Latest Articles

Physics breakthrough could mean solar panels made of nothing but glass

Exploiting an effect previously thought too small to be worth anyone's time, a bunch of researchers at the University of Michigan have figured out how to exploit the magnetic properties of light in a way that could ultimately lead to solar panels made entirely of glass or transparent ceramics. "We've all been taught that this […]

The ultimate hippie mobile: An electric VW bus

Volkswagen has unveiled an electric concept vehicle based on the classic VW bus. The Bulli has a driving range of 184 miles, so if it goes into production, it could get you and your friends to Bonnaroo from as far away as Atlanta. It's smaller than the original bus, but it still seats five — […]

A warm welcome: Ask Umbra on green housewarming gifts

Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, A friend has finally been able to buy a home in Florida, and I want to send a gift card.  I know she will have plenty of occasions to patronize the big chain hardware stores, but I am wondering whether there is a green alternative — either […]

Van Jones at Power Shift 2011: ‘While they’re stuck on stupid in D.C., your generation is rising’

Cross-posted from the Wonk Room. In a passionate keynote address, green jobs leader Van Jones exhorted the 10,000 youth climate activists at the Power Shift conference in Washington, D.C., to “shift the power” and lead the clean power revolution. He argued that both parties need to be held accountable for their failures, and that activists […]

With a rain barrel, April showers can bring more than flowers

Barrel essentials.Photo: kierkierAs the old adage goes, April showers bring May flowers. But for those looking to green their homes, April showers also provide an easy way to reduce water bills and water waste. Rainwater harvesting is a simple and efficient way to capitalize on the naturally occurring precipitation in your area, and reduce dependency […]

The planet strikes back: Why we underestimate the Earth and overestimate ourselves

The Earth may look glum, but it’s not to be messed with.Photo: John LeGearThis essay was originally published on TomDispatch and is republished here with Tom’s kind permission. In his 2010 book Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet, environmental scholar and activist Bill McKibben writes of a planet so devastated by global […]

Scarlett Johansson tells GOP to lay off Planned Parenthood [VIDEO]

Before the budget deal was hammered out last week, Scarlett Johansson made this video in defense of Planned Parenthood. As it turned out, funding for the group’s health-care services escaped the guillotine — this time around. President Obama put his foot down after hearing from a lot of pissed-off Americans. Though the immediate threat has […]

The real cost of coal: even higher than we think

Every now and then I see studies that try to estimate the real cost of fossil fuels, what we don’t pay up front. Normally they contain numbers that seem unbelievably low to me, like this one from the National Academy of Sciences that was reported on Grist. We blow the tops off mountains, kill miners quickly in […]

Texas to install world’s largest wind energy storage system

The Notrees wind farm.Photo: Duke EnergyThey like to do things big in Texas, so it’s no surprise that the Lone Star state will launch the world’s largest wind battery storage project. Duke Energy is not a Texas company, but it owns the aptly named Notrees wind farm in the Texas panhandle. The North Carolina power […]

Nearly half of supermarket meat is tainted, says disgusting new study

Now would be a good time to go vegetarian, or demitarian, or just find a reputable butcher. A new study from the Translational Genomics Research Institute has found that 47 percent of tested samples of supermarket meat and poultry were infected with Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, which causes a range of health problems including skin infections […]