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John Edwards links climate crisis and national security

In a major speech today on national security, presidential candidate John Edwards talked about how fighting the climate crisis is an integral part of battling terror (it also requires less duct tape):

Finally, we must achieve energy independence. If we reduce our reliance on oil from instable parts of the world, Middle Eastern regimes will finally diversify their economies and modernize their societies. And fighting global climate change will reduce global disruptions that could lead to tends of millions of refugees and create massive new breeding grounds for desperation and radicalism.

On how electric utilities should become carbon neutral

Since my first post dissing PG&E's offset program, I've had phone calls with PG&E, NRDC, members of PG&E's ClimateSmart External Advisory Group, plus a call with a forestry expert who consults with those who oversee the van Eck forest, which is featured on the "Our Projects" page of the ClimateSmart website. I have four basic conclusions:

Norway disallows manufacturers from advertising cars as “green”

We’ve got a thing for Norway — really, nothing beats a good fjord. And nobody can literalize like the Norwegians, who next month will begin prohibiting automobile manufacturers from advertising their vehicles as “green,” “clean,” or “environmentally friendly.” Says one national official, “If someone says their car is more ‘green’ or ‘environmentally friendly’ than others […]

All the PR is starting to sound the same

As everyone with a pulse knows at this point, green is hot. Everybody wants a piece of it. You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a new green website. Consequently, your trusty blog author is bombarded with roughly five kerjillion press releases a day. And that’s a conservative estimate. What’s more, the PR releases […]

Coming Gore book to spell out climate solutions

Gore to pen a sequel: The Path to Survival will be published next spring to coincide with Earth Day on April 22. According to the publisher, Rodale Books, Gore will spell out a blueprint for the changes that individuals and governments need to make to avoid catastrophic climate change. I expect the book will be […]

EPA determines coal waste raises cancer risk

The waste from burning coal — coal combustion products, or CCPs, like coal ash and boiler slag — contains toxic heavy metals like mercury and cadmium. But don’t worry, the coal industry says that the concentrations aren’t high enough to do anyone harm. Taking the coal industry’s word for it, the U.S. EPA decided in […]

Harassment reports against fishing observers double

In just one year, attacks have doubled on government observers contracted to collect catch and bycatch information from commercial fishing fleets.

Observers are the only independent source of data we have for tracking catches, monitoring quotas and recording harmful activity. They're contracted under NOAA, an agency within the Department of Commerce that conducts environmental research.

But the agency has ceased collecting data on reports of harassment or interference, supposedly because it lacks resources to investigate these matters.

Without observers, we truly have no way of knowing whether laws implemented to protect sea life and habitat are followed. So we've got observers in place to protect marine life, but who's protecting the observers?

Study shows that urban dwellings have less pavement per unit than suburban homes

Here's an interesting tidbit from the ever-geekalicious Todd Litman: a chart comparing average impervious surface per household in urban vs. suburban settings.

As you can see, large single-family lots -- the sort of homes that are surrounded by greenery -- actually require the most pavement overall. Apparently, it takes an awful lot of road space to get a homeowner to and from that exurban McMansion. (Take that, sprawl!)

From Big Macs to Beauties

Do you believe in tragic? Pledge to fight global warming — get a Big Mac? That’s like handing out SUVs as a reward for taking the bus to work. Except with more special sauce. Frock hunter To honor her father’s work wrestling crocs, snakes, and stingrays, 9-year-old Bindi Irwin will enter the jungle of the […]

New full-page ad makes the case against coal

Ah, this kicks ass! The group Architecture2030 is putting a full-page ad in the next issue of the New Yorker. You can download the PDF here. I’ve reprinted the text below: —– GLOBAL WARMING Think You’re Making a Difference? Think Again. There are 151 new conventional coal-fired power plants in various stages of development in […]