Latest Articles

There are now more green jobs than brown ones, and they pay better

Green technology and clean power are now employing more people than the fossil fuels industries, says the Brookings Institution. A separate analysis of the same data indicates that the cleantech sector of those green jobs offer median wages that are 20 percent better than regular jobs. And the rate of job creation in this sector was twice that of the regular economy from 2003-2010. All this despite the notoriously inconsistent support for green jobs in the U.S.!

Passive house mini-boom in NYC heralds furnace-free future

New York City and the rest of the tri-state area are getting their first wave of "passive houses," a type of construction in which a building is so well-insulated that it doesn't require heating in the winter.

Va-va-vintage: Raiding Mom's closet

The most sustainable new outfit is one that isn't new at all. That's why Grist dared me to wear my mom's 1970s-era clothes for a week. Hello, bellbottoms!

Mark Ruffalo on fracking: ‘Gas is a bridge to nowhere’ [VIDEO]

The actor, activist, and frack-fighter spoke with Keith Olbermann Wednesday about how the gas industry is "the dirtiest, slimiest, most arrogant, and negligent that you can imagine."

Will North America be the new Middle East?

All Obama has to do is say yes or no to the climate-killing Keystone XL pipeline.

Support local wind power on your utility bill?

Although Americans overwhelmingly support renewable energy, it’s usually much harder to find a way to support the development of renewables close to home.  This innovative proposal offered last session in the Minnesota state legislature could change that. The bill would require utilities to offer a green pricing program for local, distributed wind power.  Green pricing […]

The true cost of gasoline? $13 a gallon

What's the true cost of the emissions from every gallon of gasoline, when you add up all the negative environmental impacts they'll lead to, from poor air quality to catastrophic climate change? Nine dollars a gallon. Add that to what you're typically paying at the pump right now, and it means that the real cost of a gallon of gas to the planet and our future is easily into double digits.

International: The UN Clean Development Mechanism's Growing Coal Scandal

When is the last time you were paid for NOT showing up for work? Or better yet, got a bonus for doing the exact opposite of what you’re supposed to? That’s exactly what the backers of massive coal projects are asking the Clean Development Mechanism Executive Board to do when they apply for carbon credits. […]

Plastic purge: The great plasticky outdoors

A look inside my closet reveals that all of the hobbies I love -- trail running, skiing, biking -- involve plastic. Damn it.

Google science fair winner stands up for air quality

Naomi Shah, winner of the Google science fair in the 15-16 age group, isn't just a budding research scientist. She's also an environmentalist. And her project, which focuses on the effects of air quality triggers on asthma sufferers, highlights why other people should be environmentalists too.