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Texans drinking urine, consulting Bibles in face of ongoing climate apocalypse

Texas is now in the midst of its worst-ever one-year drought. Austin, Texas' capital, has received less than two inches of rain since October, a period that would normally see 18 inches. Here are just a few of the impacts of the state's ongoing drought, which is entirely consonant with the northward march of the world's subtropical deserts that will continue, unabated, as climate change intensifies:

Critical List: Shell can drill in the Arctic Ocean; tar sands rebranded as 'ethical oil'

Better get that Alaska cruise in now: Shell will be drilling exploratory wells in the Arctic Ocean next summer.

The U.N. says it will take $1 billion and more than 25 years to clean up all the oil Shell and other companies have spilled in the Niger Delta. (But we're sure there will be no problems whatsoever in the Arctic Ocean … )

Conservatives in Canada call tar-sand oil "ethical oil" because it comes not from evil places like Venezuela or Saudi Arabia but from Canada -- "the boy scouts of the world," says the guy who came up with "ethical oil." (Maybe he’s trying to earn his greenwashing badge?)

How safe is your soil?

In Oakland, efforts to encourage urban farming tangle with concerns over soil safety. Cities all over the U.S. are grappling with the same issue.

California gleaning [VIDEO]

What happens when farms grow more food than they sell? California's Farm to Pantry ensures that these quality, leftover fruits and veggies make their way to worthy plates

Beyond budget cuts: top five policy priorities for clean energy

Even with cuts looming, there are feasible policy steps we could take toward clean energy.

Let them eat dandelions

New York City is cracking down on plant foraging in public parks. Veteran forager Leda Meredith explains why foraging is good for parks and people.

PhillyTreeMap: Crowdsourcing the urban forest

PhillyTreeMap, an open-source mapping system, helps Philadelphia keep track of an urban treasure -- its trees.

How do you solve a problem like conservative white men?

Conservative white men are loathe to accept the threat of climate change. What should we do about it? Kick their asses.

Barbie Dream House has solar panels, low-flow toilets, four stories, giraffe

The American Institute of Architects has picked a winning design in its Barbie Dream House contest, and it's green as well as pink. The four-story edifice, presumably built with input from Architect Barbie, features solar panels, low-flow toilets, EnergyStar appliances, a greenhouse, eco-friendly bamboo flooring, and "decidedly NO parking garages and driveways." It also has a meditation space, a home gym, and a 1,500 square foot entertainment area. It's hard to reconcile green design with a client so into overconsuming that she's actually a plastic toy.

Tar-sands pipeline gets support from fake Twitter accounts

What do Astroturf and the Canadian tar sands have in common? They're both made of petroleum, and now they've both got fake grassroots. An employee of the American Petroleum Institute, which supports the Keystone XL tar-sands pipeline, has apparently been setting up multiple fake Twitter accounts to give the illusion of public support.