Latest Articles

Sick of algae-polluted water, Florida groups sue EPA

A flock of Florida green groups has sued the U.S. EPA, seeking state and national water-pollution standards for fertilizer runoff from factory farms. Nitrogen and phosphorus flow from agricultural operations into many Florida waterways (among other places), triggering algae blooms which suck oxygen from the water and kill off marine life. Exposure to the algae, […]

McCain talks up plans for the auto industry in Michigan

Today, GOP presidential contender John McCain visited the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Mich., where GM is developing the Chevy Volt, and used the visit to talk up his plan for the automotive sector. In the same speech, he argued that states should be able to determine their own fuel efficiency standards. California and […]

Author Elizabeth Royte chats about the bottled-water boom and backlash

Elizabeth Royte.Photo: Rod MorrisonJournalist Elizabeth Royte drinks tap water, but she spends a lot of time thinking about the bottled kind. In her new book, Bottlemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It, Royte investigates the causes and consequences of the bottled-water industry’s astounding growth. With her refillable water bottle in hand, […]

Consumers tiring of ads with sketchy eco-claims

As every business and its mom tries to get in on the eco-friendly craze — actual recent press release to hit our inbox: “Portable hot tubs go green!” — consumers seem to be tiring of omnipresent greenwashing, say analysts. “After 18 months, levels of concern on any issue tend to drop off,” says Jonathan Banks […]

Questions for Gore’s energy plan?

This Sunday, Al Gore will appear on NBC's "Meet the Press" to talk about the energy action plan he unveiled in Washington this week.

So, Grist readers, in tribute to the late Tim Russert, what kind of tough questions do you want host Tom Brokaw to lob Gore's way? Offer your suggestions here.

Looking ahead, is it safe to say that Gore stands to get a very warm reception from interim "Meet" host Brokaw? After all, the ex-NBC anchor hosted an Emmy Award-winning Discovery show back in 2006 that explored the reality of climate change and the need to address it. And he's a self-proclaimed environmentalist -- a lover of the outdoors (travels the world with Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard) who touts his personal efforts to conserve energy.

Brokaw also did his part to flack Gore's movie, "An Incovenient Truth."

Will Brokaw embrace his inner Russert and grill Gore about how exactly the nation can meet a 100 percent renewable electricity goal by 2018?

New white paper provides more details on output-based standards

For those of a policy-wonk bent. For those who simply loved my earlier post on output-based standards for greenhouse gas control and have been thirsting ever since for more details (I know you're out there!). For those who wait eagerly at their mailbox waiting for the current issues of electricity policy magazines to arrive ...

Yea, verily, I bring you this [PDF].

A white paper just published in The Electricity Journal, providing much more detail than was appropriate for a blog post on the concept of output-based CO2 standards, and hopefully clarifying some of the details.

A refresher course on economic principles for the right

The other day, President Bush, in response to a question as to why he has not pushed more for energy conservation, responded that the American people are smart enough to figure it out on their own. This prompted conservatives at the National Review to call for a "Dubya-Love Moment" in honor of what they perceived as the straight-talking truth!

It is truly amazing that a philosophical movement once filled with some of the smartest minds in economics now wears economic ignorance as a badge of honor.

So here's how to respond to those on the right who still don't get it that energy policy requires government intervention, and not just blind faith in markets:

House Dems fail attempt to make Big Oil drill on the land it’s got

A bill that would have required oil companies to drill on leased land they already hold before seeking new conquests failed in the House of Representatives Thursday. The legislation’s “use it or lose it” provision would have required that oil companies exhaust oil exploration on already-leased land before acquiring new acreage. The legislation also would […]

Antarctic icebergs scraping seafloor bare more often due to climate change

The warming Antarctic is changing life on the seafloor as well as above as icebergs freed from surrounding sea ice earlier than in previous years can pummel bottom-dwelling creatures for much of the year, according to a new study. “Our results suggest that as the winter sea-ice season shortens, the thousands of icebergs that float […]

Clark and Dean pump up a crowd that’s a little less giddy

I’m at Netroots Nation, watching speeches from Wesley Clark and Howard Dean. I must say — not to be a downer — that I don’t feel the same sense of giddy excitement in the room this year. There’s less of a sense of "wow, we matter!" and more of a sense of, "hm, what now?" […]