Uncategorized
All Stories
-
Is Germany’s nuke shutdown a Pyrrhic victory for climate hawks?
Germany’s Green party staked its historic win on promises to accelerate the shutdown of the country’s remaining nuclear reactors. But Europe’s energy commissioner says their plans will only lead to more coal-fired power. Guenther Oettinger — who may have his own ax to grind, as he is also a “former premier of the Baden-Wuerttemberg state […]
-
Americans worry less about climate change than drinking water, rainforests or sprawl
The good news is that 75 percent of Americans are worried about air and water pollution, and a majority are concerned about the extinction of plants and animals. The bad news is that Americans are less worried about all things related to the environment than they were 10 years ago. Oh, and for anyone who's […]
-
America falls to third place in global race for clean energy
Globally, clean energy investment and finance reached $243 million in 2010, up 630 percent from 2004 and 30 percent from 2009. Germany experienced a 100 percent increase in investment, to $41.2 billion, trouncing the U.S., which came in at $34 billion despite having nearly four times the population of Germany. China, of course, was number […]
-
Republicans for Environmental Progress: An Endangered Species
For most of modern American history, the two major political parties in America have largely agreed on the desired long-term environmental outcomes for the country: there was a consensus among Republicans and Democrats that it was a good thing to press for cleaner air and water, less toxins in the environment, biodiversity preservation, and mitigation […]
-
![]()
![]()
Fukushima may end up as a concrete-encased ghost plant, says expert
"My best guess [as to how this ends] is there is going to be a bigger breach than we've already seen — and we suspect there's breaches in the number 2 and number 3 reactors — there'll be a bigger breach, it'll force the evacuation, and we'll see, I think, at least two core meltdowns […]
-
Is MTV the best method of teen birth control?
Believe it or not, MTV appears to be inspiring teenagers to avoid pregnancy — yes, the very same network that glamorizes not just rap and rock ‘n’ roll but sex, drugs, and debauchery. In 2009, MTV launched the documentary series 16 and Pregnant, which shows the gritty reality of life as a young expectant parent. […]
-
More Fukushima workers hospitalized — what’s next?
Two more Fukushima workers were hospitalized today after being exposed to radioactive material — it seeped into their boots while they were working. Thirty-two are already in the hospital. And with 300 workers still at the site, there's potential for a lot more injuries. What's the worst-case scenario? Well, the situation at Fukushima is not […]
-
![]()
![]()
Oil company ‘fesses up, feigns surprise about spill
Well, now we know the source of the renewed oil assault on Louisiana's shores. Oil company Anglo-Suisse Offshore Partners has admitted that it had a "minor leak" while plugging a disused oil well. In some kind of Chanukah miracle, the five gallons of crude they admit to spilling turned into a 30-mile-long wash of oil […]
-
![]()
![]()
For sheer deadliness, nuclear can’t hold a candle to coal
Chart: Seth Godin Relative to watts produced, coal kills 4,000 times more people than nuclear power. Our pervasive sense that nuclear is more dangerous, when the opposite is so clearly true, comes at least in part from a cognitive bias called the "availability heuristic" — memorable events that are easier to think of, like nuclear […]
-
![]()
![]()
Louisiana’s new oil plague sounds tasty, is terrifying
Remember tar balls? Those were just an appetizer. The scary new oil formations washing up on Louisiana’s beaches sound like you’d get them at Whole Foods — “emulsified oil,” “oil mousse.” Um, yum? This comes right on the heels of the government approving deepwater exploration plans for the first time since last year’s disaster. Sure, […]
