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White House says it will veto Lieberman-Warner climate bill

I received the following release from the White House this morning: —– STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY S. 3036 – Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act (Sen. Boxer (D) CA) The Administration believes that climate change is an important issue and is taking significant domestic and international actions to address it. As Congress debates this important issue, it […]

Boxer gives Democratic radio address to rally support for Climate Security Act

Sen. Babara Boxer, chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee and the floor manager of the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act, gave the Democratic radio address on Saturday. In it, she talked up the need for action on climate change now and why senators should support the bill. You can listen to the full address […]

Are we medicating and educating our solutions away?

Best talk on education ever, from Sir Ken Robinson:

Despite efforts, Chesapeake Bay oysters still struggling

State and federal officials have spent $58 million since 1994 trying to make Chesapeake Bay a welcoming place for oysters — and it all seems to have been for naught. There are less bivalves in the bay now than there were in the mid-’90s, and the Maryland and Virginia oyster industries have declined in turn. […]

Umbra on the impacts of biking

Dear Umbra, A couple of your recent columns have been about this novel idea of biking as the end-all in green transportation, but how green is biking, especially when you go out to buy a new one? If you switch to biking as the main source of transportation, you will be rewarded with the fantastic […]

Climate Security Act gets support from labor unions

The Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act has picked up a decent amount of support from labor groups. So far: The Building and Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, which includes: International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship […]

Let’s shoot a little higher

Charles Blow says “we need to declare a coordinated war on climate change akin to the wars on drugs and terror.” Surely we can do better than that.

An Inconvenient Musical plays on

Think the idea of An Inconvenient Opera is a bit off-key? You might be singing a different tune after reading this: Apparently, An Inconvenient Musical opened to sold-out crowds in Toronto last summer. Says Kurt Firla, co-director/writer of the production: It’s a satirical look at the climate crisis, corporate greed, and the general public’s reluctance […]

Your sporting roundup for the month

Apparently, people are still playing sports. Who knew? Beijing Olympics 2008: The Games will be “basically” carbon neutral, according to one official. Technology Minister Wan Gang predicts that the Olympics will emit 1.3 million tons of carbon dioxide — thanks in large part to athletes’ travel — but that keeping cars off the road and […]

Sustainability a big theme at the World Science Festival

What do vertical farms, green roofs, soft cars, breathing walls, and Dongtan, China, have in common? They were all subjects of discussion at Friday's Future Cities event in New York City, part of the four-day 2008 World Science Festival.

To a packed house, Columbia University microbiologist Dickson Despommier described his vision for feeding the planet's burgeoning, and increasingly urban, population. The vertical farm takes agriculture and stacks it into the tiers of a modern skyscraper. Instead of stopping at the corner pizzeria for dinner, Despommier suggested, you could pluck a nice head of lettuce, maybe some corn, and some tomatoes for a big salad, all in your own building, on the way to your apartment. You can't get fresher or more local than that.

According to Despommier, the farms will be "grown organically: no herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers." (Of course, being indoor, there won't be many insects to spray for.) The farms will also require much less irrigation since all water can be re-circulated, and they'll curb the growing pressure to turn forest into farmland.

The vertical farm sounds (and looks) pretty amazing, and certainly Despommier deserves much credit for thinking boldly ... but I was left with several questions.