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McDonald’s responds to April Fools’ story (via Twitter)

It looks like McDonald’s has a Big Mac–sized sense of humor. The official McDonald’s Twitter account responded to readers’ questions about our April Fools’ Day report saying that McDonald’s is scrapping a composting plan because its food won’t decompose. While some people didn’t realize it was fake news, McDonald’s did, and responded to a tweet […]

Obama’s mountaintop-removal crackdown could mean more than offshore drilling

Offshore drilling, auto-efficiency standards, water-heater regs, green jobs for strippers … there’s a ton going on this week. But today’s big news is a lot brighter than yesterday’s offshore drilling hubbub: the Obama administration announced sweeping new regulations for mountaintop removal, the coal-mining method that tends to (a) remove mountaintops, (b) fill mountain valleys with […]

The Climate Post: Read this. Read now. Pay nothing.

First things first: The Obama administration today finalized greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and light trucks first proposed last May. The practical upshot of the rules is a roughly 40 percent rise in fuel economy, to 35.5 miles per gallon, by 2016. The government said the measures would save owners about $3,000 in fuel […]

Rachel Maddow takes on denial-funding Koch Industries

Rachel Maddow takes a look at Koch Industries, the private conglomerate that pumps more money into climate-denial campaigns than Exxon Mobil does: [vodpod id=ExternalVideo.1012185&w=425&h=350&fv=launch%3D36126598%26width%3D400%26height%3D320]

The future of freezing

Cross-posted from Climate Central. In many parts of the U.S. March went out like a lion this year. But a new interactive map of high-resolution climate projections from Climate Central promises much tamer, warmer Marches in the future. In fact, freezing March temperatures will retreat northward this century like a routed army. (The retreat would […]

How to Annoy PETA and Monsanto, Part 2 of our Interview with Food, Inc Director (VIDEO)

Robert Kenner may have annoyed Monsanto and the others in the food industry, but you may be surprised why PETA hates him. Kenner discusses who’s attacking him now in this interview with Planet Forward. How do you reduce food’s carbon footprint? The production, transportation and sale of food requires millions of barrels of oil and […]

Appalachians hail EPA’s great victory for Clean Water Act and justice

Earlier this morning, I wrote a piece for April Fool’s Day, Obama Ends 150-Year War of Strip-Mining in 24 States: Mountaintop Removal Loses Its Groove. Well, turns out the second part wasn’t an April Fool’s joke after all. EPA administrator Lisa Jackson invoked the rule of science and law today — and for the first […]

Me, in the NYT, on Obama’s drilling plan

Yesterday, Obama announced a new offshore drilling plan that would open up parts of the Gulf of Mexico and the eastern seaboard for leasing and exploration. The New York Times’ Room for Debate blog brought a few folks together to discuss what it means. My contribution is reposted below. See also comments from: Peter Maass, […]

How to improve a Hummer’s mileage and add retro style

Improving a Hummer’s mileage doesn’t take much. And it doesn’t even require pricey, high-tech electric batteries. Artist Jeremy Dean says you have to go Back to the Futurama, which is more 19th century than lithium-ion centric. But how to actually improve a Hummer’s mileage? Easy: Put two horses in front of it and take it […]

Everything you need to know about Obama’s new fuel-economy rules

The federal government rolled out new auto fuel-efficiency standards today, capping more than a year of planning and, as the New York Times notes, a 30-year battle between regulators and automakers. The new standards are a big deal—they’ll do more to cut the pollution of heat-trapping gasses than anything the Obama administration has done so […]