Latest Articles

Dark Secret of World Water Day: Coal-Fired Plants Drink 1.5 Trillion Gallons

  Here’s a sobering fact on World Water Day: Coal-fired power plants use approximately 1.5 trillion gallons of water a year in the US. In many respects, some folks might use more water flicking on their lights, than chugging back a glass of that wondrous stuff. Makes you wonder: Has the EPA ever tabulated the […]

Kerry-vs.-Bingaman power struggle lurks beneath ‘what next?’ question in Senate

Sens. Kerry, Lieberman, and GrahamPhoto: Wonk RoomIn the wake of health care reform passage, the question du jour seems to be: what next? The Senate doesn’t have a ton of time before mid-term elections bring Silly Season (not that any season is free of silliness in the Senate). A number of issues are tapping on […]

Coalition of 22 Democratic senators urges floor vote on climate bill this year

Now that health care reform is out of the way (praise f’ing Zeus!), what’s next for the Senate? Several issues are jockeying for attention: jobs, financial reform, immigration, and others. More than one senator has said that there’s just no time to get to climate and energy this year, especially after the protracted and divisive […]

Researchers: HFCS is much worse than table sugar

The long-running, contentious debate over the dangers of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) may be approaching a conclusive end — one not likely to please those sensitive souls over at the Corn Refiners Association. While there has been extensive evidence that fructose is harmful to human health and associated with metabolic diseases like diabetes and […]

Revkin: "The idea that we're going to fix the climate change problem or solve global warming has alw

File this under “Self-fulfilling prophecy.” Below is an excerpt from the Friday Greenwire story (subs. req’d), “Treaty, regs won’t solve warming problems, former NYT reporter warns.” If the quotes are inaccurate or incomplete, the former lead climate reporter for the paper of record can clarify and/or expand upon his remarks here or at DotEarth: [UPDATE:  Revkin’s initial […]

Egger’s Head: The prodigal generation

Robert Egger has a lot going on in his head. Just ask him.  As a nonprofit entrepreneur, a serial searcher for ordinary people doing extraordinary things, a deeply deep thoughts kind of guy, Egger gives us something to ponder every week. We ask. He yaks. We listen. And now you can, too. Listen to Egger’s […]

Is Al Gore a good science communicator?

I wrote last year “the best climate reporter in the country is Al Gore, a former journalist, a brilliant synthesizer and communicator.” Who could have imagined that a film of him giving a PowerPoint presentation about climate science would be the 5th highest grossing documentary of all time in this country? Yet filmmaker/scientist Randy Olson wrote this month:   […]

On the eve of landmark climate manipulation conference, chief sponsor moves to quell criticism

Sometimes blog posts have immediate impacts.  On Thursday, March 18, I wrote a piece on the Climate Response Fund that reflected concerns raised to me by many leading climate experts:  “Exclusive:  Chief sponsor of landmark climate manipulation conference maintains close financial ties to controversial geo-engineering company.” CRF’s Board responded with a statement on Friday, specifically addressing these […]

Does carbon-eating cement (still) deserve the hype?

People here because of the NYT link might want to start with “An Introduction to Climate Progress.”   My bio is here. I’m quoted in today’s NY Times article on Calera.  The “Silicon Valley start-up says it has found a way to capture the carbon dioxide emissions from coal and gas power plants and lock them into cement.”  I wrote […]

Passage of healthcare security bill gives momentum to bipartisan climate and energy security bill

The success of health reform creates momentum for Democrats that is almost certain to help advocates of climate change legislation. So begins the EnergyGuardian story (subs. req’d) by reporter and Fox News contributor Jeffrey Birnbaum.  Similarly, BusinessGreen reports: The chances of US climate change legislation passing this year received a major boost after President Obama secured victory in his historic […]