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Sen. Dorgan: “It’s very hard for Congress to do… a couple of really big issues at the same time.”

Apparently, the latest complaint from what is supposedly the world’s most exclusive deliberative body is that it’s just too damn much for the American public to expect that their elected representatives deal with more than one big issue – health care and climate – at the same time.  As the WashPost reports in a story […]

GOP opposes successful “Cash for Clunkers”

I was not a big fan of the final version of “Cash for Clunkers” because its mileage improvement requirements were so inadequate, as Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) explained here. But in the real world, the public has mostly turned in gas-guzzlers in exchange for fuel-efficient cars – which perhaps should not […]

“Can you PROVE to me that global warming is being caused by mankind?”*

Someone sent me a terrific set of the “deniers rules for debate” from Mercurius.  Let me introduce them by way of a February 2008 email exchange I had with a denier over the headline question (see here).  The denier wrote: I have been doing enormous amounts of research in this global warming (caused by man) […]

Who is the National Commission on Energy Policy and why are they the bad guys?

[If  readers know any of the NCEP commissioners listed at the end, I’d suggest sharing your thoughts with them on what useful role they might play in the clean energy and climate debate.] Jason Grumet, a former campaign adviser to President Obama, said there is little reason for Boxer to try and set stronger emission […]

Songs about climate change are not so hot

The green sliver to your right represents songs that express environmental concern and don’t suck. It is populated by “Big Yellow Taxi” from Joni Mitchell. Oh, and “Mercy Mercy Me” by Marvin Gaye. “Earth Song,” by Michael Jackson, if you’re into that kind of thing. A couple of Neil Young songs. They call it a […]

Climate activism as performance art [SLIDESHOW]

Someone wise in the PR biz once said “any publicity is good publicity,” and climate activists certainly seem to take these words to heart. They’re not afraid to dress up as polar bears or penguins or CFL bulbs to get their message across. And they recognize the power of a good aerial shot, too, arranging […]

Preview the Royal Academy of Arts exhibit ‘Earth: Art of a Changing World’ [SLIDESHOW]

More than 30 leading contemporary artists have contributed work on the theme of climate change for an upcoming exhibit at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Entitled “Earth: Art of a Changing World,” the exhibit runs from Dec. 3 through Jan. 31, 2010.

Resources and links for the art-hungry

Most of the pieces in this series focus on individual artists or one-off works. But climate art is gaining an institutional foothold too. Check out our tour of green museums — and read on for more examples of groups taking a broader look at climate through art. Welcome to Cape Farewell. Population: earth. Founded in […]

A tour of green-leaning museums [SLIDESHOW]

Far from their sometimes musty, dusty reputations, many museums in the U.S. stand on the cutting edge of eco-innovation. Whether it’s behind the scenes (using recycled materials to build exhibits, renovating to LEED standards) or inescapably out front (a whole museum dedicated to wind power), museums are showing visitors the green light. Take our tour […]

Audio slideshow: Chris Jordan on America’s coal consumption

Artist Chris Jordan is known for his creative representations of American consumption habits, but even he was shocked to find out the numbers involved in producing coal-fired electricity. After learning about mountaintop removal mining in the Appalachian range, Jordan decided to illustrate just how much coal we consume each day — and the project turned […]