Latest Articles

Hard sell? Maybe not

Last week, The New York Times published an article that rhetorically posed this question: If the 11 coal-fired power plants proposed by TXU are kaput, and the state continues to experience record growth, where is the new energy going to come from?

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy has one answer: energy efficiency.

We've got another: Solar. And we have a plan to make it happen. My colleague JP Ross is the primary drafter of legislation for a $500 million solar program, enough to jumpstart the state's solar industry and turn the fossil fuel state on to the renewable energy path. It's been introduced as HB 2226 by Representative Coleman, and Sen. Rodney Ellis filed a companion bill in the Senate.

But What About Liechtenstein?

Survey unearths international climate-change attitudes A majority of South Koreans believe global warming is a critical threat. Same with Iranians. And Mexicans. And Israelis. But Americans — not so much, says a recent survey of more than 20,000 people in more than 15 countries. Granted, the U.S. could have been more ignorant: a solid 46 […]

I Think I Can’t, I Think I Can’t

Automakers tell Congress why fuel-economy improvements won’t work Congress hosted a few more cranky white men yesterday, as the CEOs of Chrysler, Ford, GM, and Toyota’s North American division appeared before a House subcommittee to explain why they couldn’t possibly raise fuel-economy standards. Joined by the head of the United Auto Workers, the churlish chiefs […]

Food and Punishment

Colorado’s inmates-as-farmworkers plan says plenty about our food culture Last summer, Colorado cracked down on illegal immigrants and the businesses that hire them, causing lots of folks to flee the state. But now that spring is rolling around, farmers are finding themselves out of luck when it comes to labor. Who will replace the poorly […]

Maybe They Should Just Call It LNG Beach

Natural-gas terminals canceled, pursued, and potentially dangerous In a great victory for greens (we love saying that!), Chevron Corp. has announced that it will not build a $650 million liquefied-natural-gas terminal off of Mexico’s Coronado Islands, rewarding years of protests about the risks to marine life. But farther north, the seas aren’t so smooth. Even […]

Take That, Iowa

New Hampshire towns send climate-change message to feds The votes are in, and the message is clear: New Hampshire is peeved about global warming. Nearly 90 towns approved a nonbinding resolution at their annual meetings this week telling the feds to act on climate change and harrumphing that presidential candidates should make it a priority […]

Biodiversity loss accelerating

Mongabay has posted an interview with Dr. Peter Raven, one of the world's preeminent biodiversity experts. It's a real good read. Although too long for most American's to tolerate, Grist readers should have no problem with it.

The interview is at the bottom of the article. I suggest going straight to it. If you read the prologue first you may commit suicide before the interview, which is upbeat and hopeful. Then go back and read the prologue because it is informative.

Bush to cut funding for geothermal

The Bush administration wants to eliminate federal support for geothermal power just as many U.S. states are looking to cut greenhouse gas emissions and raise renewable power output. A comprehensive new MIT-led study of the potential for geothermal energy within the United States has found that mining the huge amounts of heat that reside as […]

Setting a standard for other candidates, perhaps?

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards announced this week that his campaign is going carbon neutral. “Global warming is an emergency and we can’t wait until the next president is elected to take action,” said Edwards in a press release. “Each of us can take responsibility in small ways to make a big difference. I encourage […]

A step closer to trains replacing plane journeys

A Morocco-Spain Chunnel will provide a land rail link between Africa and Europe.

John McGrath asks if a China-Africa link will follow, and then a railway across the Bering Strait.

Maybe in the long run we can link most of the world by rail, and save plane journeys for Australia, New Zealand, other islands, and major emergencies. That would be a nice end run around the difficult problem of air travel emissions.