Uncategorized
All Stories
-
America and Germany Getting Their Clean Energy Just Desserts
Germany is the unquestioned world leader in renewable energy. By mid-2011, the European nation generated over 20 percent of its electricity from wind and solar power alone, and had created over 400,000 jobs in the industry. The sweet German success is no accident, however, and the following pie chart illustrates the results of a carefully […]
-
Why Miracle on 34th Street delights my cold cynical heart
Miracle on 34th Street is the perfect Christmas movie for those who hate fake sentimentality. It is not that the classic 1947 film lacks schmaltz, but that a sly script hides a sharp edge under every schmear. Most of the plot advances come when characters, good and bad act out of self-interest. Two exceptions are […]
-
Now's not the time to hide from cleantech's challenges
In October, Third Way raised alarms that a decline in early stage venture capital investment in clean energy technologies threatened America’s ability to compete in the $2.3 trillion global clean energy market. Some in the clean energy community dismissed this warning, citing the massive growth of wind and solar capacity in the United States over […]
-
Energy-producing toilets kill two birds with one … well, you know
Leave it to MIT geeks to figure out how to solve one problem (the need for a sustainable energy source) by solving another (insufficient sanitation). Sanergy, a company founded by a group of MIT grads and newly funded by USAID, provides low-cost toilets to sanitation-challenged communities in Kenya, then harvests the waste to convert into […]
-
A coal strip mine next to a national park?
When I think of Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park, I envision its beautiful rock spires (also known as “hoodoos”) reaching into the sky. I think of it as an amazing place to visit and hike, one of our country’s beautiful national parks famous for its stunning vistas, and for its unique plants and animals. It’s […]
-
Signs of the times [SLIDESHOW]
How many ways are there to say, “It’s time for change”? The protesters in New York City over the past few months have found a seemingly endless variety. This is a movement that refuses to be boxed in and it doesn’t look like it’s going away soon.
-
The faces of the occupation [SLIDESHOW]
Scraggly protesters camped out in public parks. Young people pepper sprayed and bloodied in clashes with the police. These are the images that have come to represent the Occupy movement. But as these portraits show, the reality is far richer. The occupiers deserve to be heard.
-
-
Featured Friend: Rhey L.
Each month, we showcase one of our beloved Friends with Benefits — folks who have donated to support our work. Want to take your relationship with Grist to the next level? Just donate any amount to join the fun. Rhey L. “Thank you Grist for making me feel smarter with every read. You guys provide honest, insightful […]
-
Give Thanks for Regulations
In the Broadway hit musical, “Book of Mormon,” a woman from Uganda envisions paradise as a place where warlords are benevolent and the Red Cross hands out as much flour as you can eat. In other words, the things that inspire hope and gratitude in any part of the world are in the eye of […]
