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Super Bowl hybrid commercials

The Ford commercial with Kermit got all the blogospheric press, but I think this hybrid ad from Lexus was much cooler:

Saudis heart China

By the way, elsewhere in the world -- and yes, in case you didn't notice, there is an elsewhere -- King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia set off on his first trip outside the Middle East, perfectly timed to the President's desire to ditch the whole region. (And given what's happened to him there, you can't blame the guy, can you?) The Saudi king, in search of reliable allies, boarded his plane and promptly headed for... China.

This, along with much else to amaze and amuse, in today's TomDispatch.

Kicking the habit

Just released: The Center for American Progress' attempt to hold President Bush accountable for his "America is addicted to oil" line.

And for those of you thinking about rewriting Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love" lyrics, Attytood beat you to it. I of course would have changed the back-up band to sheiks, but funny nonetheless.

World’s largest solar PV installation announced

This is big: 18 MW of solar photovoltaics to be installed at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

And Nevada's Renewable Portfolio Standard, which requires solar as part of the state's electricity portfolio, is the driving force behind the development. In the absence of federal leadership (and yes, I am refering to the President's underwhelming and already broken promises in the SOTU address), states are leading the charge.

A final wrap-up

Yeah, so, I spent several days last week blogging about the State of the Union speech. I know you're all sick of it -- probably were before I even started -- so this will be the last one I promise think.

I knew going in that political speeches are generally empty rhetoric, particularly Bushian speeches, but even I didn't anticipate the utter vacuity of Bush's pronouncements on energy independence.

So, forthwith, here's a final wrapup post on The Unbearable Pointlessness of Being ... interested in political speeches:

Evon Peter, director of Native Movement, answers questions

Evon Peter. What work do you do? I am the executive director of Native Movement. What does your organization do? Native Movement is a collective of around 15 organizers who work on a myriad of projects focusing on youth leadership development, sustainability, protection of sacred sites, and social, political, economic, and environmental justice. We work […]

Conned Air

EPA chief twisted particulate pollution advice, say scientists U.S. EPA chief Stephen Johnson “twisted” and “misrepresented” recommendations on regulating soot and dust pollution from the agency’s own air-quality experts, according to, um, the agency’s own air-quality experts. In an unprecedented move, the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee is urging Johnson to change course on the […]

Super Bowl suckage

Grist's own Seattle Seahawks were screwed out of a Super Bowl victory last night by awful officiating -- some of the worst officiating in Super Bowl history.

And the commercials sucked. And so did the Rolling Corpses Stones.

Grumble.

And just to pretend this is about environmentalism, read Sustainablog's post about how green the stadium is.

Famed naturalist and herpetologist dies

Great wildlife biologists are foremost great animal enthusiasts, people who get off on encountering cranes or mountain lions or, in John Behler's case, snakes and frogs and turtles. The few I've known have held on to a capacity to be delighted by nature, not just the exotic but also the ordinary beauties and surprises that come close to home. John Behler -- the curator of herpetology for the Wildlife Conservation Society, who died last week at age 62 -- was responsible for great conservation victories in Madagascar and Southeast Asia, and he co-wrote The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles & Amphibians. But he studied spotted turtles for years in a county park a short drive from his home, and he could be as enthusiastic as a kid -- albeit a well-educated kid -- when he made a discovery in his neighborhood.

GarbageScout

Freegans and Freecycle fans might enjoy the latest Google mashup: GarbageScout. Think Google maps, mobile phones, and free stuff in the garbage.

Here's the skinny:

New York City's streets are full of interesting and potentially useful things that have been thrown out.

If you see something good, snap a picture of it with your camera phone, and email it to GarbageScout. It will go up on the home page and others can go and get it.

This will reduce landfill, save people money, and clean up the streets.

(Via WC)