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Gen Y chooses style over sustainability

What companies do today’s trendsetters consider to be the top 15 green brands? It’s not who you might think … A survey of 100 Gen Y’ers (born 1979-1993) asked which brands they perceived to be most eco-friendly. Here are the top 15: Whole Foods Trader Joe’s Toyota Honda Google Aveda Zipcar American Apparel Ikea 7th […]

Snippets from the news

• San Francisco mayor signs nation’s toughest green-building law, proposes fines for unsorted trash. • British energy companies told to reallocate funding from cutting emissions to helping the fuel poor. • Green groups drop opposition to Texas coal plant. • Most of new U.S. drilling wells are for natural gas. • Almost half the world’s […]

The breakdown of Big Oil’s record-breaking profits

Record Big Oil profits from record oil prices and taxpayer subsidies -- where does all your money go?

With ExxonMobil's report of a $11.68 billion haul in the second quarter of 2008, the world's top five oil companies are now on track for more than $160 billion in profits this year ...

I know what you are thinking: Surely, Big Oil will take those staggeringly immense and almost immoral profits from the suspiciously fast rise in oil prices -- along with the $33 billion in taxpayer-funded subsidies you're going to give those politically powerful and remarkably greedy companies over the next five years (see here) -- and invest in both new drilling and new energy technology. No it won't, no it won't, and stop calling me Shirley.

In fact, the AP reports:

NYT Magazine swoons for Pickens

From the most recent New York Times Magazine:

As a Texas oilman and major contributor to the Republican Party, you've just launched yourself, at 80, into green stardom by devising an energy plan that relies mainly on wind power.

Green stardom. All you have to do is mention wind turbines to make the eyes of dirty hippies glaze over in delight.

How much does it take to buy a protest on the floor of the House?

Here’s another interesting chart (via Josh Nelson via Open Secrets) showing the amount of oil and gas contributions to the House Republicans now engaging in pep rally theatrics on the floor of the House: Republican House Member 2006 2008 Rep. Lynn Westmoreland $0 $0 Rep. John Boehner $65,000 $0 Rep. Adam Putnam $0 $20,000 Rep. […]

Whole Foods tries to shake its elitist reputation

Whole Foods Market, with its gleaming displays of organic produce, antibiotic-free meat, and vegan baked goods, has long branded itself as a high-quality grocery retailer — thus earning the nickname Whole Paycheck and a reputation for elitism. But with the economy sagging — bringing with it, according to some analysts, consumer interest in organic food […]

Three models for environmental analysis and planning

There are several fundamental areas of disagreement that underlay the ostensible topics of debate here on Grist. I have pulled together three planning and training devices used by organizers and campaigners in the PIRG tradition, as well as Green Corps, that are helpful in surfacing and naming such disagreements -- a common language for dispute, if you will.

Continuum of environmental action

A strength of environmentalism had been the flowering of its forms and politics. Our power has declined in direct proportion as our diversity has narrowed to an orthodox cannon of acceptable forms of environmental advocacy. At the height of our power, US environmentalism boasted vibrant organizational forms across a spectrum of strategy, tone, ideals and, probably most important, insider/outsider roles, particularly protest.

It is inappropriate to stuff that diversity into the straightjacket of one scale, but I've done so anyway because it underlines the overall point. (I don't want to be flooded with complaints the this or that box is too small or the wrong color. If anyone feels strongly about it, to paraphrase Tom Leher, I am prepared not only to withdraw the chart but to swear under oath that I never created it to begin with.) In 1982 U.S. environmentalists had powerful organizations across the breadth of approach. Today, we are highly concentrated in a handful of specialized areas. But rather than acknowledging that we are weakened by this trend, we seem to be driving even further in the direction of splintering what is already an extremely fragile institution.

The value of drawing the continuum is that it encourages us to look at our efforts on an institutional scale, rather than a myopic organizational view.

The history of House Republicans on energy in the 110th Congress

As you contemplate the House Republican spectacle today, wherein they protest the "Democrat five-week vacation" in the face of high gas prices, keep a few things in mind. The 109th Congress — the first session of Bush’s second term — worked the least, and accomplished the least, of any Congress since the original do-nothing Congress […]

Republicans continue shenanigans in the Capitol

As Grist reported, Republicans miffed about Congress going on August recess without a vote on offshore drilling started a sit-in in the Capitol on Friday. The shenanigans continued until police escorted the tourists out of the chamber at 4:30 p.m., and GOP lawmakers went home for the night. “Today is the 2008 version of the […]

Should Obama consider compromise on drilling?

Obama is taking lots of heat for his softening on offshore drilling. I have mixed feelings. On one hand, it’s extremely important to get the renewable tax credits passed, and Republicans have made it very clear they won’t allow that to happen unless they get some drilling. As usual, Dems don’t have the votes to […]