Latest Articles

The Alliance for Climate Protection says ABC barred ad calling out Big Oil

An environmental action group founded by former vice president Al Gore is accusing ABC of censoring an advocacy ad the group paid to air on the network. The Alliance for Climate Protection late Wednesday sent an e-mail blast to supporters with the ominous subject line, “ABC won’t air our ad.” “Did you notice the ads […]

Canadian oil sands will pollute the Great Lakes

Speaking of studies on oil sands, there’s another one out of the University of Toronto showing that oil sands will pollute the Great Lakes, reversing decades of cleanup efforts in the region. "This expansion promises to bring with it an exponential increase in pollution, discharges into waterways including the Great Lakes, destruction of wetlands, toxic […]

Why current cap-and-trade proposals are more tax than trade

A great frustration for those who (a) really care about reducing CO2, and (b) believe in the power of well-structured market mechanisms is that the current discussion around carbon policy has bastardized the language of environmental economics. There are tremendous economic and environmental benefits to be gained by a true cap-and-trade CO2 system. Unfortunately, all […]

World economic crisis puts climate agreement, CO2 cuts in jeopardy

Worldwide financial turmoil is seriously damaging the chances of the world’s biggest polluters agreeing on a new international climate treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol. U.N. officials and climate experts have said for months now that the world needs to agree on, at the very least, specific emission targets for a new climate treaty by […]

Some Native American tribes see better financial future in wind farms

Some Native American tribes, particularly those on extremely windy reservations, have been pursuing deals lately with wind-power developers, seeing the projects as potentially large and steady sources of income. Overall, Indian reservations are some of the poorest areas in the United States, but federal energy officials and others hope that a boom in wind power […]

Is organic pet food worth the trouble?

In Checkout Line, Lou Bendrick cooks up answers to reader questions about how to green their food choices and other diet-related quandaries. Lettuce know what food worries keep you up at night. —– Dear Grist, I eat organic food; should my dog? What’s the deal with organic dog food and what’s the problem with conventional […]

Nuclear proponents are, like, totally John Galt

A few days ago, NYT’s John Tierney wrote a column making what is by now a tediously familiar argument: fears about nuclear are overblown, public sentiment is shifting, and we should build a bunch of nuclear plants. There’s some absurdly tendentious material about California’s electricity situation, but in effect the entire argument hinges on a […]

Town hall again reveals just an anti-science, out-of-touch McCain

Few qualities are more dangerous in a national politician than a lack of interest in — or understanding of — science. It represents a genuine risk to the health and well-being of the nation and the world. We get to see something close to the real John McCain only when he lets down his guard […]

Municipal property assessment financing for solar and energy efficiency

The implosion of credit markets could mean severe problems for people looking to finance an investment in energy efficiency or solar. Frankly, financial innovation is as important as technological innovation when it comes to bringing solar into the mainstream. But now you don’t have to take some guy on a blog’s word for it — […]

Snippets from the news

• Will the economic crisis cause E.U. countries to ditch climate commitments? • “Superworms” can eat toxic waste. • Could more renewable energy mean lower power prices? • Defense lawyers threaten to stop Ivory Coast pollution trial. • Prince Charles skeptical of green buildings.