Latest Articles

On World Population Day, take note: population isn’t the problem

Is population growth the cause of our troubles?A green myth is on the march. It wants to blame the world’s overbreeding poor people for the planet’s peril. It stinks. And on World Population Day, I encourage fellow environmentalists not to be seduced. Some greens think all efforts to save the world are doomed unless we […]

Bald Eagle Take Out (Red-Tailed Hawk)

Last week a bunch of crows (called a murder for reasons unknown) were making so much noise I stepped out of my house to see what was up. Most of my neighbors did as well. We discovered a pair of red-tailed hawks in a nearby tree, one of which was eating a crow. Today I […]

Corn Ethanol's Enemy List

Photo courtesy of, er, Hidinhumiliation via Flickr A short, relatively innocuous post on an obscure farming blog created a small stir last week when it caught the attention of some less obscure bloggers, Robert Rapier in particular, who was was on the corn ethanol enemy list presented in this article. I didn’t want to open […]

Best Buy to Carry A2B

The original Metro (not being sold at Best Buy) is actually more of a moped than a bicycle. It has a twist throttle,  smallish wheels like a scooter (which enhances acceleration from a stop), along with front and rear suspension–pedaling optional: Maximum road speed under power – 20 mph Up to 20 miles* unassisted range […]

The Bobs–Corn Ethanol's Dynamic Duo

Photo courtesy of Chuckumentary via Flickr “Could it be the unholy alliance between oil interests and environmentalists?”–Bob Dinneen, CEO of the RFA *Bob Dinneen (the Bob on the right) is the CEO of the RFA, a corn ethanol propaganda mill lobbying organization that never prints the word “corn” next to the word “ethanol.” Note also […]

Energy Crops–BTUs Per Acre

When it comes to energy produced per area of food cropland usurped, corn ethanol and soy biodiesel are the worst options available. If you want to obtain energy from the sun, your best option is to grow a crop of solar panels. The solar farm above covers 150 acres. It nets sixty times more BTUs […]

Three of our favorite politicians on two wheels

While oil continues to gush in the Gulf of Mexico and the future of federal climate and energy legislation looks dim, there remains one relatively easy solution for those interested in saving the planet: riding your bike. And it’s nice to know we’re not the only ones who think so. Here are a few of […]

In Defense of 'Energy-Only'

Over at NRDC, David Doniger writes a last-ditch defense of a diminished, utility-only cap and trade proposal while categorically rejecting any “energy-only” legislation — e.g. legislation lacking a cap and trade component. Unfortunately, Doniger, NRDC (and EDF) wind up clinging onto a “cap” on carbon they have already given away while at the same time […]

Ask Umbra’s Book Club discussion starts next week

Dearest readers, Next week, we’ll begin our discussion of The World is Blue: How Our Fate and the Ocean’s Are One by Sylvia Earle. If you haven’t gotten your book yet, there’s still time! Take it to a beach or air conditioned coffee shop near you and dive in! It really is a fast and […]

Feds fund new rapid buses, leave out hovertrains

We’re starting to see some tangible progress from President Obama’s Smart Growth/Livability initiative — a joint venture of the Department of Transportation, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency — which announced $293 million in grants for urban transit yesterday. Much of the total goes to bus rapid transit systems, which […]