Latest Articles

New report confirms, again, that new EPA regulations won't hurt power system reliability

There's been a lot of hubbub lately about new and emerging EPA regulations. Lots of folks in pollution-intensive industries would like you to believe that those regulations will crush the economy, leave grandma shivering in the dark, and smack that ice cream cone right out of little Jimmy's hands. A while back I wrote about a report that examined the issue closely and concluded that the power industry can comply with the new regulations without adversely affecting system reliability. Now another analysis has been released, examining the same set of issues and coming to the roughly same conclusion.

The Climate Post: Cancun climate talks limp to a compromise at close of hottest year on record

It's official, at least according to NASA: worldwide, 2010 was the hottest year on record.

Texas Needs to Lead the Nation Away From Coal

This week’s post was co-written by Jennifer Powis, Sierra Club Senior Regional Representative in Texas. Texas has the worst air quality in the country and it will take a concrete vision to fix it. Unfortunately, state officials keep permitting coal plants instead of take real steps to clean the air. This week the Texas Commission […]

Fertilizer prices putting manure in the limelight

I never thought I'd see the day when shit -- the bodily kind -- would make headlines the way it is right now. But with phosphorous and potash prices rising, farmers are starting to get a lot more interested in the older sources for fertilizer.

Hey, Obama: You can't bargain with the climate

There's one place where Barack Obama's reasonable compromises simply won't work. That place is the climate.

Follow-up on Seattle's proposed deep-bore tunnel

A roundup of basic info on the impending decision to build a huge, car-centric mega-tunnel under downtown Seattle.

Finding local, sustainable seafood in Minnesota [VIDEO]

Around Minneapolis, fishing is a huge sport and there are trout farms, but there aren't many sources for sustainably caught fish. Among of the exceptions are the few commercial fishermen left on Lake Superior, like Harley Tofte.

Rent a stranger’s car (or rent out yours) with RelayRides

Think ZipCar minus the communal cars, and you've got RelayRides. You can rent out your vehicle for an hour or find a ride nearby if you're carless.

Ask Umbra Book Club: What should we do about cats killing birds?

Umbra sparks discussion of her Book Club pick "Freedom" with video of author Jonathan Franzen talking about how to get people to care about the environment.

New report on state transportation policy shows a long road ahead

The best hope for reforms that would lead to a reduction in carbon emissions from transportation might lie with the states. Emphasis on might.