Latest Articles

California to offer pay-as-you-drive insurance plan

Californians who minimize their driving could shell out less for insurance under a pay-as-you-go plan proposed Wednesday by Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. Under the voluntary plan, annual insurance rates would be based on miles driven, incentivizing Golden Staters to stay out of their cars. “As a strong advocate of healthy market competition and a healthy […]

Cycling news from around the world

Recently, I came across a Time magazine article with the pithy title “Electric Bikes Sell as Gas Climbs.” (Apparently, for the first time in my life, I’m helping to set a trend instead of being oblivious to it.) Here’s a close-up of the bike being ridden in the article. It certainly looks cool. I have […]

Snippets from the news

• Utility Xcel agrees to disclose its financial risks from climate change. • Suit against ExxonMobil for violence in Indonesia can proceed, judge says. • Habitat for endangered elephants and tigers in Sumatra to be expanded. • Some 40 percent of Australia is largely untouched by industrial civilization, study finds. • Indicted Alaska Sen. Ted […]

High oil prices in future could spur plastic mining from dump sites

Sustained high oil prices on into the future could prompt entrepreneurs and scavengers to seek oil and oil derivatives from plastic items long ago thrown away in landfills, according to waste experts. “By 2020 we might have 9 billion people on the planet … and we could be in a really resource-hungry world with the […]

GOP platform acknowledges human-caused climate change, leaves out ANWR drilling

The Republican platform for 2008, hammered out by the Republican National Committee ahead of the party’s convention next week, is mildly greener than in 2004, making it “the greenest platform we’ve ever had,” according to a member of the committee. The draft platform acknowledges humans’ role in climate change but still takes digs at the […]

Joe Biden and Bill Clinton say Obama’s the man to solve the energy crisis

In his convention speech on Wednesday night, Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden said an Obama administration will make “alternative energy a national priority … creating 5 million new jobs, and finally breaking us from the grip of foreign oil.” Biden accused John McCain of being wrong on everything “from Amtrak to veterans,” and said, […]

Obama’s VP talks energy and Amtrak in his acceptance speech

After formally receiving the nomination as Barack Obama’s running mate, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden took the stage. His speech focused on his middle-class roots and the lessons he learned from his parents, and transitioned into emphasizing a call to revitalize the “American dream.” While emphasizing his friendship with John McCain, he criticized the Arizona senator […]

DNC: When Kerry attacks

John Kerry came out swinging tonight, calling for, among other things, “an energy revolution.” The best riff in the speech was a comparison between Senator McCain and Candidate McCain. He talked about McCain’s many flip-flops (including on drilling) and capped it off with: “talk about being before it before he was against it!” And his […]

Criticizes McCain’s changes on climate legislation

Former presidential candidate and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) on McCain’s changing policies: “Candidate McCain criticizes the climate change bill that Sen. McCain wrote … talk about being for it before you’re against it. Before he debates Barack Obama, John McCain should finish the debate with himself.”

Bill Clinton puts his support behind Obama, says he’s ready to take on the nation’s challenges

Bill Clinton took the stage this evening to thunderous applause and chants of “Bill, Bill, Bill.” “I’m here, first, to support Barack Obama,” he began. “And I’m here to warm up the crowd for Joe Biden.” He then touched on the tough battle between his wife, Hillary Clinton, and Obama: “That campaign created so much […]