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Probably not, despite rumors

Rumor’s going around that Arnie, term-limited from continuing in the governor’s manse after 2010, may run for Senate against Barbara Boxer. A long discussion by Paul Hogarth examines all the angles and concludes that, eh, probably not. (hat tip: reader LL)

Gore parties with the glitterati

Sean Hannity’s not going to be happy about this.

The left coast’s answer to RGGI

The big news of the day is the fact that five Western governors have agreed to enter into a cap-and-trade system: the Western Regional Climate Action Initiative. We’ve now got bicoastal cap-and-trade systems. C’mon, Midwest. You know you want to.

Michael Boots, director of the Seafood Choices Alliance, answers Grist’s questions

Michael Boots. With what environmental organization are you affiliated? I am the director of the Seafood Choices Alliance, which is the largest program of the communications-based organization SeaWeb. What does your organization do? Seafood Choices Alliance is a global trade association that works on the issue of ocean-friendly seafood. The alliance helps the seafood industry […]

Farming for fuel will drive up the cost of your favorite brew

According to this story in the Financial Times, strong demand for biofuel feedstocks such as corn, soybeans, and oilseed rape (canola) is encouraging farmers to plant these crops instead of barley, driving up its price.

And what is barley a key ingredient of? Beer.

What would it take?

Jerome Woody writes about green computing. That raises the question: What would it take to make computers truly sustainable?

The first thing to note is that while we do need to consider the energy computers use in operation, it is dwarfed by what it takes to make them in the first place. Back in 2004, Eric Williams estimated that more than 80 percent of the energy a computer will use during its lifetime is consumed during manufacture [1]. To gain perspective on the total impact of computer manufacture (rather than just greenhouse emissions): the fossil fuels burned and water polluted during manufacture of a computer system typically weigh more than an SUV.

How do we reduce this?

Hee hee

In the midst of a long interview in which he tries to persuade viewers he’s not the far-right bully you might think he is from, you know, watching his show, FOX dude Bill O’Reilly says this: Government’s gotta be proactive on environment. Global warming is here. All these idiots that run around and say it […]

Michael Pollan and Whole Foods guy go head to head

For those who read Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma, you know he takes Whole Foods to task for greenwashing the industrialization of a food movement that's trying to be more sustainable. Then the co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods took Pollan to task right back.

And now, for your viewing pleasure, the two will appear before a paying audience at UC Berkeley and attempt to hug it out. For those who don't want to pay and/or leave their homes, there will be a live webcast on Tuesday night. And as any fourth grader will tell you, that's the safest place to be during a food fight.

Umbra on boiling water for tea

Dear Umbra, My roommates seem to be constantly boiling water for tea. We’ve got a gas stove, a microwave, and an electric teakettle. However, we don’t know which option is most efficient. Any ideas? Kate R.Syracuse, N.Y. Dearest Kate, Idears-R-Me, and microwaved tea is nasty. Nas-tea, I suppose I must say, if I wish my […]

An illustrated taxonomy

Via Crooked Timber, a short academic paper on standard denier tactics for fighting regulations of all sorts: "The Denialists' Deck of Cards: An Illustrated Taxonomy of Rhetoric Used to Frustrate Consumer Protection Efforts" (PDF).

While it concentrates mostly on consumer protections, it does include some global warming examples, and most of it applicable to the global weirding fight.