Latest Articles

Lay’s: the locavore’s junk food?

Coming soon to farmers markets nationwide? A couple of years ago, a student group formed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to reform the campus’ dining halls. Calling the group FLO Food (FLO=fair, local, organic), the students wanted flavorsome, freshly cooked food — and preferably not from abused animals or exploited workers. […]

World’s first eco-article about “world’s first” eco-items

Part of my job is to keep an eye on developments in the illustrious world of green living. Sometimes it’s celebrities writing letters about which electric vehicles they actually own. And sometimes it’s product news. And boy is there a lot of product news lately: the “world’s first” eco-this and “world’s first” eco-that. Which reminds […]

BC voters back carbon tax

Carbon emissions met its first big electoral test this week, as British Columbia voters rewarded BC premier Gordon Campbell, who last July instituted North America's first major carbon tax, with a third four-year term.

World’s largest solar plant with thermal storage to be built in Arizona

Concentrated solar thermal aka solar baseload has definitely come of age in the United States. Just a few weeks ago, I posted “World’s largest solar power plants with thermal storage to be built in Arizona” about a 200-MW plant and a 280-MW plant planned for AZ.  But “The technology that will save humanity” is on […]

A farmer speaks: no to GMO wheat

Editor’s note: Several weeks ago, the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) issued a press release proclaiming that 75 percent of its member farmers support the rollout of genetically modified wheat seeds. According to NAWG, wheat farmers are clamoring to follow their corn and soy counterparts toward a biotech-dominated future. Todd Leake, a wheat farmer […]

Monsanto targets public radio to spread false biotech messages

Editor’s note: This post originally focused on NPR; but we’ve since found that the Monsanto ads run on Marketplace, produced by American Public Media, which isn’t directly affiliated with NPR. We regret the confusion. —————- Monsanto’s ad blitzFor years my alarm has been set to public radio so I can lie in bed for five […]

Obama’s key climate bill hit by $45m PR campaign

Reported by Suzanne Goldenberg, The Guardian’s U.S. environment correspondent America’s oil, gas and coal industry has increased its lobbying budget by 50%, with key players spending $44.5m in the first three months of this year in an intense effort to cut off support for Barack Obama’s plan to build a clean energy economy. The spoiler […]

“Democrats to Relax House Emissions Bill” — now it gets a B or B- grade.

The first quote is the Washington Post headline today.  Can’t argue with the overall message — although I would like to know what those “house emissions” are.  Roll Call’s spin is more political, and thus more positive, “Waxman, Markey Announce Breakthrough on Climate Change Bill.”  Or you can take Congress Daily AM’s spin, “Energy And […]

How I learned to stop worrying and love Waxman-Markey, Part 2: In praise of domestic offsets

The two biggest concerns about domestic offsets in climate legislation — the possibility they will be riddled with fraud and/or that they will overwhelm the “genuine” emissions reductions — are I think, largely unwarranted.  The fact that Waxman-Markey potentially allows a substantial amount of domestic offsets is no reason whatsoever oppose it. As readers know, […]

NPR: Industrial ag and India’s ‘cancer train’

Spraying pesticides: how green a revolution? Last month, NPR’s excellent Dan Zwerdling filed two reports (here and here) on the ecological and economic upshots of industrial agriculture in India. Starting in the 1960s, U.S. agronomists–backed by U.S. foundation cash and blessed by the Indian government–introduced farmers in India’s then-fertile Punjab region to the glories of […]