Latest Articles

The Black Mesa nightmare returns

For the sake of a deliberate and balanced approached to mining, indigenous rights, and environmental concerns, let’s hope U.S. Representative Raul Grijalva takes the reins at the Department of the Interior in Obama’s administration. Take this week’s startling announcement that the George W. Bush administration might quietly give the green light to reopening the scandalous […]

‘The use of carbon offsets in a cap-and-trade system can undermine the system’s integrity’

Yet another damning analysis questions the value of rip-offsets and the Clean Development Mechanism. The Government Accountability Office — hardly a bastion of progressive eco-analysis — has written a devastating critique of rip-offsets, which concludes: Key lessons from the CDM include: (1) the resources necessary to obtain project approval may reduce the cost-effectiveness and quality […]

Review of Fields of Fuel

Back in July, I reviewed a documentary film called Fields of Fuel directed by Josh Tickell. That film recently returned to Seattle after being reedited and renamed, Fuel. I actually think this new iteration is worth seeing with the caveat that you take the conspiracy theories and convoluted defenses of food-based biodiesel with a grain […]

Youth advocate for equitable international response to climate change in Poznan

Friday morning, youth from the global north and the global south gathered to create a stunning visual for the incoming delegates, party leaders, and journalists: a display that said very clearly, “Equity Now: Our Future Lies in the Balance.” That is the heart of the youth’s vision. We’re not all there yet; we have a […]

Berlin Zoo might have to send their once-famed polar bear packing

No longer the adorable baby polar bear who once graced the pages of Vanity Fair, apparently Knut is now under the threat of eviction from the Berlin Zoo. He’s almost 500 pounds, in need of a bigger home, and even, ahem, a mate. The zoo says rising costs and falling revenues mean they might have […]

American Progress’ ‘Green Recovery’ plan

We are going to have a huge economic stimulus package soon after Obama becomes President. And a big piece of it is going to be aimed at energy efficiency and renewable energy, as the NYT reported today in “Proposal Ties Economic Stimulus to Energy Plan.” I have asked a bunch of my wonk EE friends […]

We can haz everee-thing!

Coal lobby billboard: "Clean coal means our next President won’t have to choose between a clean environment and our economy." EPA head Stephen Johnson: "Americans should not have to choose between clean coal or effective environmental protection; we can achieve both."

PEBO nature picks

The Washington Post‘s Al Kamen rounds up the rumors on Obama’s picks for Energy, Interior, and EPA.

Obama pledges to use stimulus to make schools and public buildings more energy efficient

In his Democratic radio address today, President-elect Barack Obama laid out the first three steps of his economic recovery plan – the first of which, he said, will be making public buildings more efficient. “First, we will launch a massive effort to make public buildings more energy efficient. Our government now pays the highest energy […]

Bush administration moves to allow guns in national parks and wildlife refuges

The Department of the Interior on Friday announced a final rule that will allow visitors to carry loaded and concealed firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges. The previous rules, put in place in the early ’80s under President Reagan, allowed firearms in parks as long as they were unloaded and stored somewhere that wasn’t […]