Latest Articles

Bingaman hearing on pollution allowance allocation; progressive greens beware

When Kerry and Boxer introduced their clean energy bill earlier this month, it contained a huge gap: it said almost nothing about the allocation of pollution allowances under the cap-and-tr… er, pollution reduction and investment program. The reason for the omission is simple: Doling out what is effectively a huge new pot of money is […]

Ask Umbra on bike helmets

Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, As a frequent cyclist, I’ve inevitably been in my share of collisions and accidents. Most bike experts recommend replacing your helmet after any crash, even if the damage isn’t visible. Obviously the two most important qualities of a bike helmet are lightweight-ness and strength. That is best […]

We need transmission to solve global warming

The new version of Energy Self-Reliant States manages to duplicate the fallacies of their previous reports, and adds new ones. Their takeaway: “… 3 in 5 states could get all of their electricity from in-state renewable resources.” Their statistics actually support the need for transmissions. Some states can produce surplus power. Some states can’t meet […]

Yes Men chase Specter in Survivaball suits

Unidentified SurvivaballersCourtesy theyesmen.orgToday the Yes Men offered up another prank in preparation for the International Day of Climate Action, just a day after punking the Chamber of Commerce with a fake press announcement. The climate-minded stuntmen showed up on Capitol Hill in Survivaball suits, with friends in tow, to hector Sen. Arlen Specter (PA), and […]

Senate should consider deforestation as part of climate bill

This post was co-authored by Lincoln Chafee, former Republican senator from Rhode Island. It was cross-posted from Roll Call. It is imperative that the United States find effective and economically viable solutions to the climate crisis. Our elected officials and business leaders ask how we can afford the global transition to a low-carbon economy. Around […]

A victory for Katrina victims; a defeat for Alaskan villagers

Cross-posted from Warming Law. A federal appeals court has reversed the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by victims of Hurricane Katrina seeking damages related to global warming, while a federal district court in California has dismissed a similar lawsuit brought by an Alaskan village allegedly disappearing beneath rising sea levels. These rulings come weeks after […]

1Sky looks to Twitter for climate movement’s next rallying cry

Here at Grist we’re fans of (at least) two things: Climate action A snappy call to get people’s bums off the couch to make that happen Lucky for us, our buddies at 1Sky are working to bring about these two things with their 1Climate, 1Tweet contest. It’s a campaign to purge Twitter of annoying climate […]

Report finds massive hidden energy costs, mostly from coal

A new report from the National Research Council on the “hidden costs of energy” is, frankly, stunning.  In a sane world, it would be headline news. Producing and using energy imposes all sorts of costs on public health, crop yields, ecosystems, recreation, educational performance … the list goes on. Many of these costs don’t end […]

CAFOs: ‘Above the Law’ like Steven Seagal?

You looking at me, punk? Okay, okay. I’ve got a good one for you. Ready? Q: Why are CAFOs just like B-movie action “star” Steven Seagal? A: Because despite being Under Siege, Marked for Death and On Deadly Ground, they remain Hard to Kill and, even worse, Above the Law. The ultimate example of this has […]

James Bond calls for more marine protected areas

There was unfortunate news from PEER recently that the Obamans/NOAA Chief Jane Lubchenco have no plans to consider new marine protected areas. She cited lack of funds as the reason. Hum. In an era where oceans are under so much pressure, we need to prioritize efforts proven to bring life back to the seas, like […]