Latest Articles

Critical List: Gore analogizes skeptics to racists; why Irene calmed down

According to Al Gore, climate skeptics are the new racists: they say crazy things in casual conversation that others let slide -- for now.

Here’s why Irene gave NYC a break.

NASA scientist James Hansen is planning to be arrested today at the Keystone XL protest. He told Climatewire that if President Obama approves the pipeline, he "was just greenwashing all along, like the other well-oiled coal-fired politicians."

Liner notes: Ask Umbra on ditching garbage bags

What if making more waste just isn't your bag? Ask Umbra gets trashed to find out.

Greatest fear, greatest hope

This was originally published by High Country News’ Writers on the Range syndicate. Thanks for their permission to reprint it here. Last month, three little girls, ages 8, 5 and 2, and their mother, were killed in a Wyoming flash flood that washed away their van. It was the kind of torrential downpour climatologists predict […]

Climate change has made New Yorkers more vulnerable to Irene

A new map shows that climate change-related sea-level rise has boosted the number of people living in areas vulnerable to storm-surge flooding from Hurricane Irene.

Waiting for Irene, and remembering Katrina

One of the shocking things about the flooding of New Orleans was how predictable it was. Now, New York City is staring down the barrel of a loaded gun named Irene, and failure to adequately prepare for it could lead to the kind of devastation seen after H

Friday music blogging: Andrew Bird and the Muppets

An album of classic Muppets songs covered by indie rock artists ... sounds like an idea out of a dorm room bong session. And by that I mean awesome.

We need more markets — and veggie eaters

Rural residents tend to eat fewer fruits and veggies than their urban counterparts, despite living right next to the fields where produce is grown.

State Department concludes Keystone XL has 'no significant impacts'

The State Department issued its final environmental review of the Keystone XL pipeline, finding it would bring no significant environmental impacts.

Just shut up and love this bicycle mustache

"Oh, there's no way I'm that much of a hipster," you say. "Sure, I like to bike to my community garden to pick up some herbs to go with the eggs from my rooftop chicken coop while listening to Dave Roberts' latest music recommendation, but ironic facial hair for a bike — it's just a […]

Our new favorite city is inside this guy's brain

Okay, so this is more amazing folk art than realistic urban design, but think of it as your Friday 10 minutes of Zen. Jerry Gretzinger has been making and remaking his incredibly detailed maps since 1963, and he's basically generated an entire alternate universe. In this mini-documentary, he details his complicated creative process, which is […]