing service launched way back in 2000), but the sharing movement has blossomed big-time. Airbnb, which lets you rent your home to travelers, made the biggest splash in 2011. […]
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Solar for Schools? Not so easy with tax-based solar incentives
You’re a city manager hoping to cut electricity costs at sewage treatment plant, a school administrator looking to power schools with solar, or a state park official needing an off-grid solar array for a remote ranger station. But unlike any private home or business, you can’t get 50% off using the federal tax incentives for […]
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Recent Coal to Clean Energy Victories Worth Celebrating
This week we’re celebrating as more utilities are recognizing that coal is dirty and expensive, and are deciding to make the switch to clean energy. Earlier this week, Wisconsin’s Dairyland Power Cooperative announced that it will cease burning coal in three of the six units at its Alma Station by the end of the month. […]
