Latest Articles

Business association lays out recommendations for energy policy

The Institute for 21st Century Energy is a project of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which bills itself as a bipartisan trade association. In fact, it has effectively become part of the Republican machine, dominated by — and lobbying fiercely for the interests of — Big Oil, Big Auto, Big Pharma, and other such Bigs. […]

Finding out what’s important at the Rocky Mountain Institute

This is a guest post by my travel partner, Todd Dwyer, head blogger for Dell’s ReGeneration.org, where this post originally appeared. —– OK, so maybe that isn’t an accurate account of what Sarah and I did during our visit at the Rocky Mountain Institute, but believe it or not, it still applies to what we […]

Google unveils plan to move U.S. off fossil fuels by 2030

Google.org, the philanthropic arm of the search giant, has unveiled a plan to move the U.S. to a clean-energy future. The vision: In 2030, electricity will be generated not from coal or oil but from wind, solar, and geothermal power. Energy demand will be two-thirds what it is now, thanks to stringent energy-efficiency measures. Ninety […]

Shellenberger and Nordhaus go after Obama by recycling GOP talking points

They’re back! I’ve been bombarded by people wanting a comment on the new S&N L.A. Times piece, “The green bubble bursts.” How about “naive and dangerous”? Shellenberger and Nordhaus get coverage in the media because they are green(ish) recyclers of rubbish. They take piles of garbage (i.e. Republican talking points) and repackage them with some […]

Hurricane Ike dealt big blow to Texas wildlife and waterways

Hurricane Ike caused plenty of problems for Gulf Coast humans, but now it looks like the storm has also messed with area wildlife. Ike’s storm surge helped turn some freshwater wetlands as far as 20 miles inland into salty marshes hostile to many freshwater fish, as well as other wildlife. “[The salt infusion] exasperates everything […]

Overfishing drove Somali fishers to piracy

Pirates involved in the high-profile hijacking of an arms shipment off the coast of Somalia said recently that they were driven to piracy by overfishing. In 1991, the country’s government collapsed and patrols that had guarded against international plunder of Somalia’s tuna-rich waters suddenly stopped. Commercial fishers from around the world rushed in and decimated […]

A Palin/Biden bingo game to help you veep score during the debate

Looking for a way to veep score on environmental issues in tonight’s VP debate? Grist has got your back with a sure-fire method for determining who really wins these things: Talking Points Bingo. Download printable bingo cards [PDF]. The Rules: Download and print off the Palin and Biden boards (there are 10 different boards in […]

Sen. DeMint tries to push through pro-drilling bill in last days of Congress

Apparently not satisfied with the expiration of the moratorium on drilling along the Outer Continental Shelf, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) is circulating a bill [PDF] that open up still more offshore areas to drilling. The “Drill Now Act of 2008” would accelerate the expansion of offshore drilling by superseding a provision that currently prevents new […]

McCain/Palin nuclear plan would make U.S. more dependent on Russia for energy

Sarah Palin might have a tougher time keeping an eye on Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin if John McCain wins the election. McCain plans to build 45 new nuclear power plants by 2030. Palin affirmed her support for nuclear power in the CBS News interview that aired last night: Also tapping into the nuclear, the […]

Senate approves bailout bill with renewable-energy tax-credit extensions

The Senate just passed the financial bailout plan by a vote of 74 to 25. The measure includes a tax package that contains extensions for renewable-energy tax credits, which may hold it up in the House. Right now, it looks like the House is going to vote on the plan, with the tax package, on […]