Latest Articles

Snippets from the news

• Forest disappearance hurts economy more than banking crisis, says study. • Americans still driving less despite cheaper gas. • Bailout bill includes tax break for bikers. • Pollock declines could affect biggest North American fishery. • Papua being cleared for palm oil. • Climate change sends tropical species uphill. • Beijing will ban half […]

Palin again mangles facts on energy

On Wednesday, John McCain told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that his VP pick Sarah Palin is “probably one of the foremost experts in this nation on energy issues,” and reaffirmed his desire to put her in charge of energy policy in his administration. But on Thursday, Palin once again mangled the facts about energy issues, […]

From Peeps to Piehole

Hangin’ with my peeps Keep the kids close to the nest: the illicit urban chicken movement is taking wing across the nation, hatching plans to egg houses and fowl backyards. Illicit chickens could be anywhere — so watch your bawk, Hoboken. Her milkshake brings all the boys to the yard Cows and Mills were both […]

One way to get the economy moving

“They have a whole range of new tools from … all sorts of technical terms that I do not know. But they’re working very hard. And [former Goldman Sachs banker, now Treasury official] Neel Kashkari will be in charge of that. He’s setting up shop and trying to hire as many people as possible.” — […]

The cheapest sources of new electricity are also the cleanest

This slide comes from a recent powerpoint presentation by FERC Commissioner Jon Wellinghoff — hardly what you’d call a green radical (click for a larger version): Note that the cheapest sources of new delivered electricity are also the cleanest. Happy news, right?

California prison system introduces conservation measures

Woe to California inmates whose lunches don’t agree with them: As part of a conservation program in the state-prison system, at least one prison has introduced a water-saving measure that makes toilets temporarily unflushable if they’re flushed three times in five minutes. As for what else the prisons are doo-ing: A partnership with the state’s […]

With little oversight, BP, Chevron, ADM, and Cargill cook up next-gen biofuels

Synthetic biologists, a brave new breed of science entrepreneurs who engineer life-forms from scratch, are holding their largest-ever global gathering in Hong Kong this week, known as “Synthetic Biology 4.0.” Although most people have never heard of synthetic biology, it’s moving full speed ahead fueled by giant agribusiness, energy and chemical corporations with little debate […]

Obama and McCain advisers spar over whose candidate can best address climate change

Last night, the PBS program Frontline hosted a sneak preview of its new global warming documentary, “Heat,” which will air on Oct. 21. The film covers both the science and the politics of climate change, and we’ll have more on that for you soon. More interesting for political junkies, though, was the panel afterward, which […]

Michael Pollan lays out a national food agenda

Food policy hasn’t exactly been a hot-button issue in the presidential election. And it’s not going to be. We’re sure to hear more about a vague acquaintance of Barack Obama, or a bush-league politician’s fantasy-world twaddle about energy independence, than farm subsidies or school-lunch policy. Knowing that full well, Michael Pollan has published a serious […]

Oceangoing ships face strict new pollution rules

Observers hoping for an epic pirate battle at the latest meeting of the International Maritime Organization were disappointed yesterday, when the group quietly and without controversy passed landmark restrictions on pollution emitted by oceangoing vessels. By July 2010, the 300,000 ships that travel the world’s seas must cut the sulfur content of the fuel they […]