Latest Articles

Home values near transit stations defy the financial crisis

“With the energy [price] increase, it isn’t too much of a surprise that people are saying, ‘Gee, being close to public transportation is something that I value.'” — Byron Koste, director of the real estate center at the University of Colorado at Boulder, commenting on the fact that Denver homes located near light rail stations […]

The outcomes of environmentally notable races and ballot measures

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Umbra on composting with worms

Dear Umbra, I recently moved into a studio apartment in an urban area. I used to compost in my backyard but don’t have that option anymore. I looked into getting a worm bin to use inside my apartment, but the cheapest ones seem to run around $200 and don’t hold very much. Can you recommend […]

Awful news

Obama’s grandmother passed away today. So damn sad. This post is worth reading.

McCain robocalls target Obama’s rhetoric on coal

The Republican National Committee and the McCain campaign have launched robocalls in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and other coal states attacking Barack Obama on the issue of coal. “I’m calling on behalf of John McCain and the RNC to tell you that coal jobs, which are so important to our community, are in jeopardy,” says the robocall. […]

Facebook app facilitates carpooling to the polls

Could a potential record number of voters tomorrow also mean massive CO2 emissions as people drive to the polls? Live Earth and carpool site Zimride sure hope not. They’ve partnered to make a Facebook app enabling people to find a ride in their area to their local polling spot. Their Carpool to the Polls application […]

Obama transition teams wrestles with fiscal policy

Behind the scenes, Barack Obama is busy putting together “the largest and most disciplined presidential transition team anyone can recall,” says Edward Luce in the Financial Times. Obviously this is important for any incoming president, but with so many crises converging, it takes on particular salience this time around. Obama’s team is deep in the […]

An ideological breakthrough on feed-in tariffs in Britain

In a startling reversal, Britain’s Labour government has put on the table a feed-in tariff proposal for “microgeneration.” The proposed feed-in tariffs will pay homeowners, farmers, and community groups for the electricity they generate with renewable energy. The move represents an ideological breakthrough. Long an ardent supporter of Renewable Obligation Certificate trading systems and plain […]

Environment bigger factor in election than immigration, abortion, gay marriage

I was looking at this recent poll from Pew, and wanted to highlight how many people see environment as a big issue in the election: Environment is more important than immigration, abortion, and gay marriage. Which I think explains why McCain is trying to prove he’s the real environmentalist. (Also, he’s probably a bit worried […]

On economic desertification through water mismanagement

“Unchecked climate change will mean that some parts of the world will simply not have enough water to sustain settlements, both small and large, because agriculture becomes untenable and industries relying on water can no longer compete or function effectively. This will trigger structural changes in economies right through to the displacement of people as […]