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Talking with voters in the Mountain State

This is the first in a series of dispatches from Melinda Henneberger, who's talking to voters around the U.S. about their views on the environment and the election.

Huntington, W.Va. -- Door-knocking for Barack Obama in a state where he expects to get stomped today has been kind of thankless for Pam Wonnell, a nurse and old friend of mine who moved here from Illinois last year for her husband's job in coal mining: "I am not feeling the love" while phone canvassing or standing on front porches watching the people inside pretend not to be home. "But I'm not quitting, 'cause I'm a fighter, like Hillary," she says, and laughs at her own joke. "Isn't that Hillary-ous?"

Canvassing with her in her hilly, aerobically "butt-busting" neighborhood on the eve of the Democratic primary, though, one surprise is the can't-wait-for-November enthusiasm for Obama among ... Republicans? Hmm. Another is that even -- or perhaps especially -- in this coal-mining state, where billboards along I-64 scream, "Yes, Coal" and "Coal Keeps the Lights On," voters say they want to hear candidates talk more about the environment, not less.

Brazil’s pro-rainforest environment minister resigns

Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva resigned Tuesday after six years in office, leading a Greenpeace campaigner to lament that “Brazil is losing the only voice in the government that spoke out for the environment.” Silva’s policies prioritized environmental protection, particularly for the Amazon; while her policies landed her a spot as one of Grist’s fave […]

More on the nuclear portion of McCain’s big climate speech

What’s the deal with John McCain’s nuclear love affair? It’s a question on many people’s minds after the candidate’s big climate speech yesterday. While McCain has argued repeatedly that he’s opposed to subsidies for the nuclear industry, he stresses the need to support the nuclear industry and fund nuclear R&D. The most recent incarnation of […]

Long-shot Gravel reminds us he’s still in the presidential race

Remember Mike Gravel, the carbon-tax advocating, coal-hating, nuke-fighting, public-transit riding Democratic presidential candidate? Well, he’s still running for president, but he’s decided to join the Libertarian Party. And he’s got a new video out, which is … OK, it’s not even vaguely environmental, though there is a reference to oil pipes. Mostly though, it’s just […]

How to green your yard — even more

One of the most enduring truisms on earth is that all you need — aside from love, of course — is loam. Good dirt and a few seeds can get you a plot of paradise, whether you’re nursing daffodils in a window box, planting a native tree, or cultivating carrots, cukes, and Incredible Hulk-sized zucchini […]

Drink beer, fight climate change

Many efforts to fight climate change involve some kind of sacrifice. This invention, however, merely requires the drinking of lots and lots of beer. I see it as a game-changer in the debate over the best way to incentivize a solar market.

Nissan wants to offer you an electric car by 2010

Nissan wants to bring electric cars to the U.S. and Japan by 2010 and to the world by 2012, the automaker announced Tuesday. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn in 2005 called gas-electric hybrids “niche products,” but he’s changed his tune, declaring that his company is determined to demonstrate “zero-emission-vehicle leadership.” While General Motors and Toyota also […]

How three Southwestern cities are changing

For more on Southwest cities see our full feature on sustainability initiatives underway in Phoenix. Scan any list of “green U.S. cities” for winners from the Southwest, and you’ll find a geographical void. Sure, a liberal-leaning place like Austin or Santa Fe or Boulder might sneak onto the list, but in general, there’s a dearth […]

A Q&A on John McCain’s climate platform, issued by his campaign

The following is a Q&A on John McCain’s climate platform, released on Monday by the McCain campaign. I’m posting it here because it gets into more detail than any other published material I’ve seen. —– Q&A: John McCain’s Climate Platform How does cap-and-trade work? • Cap-and-trade is a mechanism that would set a limit on […]

And I would have gotten away with it, if it wasn’t for you meddling kids!

One thing you frequently hear from nuclear proponents is that nuke plants would pencil out fine if not for all those pesky safety regulations, NIMBYs, lawsuits, protests, and other political ephemera. If we could just get rid of that stuff! But that’s a market democracy. It’s not like failing because everyone hates you and tries […]