Latest Articles

That Sounds Perhaps Not So Clean

In need of a new solvent, dry cleaners turn to petroleum As dry cleaners stop using the solvent perchloroethylene, a suspected carcinogen that’s being phased out in California, New York, Toronto, and elsewhere, some are choosing a surprising replacement: petroleum-based solvents. Um … what? Turns out petroleum was the solvent of choice in the industry’s […]

Their Bark Is Worse For Our Blight

Decade-long study says trees may not be good at offsetting carbon Step away from the vegetation, treehuggers, and find something else to embrace. New research finds that when it comes to offsetting greenhouse gases, trees may not be up to the challenge. For 10 years, Duke University researchers plied a stand of North Carolina loblolly […]

A Jolly Good Rockefeller

Rockefeller Foundation offers climate aid to Asia, Africa Comin’ on over to the dirty-hippie side, the Rockefeller Foundation has announced an investment of $70 million over the next five years to help communities in Asia and Africa withstand the effects of climate change. The foundation will focus on developing adaptation strategies for affected populations, and, […]

The Big Green Bus rides again

Witness the Big Green Bus. Hard to miss, even amid the glaring sun and smog at Bonnaroo. I happened upon the crew of Dartmouth students at the festival last year and got just a few minutes to chat with them. This year, I sought them out on the festival grounds and then met up with […]

Don’t let the one color your feelings on the other

I don’t think it’s politically or substantively wise to set ourselves up as dogmatically opposed to any given source of energy (except coal!) (just kidding!) (only not!). The key is to set up low-carbon standards and benchmarks and say, "if you can meet these without ginormous subsidies, have at it." This is true of biofuels […]

Learning from masters in other fields: What a concept!

David Mamet (author of The Verdict and Glengarry Glen Ross, among other fine things) writes this in his new book Bambi vs. Godzilla: On the Nature, Purpose, and Practice of the Movie Business (a great book just loaded with great snark:

Paris bike rental scheme takes off

But wait, I thought bikes were impractical! Taxi drivers and other critics said that it would never work, but three weeks after Paris was sprinkled with 10,000 self-service bicycles, the scheme is proving a triumph and a new pedalling army appears to be taming the city’s famously fierce traffic. Bertrand Delanoë, the city’s mayor, and […]

Is a lot more solutions like this

This is what the world needs more of: a focus on implementing soft technologies rather than a mania to design ever more complex ones.

15 Green Fashion Finds

Does your summer need a little sartorial splendor? Of corset does! We’ve put together a head-to-toe eco-ensemble that proves innovative designers are giving green a new look. (Of course, the greenest route is to shop secondhand, and those fashion finds you’ll have to dig up yourself.) Shaun Deller Wheely cap Cyclist — or rather, recyclist […]

An interview with Hillary Clinton about her presidential platform on energy and the environment

This is part of a series of interviews with presidential candidates produced jointly by Grist and Outside. Update: Clinton suspended her campaign for the presidency on June 7, 2008. Hillary Clinton. Photo: SEIU True to form, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has done her homework on environmental and energy issues. A member of the Environment […]