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And not just for S&M types either

Finally, someone figures out that tax policy is actually sexy!

More than meets the eye

If you think that the current governmental and corporate interest in ethanol has something to do with global warming, think again. It is dawning on the U.S. government that (1) most of the remaining supplies of oil are in unfriendly hands, and (2) that there isn't enough oil remaining to feed a constantly growing global demand.

With oil production plateauing, governments can turn to three main strategies to maintain fuel supplies: (1) consume what's left of the planet by growing huge amounts of biofuels; (2) fry what's left of the atmosphere by converting coal to oil or exploiting dirty, expensive tars and oil sands; or (3) conquer the planet to forcably take whatever oil is left.

Michael T. Klare brings this problem right to the door of the U.S. military in his new article, "The Pentagon v. Peak Oil: How Wars of the Future May Be Fought Just to Run the Machines That Fight Them."

North Pacific Fishery Management Council protects seafloor habitat areas in Bering Sea

It's official -- and unanimous. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council voted to ban bottom trawling of some 180,000 square miles of previously unexploited ocean floor in the Bering Sea, particularly in the North.

The area is home to 26 species of marine mammals, including whales and walruses, as well as 450 species of fish and million of seabirds that flock to the region from all seven continents.

At a Bonnaroo press conference

I just left the first press conference of Bonnaroo where hiphop-funk-reggae guru Michael Franti of Spearhead set the stage by explaining his routine when coming to Bonnaroo: "The first thing I always do is go over to the port-a-potty, because you can tell what stage the festival is in …" The man speaks the truth. […]

What a nice idea

If Gandhi were around today, I think he would be less reasonable and tractable about the climate crisis; instead, he would challenge the moral integrity of so-called western civilization. The galvanizing march to the salt flats (the famous "Salt March") would be a tour of threatened island nations: Inuit seeking redress for loss of habitat, mountain people facing bewildering change, deluges in Bangladesh, landslides in the Philippines, and masses of people in the Indus-Ganges-Yangtze river basins facing an uncertain future over water supplies. It would be a march to bear witness to the moral wrongness that pervades the fossil-fuel civilization. It would not, my fellow environmentalists, be the image of a stranded polar bear, regardless of how signatory a phenomena.

Record a message to the candidates about warming; win prizes

If you had 30 seconds on camera to convince the presidential candidates to take global warming seriously, what would you say? How would you say it? Would you sing? Use visual aides? Do it in the buff? Why not give it a whirl? LCV is having a Hot Spot Contest, gathering 30 second videos from […]

There oughta be a law: Off means off

Here's why you need to put all your electronics on power strips/surge protectors; so you can actually turn them off and save the massive amounts of energy these vampires suck out of the system (and your wallet).

We need a law that says by 2009 no new electronic devices can be sold without a hard off setting that actually turns the device entirely off (i.e., no current drain whatsoever). It's not hard -- it's how everything used to work.

From Wild Life to Wildlife

Diff’rent spokes While Owen got over his heartbreak by biking to a strip club, bicyclists around the world stripped to show their eco-love. Which gives a whole new meaning to banana seat. Photo: Steve Granitz/ WireImage.com We failed kindergarten This artist installed a phone in a melting glacier, so callers can hear every agonizing drip […]

Look out!

The masses started arriving yesterday. Gates opened at noon, and ‘Roo-goers were ready. At left is the “before” shot — the open grassy field (once home to cows and cow pies) that will soon be just a field of dirt covered in dirt-covered people and dirt-covered trash. Unless Clean Vibes has something to do with […]

On green dating for the low-budget environmentalist

I know, I know. Long time, no Brokeass. Weeks. Months even. See, I got a second job, which has somewhat lessened my brokassity, but also cut back on the amount of time I have to sit around and ponder the subject. But don’t fear. I’m still pretty broke, and cheap by nature, so as often […]