Latest Articles

Act nowor forever hold your pleas

The battle over the TXU coal plants has been well chronicled on these pages.

As an elegant companion to the efforts to shut down coal, there's a proposal in the Texas Legislature -- sitting in committee right now -- that would develop a world-class solar energy program for Texas.

Socially conscious mail-order movies

For others who like a multimedia array of news and issues, be sure to check out the Ironweed Film Club, “a monthly progressive film festival on DVD.” Sorta like Netflix, but you get to keep them. And they’ve got a specifically progressive/independent bent, bringing movies and issues to your doorstep that you aren’t likely to […]

Trains are the forgotten mode of transport, at least in the U.S.

"Because if your ideas are any good, you'll have to ram them down their throats."

Take electrified rail, for instance. Here's a sad report from Dean Baker of The American Prospect, one of the best reporters going today:

I was shocked to discover in a conversation with a congressional staffer that rebuilding the country's train system is a topic that is strictly verboten on Capitol Hill. I was reminded of this when I read that a French train had set a new speed record of 357 miles per hour. Trains are far more fuel efficient than planes. Even at much slower speeds than this new French train, service across the Northeast and between the Midwest and Northeast can be very time competitive with air travel, after factoring in travel times to and from airports and security searches. It is remarkable that politicians don't even have trains on their radar screens.

And, if you haven't seen the video of what an electrified train can do, check this out.

Big giant heads, unite!

E.O. Wilson accepting the 2007 TED Prize, online here.

Highlighting security risks of climate change

On April 17, the UK will use the prerogative of the chair of the UN Security Council to devote a day to the security implications of climate change. UK Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett is scheduled to deliver a major address meant to put climate-security links squarely on the high table of security policy.

John Ashton, the UK special envoy for climate change and an adviser to Beckett, has been making the case for treating climate as a security issue since he took up the post last fall.

From Martha to McConaughey

It’s a green thing It’s almost Easter, and you know what that means — a bunny dyed on a cross. Or something like that. For Sunday’s festivities, color your eggs naturally, the jailbird Martha Stewart way. They’re sure to be crazy-popular — or so says our insider tipster. Photo: iStockphoto Death becomes you One day […]

David James Duncan

If you don’t normally read our InterActivist feature, you really, really, really should this week. David James Duncan is an extraordinary writer.

Why Ask Why? Try Everything Dry

American Southwest soon will face permanent drought, says study Tired of depressing climatic news? Too bad, here’s more! A new study in Science predicts that as early as 2021, global warming could create Dust Bowl-like conditions in the American Southwest. Much of the region has been severely dry since 2000, and researchers say 18 of […]

What else might we do with our time?

Every week, 30 million people tune in to at least a couple hours of American Idol. Whether this show has truly "jumped the shark" this year or not remains to be seen, but I submit that if a portion of these folks would join the ranks of the American Idealists instead, we'd all be in for a more interesting Wednesday night.

Idealist.org's brand new connections platform is already linking up 28,000+ people who are meeting up to build community in their towns and cities. It's worth a visit just to read the myriad of quirky personal profiles, and hey, you just might find a gathering to join on a Wednesday ...

Brakes on a Plane

Flight ads should carry health warnings, says U.K. group Advertisements for flights should include a health warning, tobacco-style, to remind people of their contribution to climate change, a U.K. think tank said this week. (So creative, those Brits!) “The evidence that aviation damages the atmosphere is just as clear as the evidence that smoking kills,” […]