Latest Articles

Big-box store Target will phase out PVC

Big-box store Target is right on the mark with plans to phase out nasty plastic polyvinyl chloride. The store that we like to pronounce “Tar-zhay” has announced that it will aim to detox the packaging of its table linen stock by spring and try to find PVC alternatives for all toys by next fall. It […]

Industries get a break on tracking and disclosing dangerous chemicals

The Department of Homeland Security late last week released rules requiring industries to track and disclose large amounts of chemicals potentially alluring to terrorists. Draft regulations released in the spring had been heavily criticized by Big Chemical for their strictness, so the new regulations say, “Try not to put dangerous chemicals out on the sidewalk […]

7 items you didn’t know you could recycle

This time around, Chip and Katharine chat about how to recycle unusual items:

New Kaiser poll reveals voter priorities

These answers are from a new Kaiser Foundation poll: —– What do you think is the most important problem for the president and Congress to address? Is there another problem you think is almost as important? (open-ended) Issue Rank Total Republicans Democrats Independents 1 Iraq (54%) Iraq (53%) Iraq (62%) Iraq (52%) 2 Health care […]

Umbra on power strips

Q. Hi Umbra, Around the table at lunch today, my colleagues and I were discussing ways to conserve and be more energy efficient. We’ve all heard that “dormant” appliances still draw energy. We’ve all been told we should plug some of our electronics into a power strip that we can easily flip off when they […]

Groups band together to save Sherwood Forest

After the daily grind of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, a current-day Robin Hood might want to find a hideout other than his beloved Sherwood Forest, which has shrunk to less than 0.5 percent its historical size. Merry men (and women) in more than a dozen British organizations are banding together […]

Organic food found to be healthier, jobs board debuts on Grist, and more

Read the articles mentioned at the end of the podcast: Dropping (Fatty) Acid This Rocks! And It Came to Pass Suffer the Little Children What Is This Feeling We’re Feeling? Read the articles mentioned at the end of the podcast: Seven Days, Seven Ways Giuliani on the Issues Strip Tease

Big Coal slimes Kansas governor Sebelius

The fossil fuel lobby is panicking. Kansas was recently the site of a bold repudiation of coal — Roderick L. Bremby, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, established a new precedent by denying a coal plant permit on the basis of CO2, with the full backing of Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius. Look […]

Bush vetoes water bill, Congress likely to override

True to his word, President Bush has vetoed a bill authorizing $23 billion in nationwide water projects. Chances are good that Congress will override his naysaying, perhaps even this week. Stay tuned.

‘Clean coal’ proposals are getting canceled right and left

Remember clean coal, vaunted savior of, um, coal? Turns out cost, unproven technology, and rising opposition to carbon emissions are conspiring to nip a lot of clean coal projects in the bud. This, of course, is just the latest piece of evidence that coal can’t hack it in a carbon-constrained market needs more subsidies.