Uncategorized
All Stories
-
Why green-group canvassing operations need an overhaul
It’s that time of year again on college campuses: final exams have given way to Frisbee on the quad, boxes are packed, and every telephone pole bears a bright yellow poster that says, “Summer Jobs with the Campaign to Save the Environment!” There must be a better way. Many a student has torn off that […]
-
A Twist of Organophosphate
EPA scientists say they’re being pressured on pesticide studies U.S. EPA managers and pesticide-industry officials have been pressuring agency scientists to skip steps in pesticide testing and allow continued use of some potentially harmful pesticides, says a letter sent to EPA chief Stephen Johnson by union leaders representing agency employees. The “integrity of the science […]
-
Nuke Skytalker
Bush pushes nuclear power at home and abroad President Bush has embraced nuclear power with a vengeance (on us?). On a tour of a nucular … er, nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania yesterday, Bush called for the construction of new nuke plants to help curb greenhouse-gas emissions. “Let’s quit the debate about whether greenhouse gases […]
-
When the Rivers Run Dry
After reading a few things -- namely this from Ezra Klein, this from Brad Plumer, and a Prospect article by Jon Margolis -- I resolved to learn more about the world's water woes. After all, I'm already a giant energy nerd, so why not become a giant water nerd?
Perhaps I should lose some weight, and be a more modestly-sized nerd. In any case, number one on my reading list was When the Rivers Run Dry by Fred Pearce. Read the Salon review here.
The one-word review of Pearce's book is: Terrifying. Whether he's writing about the Indian peasant farmers who draw from poisoned wells every day, the oblivious Arizonans who run fountains in the desert, or the apocalyptic moonscape that is the Aral Sea (once a thriving fishery, now a toxic cesspool), Pearce manages to convey the immense wreckage human activity is making of our lifeblood. No, not oil. The other precious fluid.
-
Harvesting energy
Freaky. Check out this BBC piece on harvesting energy expended by human bodies and the vibrations caused by transport like trains and subways.
-
NYT mag stuff
The latest issue of New York Times Magazine is devoted to architecture, and there's tons of good stuff in it. Two things in particular:
Check out the interview with Richard Rogers, a Brit architect. He doesn't trumpet his environmental consciousness -- he just takes it for granted. He's delightfully matter-of-fact.
Even better is this in-depth story on how New Urbanist dreams for rebuilding Biloxi fizzled. It's a fascinating look at how issues of class, race, and culture collide in stressful circumstances. Originally I was going to write a long post about it, but here it is 4:45, so ... just go read this post at Oil Drum instead.
-
MIT and me
I must apologize for posting on this subject yet again, but an article was recently brought to my attention that reflects my viewpoints so exactly that I feel compelled to tell you about it, so I can bask in the warm glow of smug self-righteousness. From Technology Review (an MIT enterprise):
Because the advanced lithium-ion batteries put a lot of power into a small, light package, a much smaller battery is needed to power the car, which could reduce hybrid prices. As a result, a variety of cars in a fleet could come with a hybrid option that costs about as much as the option for an automatic transmission...
In the short term, however, [this] seemingly logical assumption about lower-cost hybrid cars might not be right. ...a major reason consumers buy hybrids today is to have a "badge of honor" that shows their commitment to the environment or to curbing gasoline use. ... Part of this distinction... comes from having to pay a price premium for the vehicle. Hence, in the short term... it might actually be wise for carmakers to leave hybrid prices higher. -
The future is (still) coming!
Looks like they're going to try to build a fusion reactor. Maybe this time it will work.
-
-
Grist on BusinessWeek
Over at BusinessWeek Online, they're doing a series of podcast interviews about blogs.
Today they're running an interview with yours truly about the green blogosphere. How much Grist hype can a person squeeze into five minutes? Click to find out!
