Latest Articles

Pentagon: ‘Climate change, energy security, and economic stability are inextricably linked’

Cross-posted from The Wonk Room. For the first time, the Pentagon’s primary planning document addresses the threat of global warming, noting that it will accelerate instability and conflict around the globe. Former Senators John Warner (R-Va.) and Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) added language requiring the department to consider the effects of climate change on its facilities, […]

A teacher’s blog takes a withering look at school lunches

Where does your food come from? In this Illinois public school, the answer is: plastic. Photo: Fed Up: School Lunch Project blogI normally don’t have much time for blog stunts–you know, I’m going to cook my way through such-and-such famous cookbook in a year, or stop using toilet paper, and then roll out a book […]

Where things stand on the Copenhagen Accord and international climate politics

After the Copenhagen Accord was “noted” by the UN in December, there was a great deal of insta-analysis. In truth, there was no real way to evaluate the Accord because the meat of it — the emission-reduction commitments from participating countries — was blank. Literally: The deadline for participating countries to submit their commitments was […]

A Seattle chef proves that traditional sushi and healthy oceans go hand-in-chopstick

Scallop and dungeness crab salad wrapped in prosciutto topped with lumpfish caviar and avocado: A Hajime creation. Photo by Phu Son Nguyen of sushiday.comGrowing up in small-town Montana, two things just made no sense: vegetarians and sushi. Why eat tofu, or raw fish, when you could just as easily have a big juicy steak? Coming […]

Ask Umbra on sustainable manufacturing jobs, sexless fish, and matches

Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, I am wondering if you can help me with this question: What makes jobs in sustainable manufacturing “sustainable” (as opposed to just “manufacturing” jobs), and what do employers look for in determining whether a candidate is right for a “sustainable” or “green” job? And while we’re thinking […]

Orwellian censorship

This (censored) commentary appeared today on Joe Romm’s blog: Ken Johnson says:January 31, 2010 at 9:39 pm Regarding Fred Krupp’s comment about China’s “centralized industrial policy that we can’t match and don’t want in the United States …,” that sounds to me a lot like a top-down, economy-wide cap-and-trade system in which central planners set […]

The Climate Solution: Got Cows?

Now that official leadership in Copenhagen has predictably failed us, for no agreement ever on the table was anywhere near close to what we need to salve the savage climate, what do we do? Here, finally, is some good reason for optimism.  With proper care of ruined grasslands, variously called managed grazing, holistic management, or […]

Echoing Michelle Obama, a D.C. pol pushes ‘healthy schools’

D.C. Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) has introduced landmark “Healthy Schools” legislation that integrates nutrition standards, locally produced foods, school gardening, broader access to subsidized meals and increased physical exercise to address obesity and other children’s health issues in the nation’s capitol. I recently submitted questions to Cheh about her bill, resulting in this interview by e-mail. The questions […]

Friday music blogging: Chris Joss

I apologize to FMB’s five fans — I’ve slacked off the last few weeks. But 2010 music is rolling out, and lots of it is good, so I’m going to try to be more regular about it. I don’t know much about Chris Joss beyond the fact that he’s a French producer that specializes in […]

Limbaugh, Fox News suckered by Bin Laden into repeating his disinformation and message of hatred

Terrorists try very hard to spread their disinformation.  A key goal is to get others to spread it for them, especially ones who are holed up in a cave somewhere.  Thus terrorists craft their disinformation into a sensational message that they hope gullible members of the global media will repeat. So who got suckered into […]