Latest Articles
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Con: Nuclear power is expensive, risky, and some of its proponents are kind of annoying
Today, many outlets report that it’s very likely that the #2 reactor at Daiichi is in full meltdown. There is a strong possibility that rising radiation levels from other sources (such as a pool of spent nuclear fuel rods that is heating up) will force the 50 remaining workers at the plant to evacuate. That […]
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Pro: Japan’s terrible disaster is no reason to stop building nuclear power
Japan is now facing a worst-case scenario for its Daiichi nuclear power plant. But that’s no reason to stop building new nuclear power plants, say a bevy of pundits. Their reasons are myriad. Some, like one Wall Street Journal editor, make the economic argument that all human endeavors are fraught with risk, so this one […]
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Hemp chair is not just eco-friendly, it’s eco-kind
You know those hiddy plastic stackable chairs that you see on basically every porch, stoop, and backyard? (I have some. They came with the house.) Well, what if they were biodegradable, made with sustainable materials, and kind of awesome looking? And also made out of pot? TOTAL DREAM CHAIR, right? Okay, so Werner Aisslinger’s stackable […]
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Grading cities on their carbon emissions
The folks at Global Green USA have come up with an easy way to tell how a city is doing on its carbon emissions: give it a grade. That’s the idea behind Global Green’s City Carbon Index, an online tool unveiled late last month. It aims to measure a city’s emissions and helps to set […]
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John Kerry takes infrastructure to the bank
John Kerry is willing to bank on infrastructure building. He and Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas) are introducing a bipartisan bill to create a bank for funding infrastructure projects — which includes roads (good way to get Republicans and John Cassidy on board) but also rail. The bank would issue loans to help finance […]
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As Nuclear Falters: A Practical and Affordable Clean Electricity Plan
The President of the United States has chosen to make the goal of 80% clean electricity generation by 2035 the first priority in his move to make America more competitive. In his recent State of the Union Address, Barack Obama compared this project to the 1960’s moon shot program, noting we are at another “Sputnik moment” […]
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Monster Russian heat wave to be once-in-a-decade event by 2060s (or sooner)
Simulated frequency of occurrence of western Russia temperature extremes for 30-year overlapping periods. Shown are time series for exceedance values of 3, 4, 5 and 6o316 C…. Insert shows the time series for the number of models in [%] that simulate at least a 10% probability of occurrence of a heat wave with specific temperature […]
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How two 15-year-old Girl Scouts (and Grist readers) changed Kellogg’s
It’ll take some willpower, but don’t have “samoa” until they stop harming the planet.Photo: Laura TaylorWhen Kellogg’s announced this week that it is moving to limit the deforestation caused by the palm oil it uses to make Frosted Flakes, Keebler cookies, Rice Krispies, and Girl Scout cookies, it represented an enormous achievement for two 15-year-old […]
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Sen. Rand Paul, I can find you a good toilet!
Sen. Paul has been having toilet nightmares ever since he watched The Conversation back in 1974. Last Thursday, I learned that Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) hasn’t had a functioning toilet in his home for 20 years. He seems to believe the federal government is not allowing him to own a functioning toilet. I found this […]
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Nicholas Stern: We need a new industrial revolution
Cross-posted from the Wonk Room. This is the second in a three-part interview with economist Lord Nicholas Stern on climate policy. You can watch part one here. Lord Nicholas Stern, one of the world’s most prominent climate economists, believes that the fight against global warming will lead to the next industrial revolution. In the second […]
