Latest Articles

Don Blankenship is an evil bastard

A while back, I wrote a piece for a magazine called Old Trout, in an issue devoted to the “Thirteen Scariest Americans.” It was edited down to about 200 words there; here’s the full original piece. Don Blankenship Is an Evil Bastard There is no greater threat to the future habitability of the earth than […]

Bush appoints mountaintop-removal mining exec to key DOE position

Yesterday we learned that the Bush administration has appointed Stanley Suboleski to the position of assistant secretary for fossil energy for the Dept. of Energy. In that position, he would “oversee projects such as developing clean-coal technologies and carbon sequestration, and polices related to fossil fuels.” Suboleski is a long-time executive for Massey Energy, serving […]

The GM seed giants lumber into the veggie patch

In 2005, Monsanto bought Seminis, the world’s largest vegetable-seed company. At the time, Monsanto — which enjoys a dominant position in the global market for GM soy, corn, and cotton traits — claimed it had no imminent plans to subject veggies to genetic modification. Now I learn from the excellent new blog SeedStory, by Matthew […]

Omnibus spending bill passes Senate

And I guess that's all I have to say about that.

Republicans oppose EPA mandate

David Freddoso of National Review learns from a Republican staffer:

Actually, the Department of Energy already produces numbers on greenhouse emissions, even state-by state numbers. But these are based on voluntary reporting and reliable estimates and formulas -- there is no "mandatory reporting."

So I would not panic, but this does appear to be a change for the worse. Congress is already making a bi-partisan war on America's energy producers and consumers (i.e., everyone) with the Energy Bill they will pass today. It is only a matter of time before climate alarmism adds still more to the already expanding burden on everyone in the form of higher gasoline prices and electricity bills.

Look out! The regulations are coming!

Umbra on organic mattresses

Dear Umbra, I need a new mattress and really want to buy one that is not doused in chemicals — in other words, an organic mattress. I’ve searched a number of sites online and have been horrified by the prices. They are really, really expensive! How bad is it if I buy a regular old […]

BP joins ‘biggest global warming crime ever seen’

The tar sands are rightly called one of the world's greatest environmental crimes, as I've written. No company that invests in the Canadian tar sands can legitimately call itself green.

Yet BP, the oil company that lavished millions on advertising its move "Beyond Petroleum," announced this month it's putting $3 billion into this dirtiest of dirty fuels!

BP is buying a half-share of the ironically named Sunrise field:

The E. coli outbreak’s continuing negative effect on wildlife

Farming is often seen as in conflict with wildlife, but it needn't be. The Wild Farm Alliance is a grassroots group that's trying to chart a new direction. They don't just talk about how agriculture can coexist with cougars and wolves, though. It's also about the little guys -- the birds and rodents that live in the wild margins between fields.

That's why the USDA's proposed Leafy Green Marketing Agreement (a national version of the California program of the same name, which came about after last year's E. coli outbreak) has them riled, and rightly so.

Bush signs diluted energy bill into law

President Bush today signed an energy bill into law that the House passed yesterday and the Senate passed last week. The bill increases fuel-economy standards for cars and light trucks to 35 miles per gallon by 2020, mandates the use of at least 36 billion gallons of biofuels a year by 2022, raises efficiency standards […]

Coal industry kicks off a PR campaign aimed at influencing lawmakers

Santa moonlighting on K Street? Photo: iStockphoto I heard from someone in downtown D.C. this morning who ran into a guy in a Santa suit who handed him a flier saying, "even Santa is rethinking his position on coal!" Yes, really. From The Hill: Americans for Balanced Energy Choices (ABEC) is sending 30 Santas to […]