Latest Articles

Get Me Rewrite!

Part two of intergovernmental climate report no sunnier than part one No Monday would be complete without a dash of grim global-warming news, so here goes. Part deux of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report is due out in April, and according to a draft, things are looking quite the opposite of good. The […]

What’s a Couple of Coal Plants Among Friends?

TXU buyers announce plans for two coal-gasification plants The private firms that proposed a $45 billion buyout of Texas coal giant TXU continue to make some hearts go pitter-pat. After announcing that TXU would scuttle plans for all but three new coal-fired power plants, the firms added Friday that they would look into building two […]

Anybody heard about this too-good-to-be-true solar company?

OK, I’m probably the last kid on the block to notice this, but … This company, Citizenrē, says it will put a solar voltaic system on your house for no upfront cost. All you have to do is pay for the electricity produced by the system, and the company pledges that the cost for that […]

Bush visit to Brazil coincides with rising food prices

Three articles appeared before me in the last half-hour: "The hard truth about ethanol," "Palm-oil frenzy taking toll" (both on the second page of the Sunday Seattle Times), and "Why grocery bills are getting bigger" from MSN Money.

From the first article:

She prefers a ‘people’s waterfront’

Seattle is facing a difficult decision: what to do with a crumbling highway that serves as a major north-south corridor through the city? Below, we hear from Cary Moon. Cary is a landscape and urban designer and co-founder of the People’s Waterfront Coalition. The PWC’s No-Highway option won second prize in a national design competition […]

Sting along

Oh, Sting. How I love thee and thy ageless, yoga-chiseled physique. And now that I'm older and grateful for any sane voice that rises above the usual blah-blah-blah media clamor, I also relish your tireless political activism. Sure, I haven't really liked any of your music since that weird but haunting '80s song about the Russians loving their children too ("Mr. Krushchev said we will bury you/I don't subscribe to that point of viiiiieeeeeeew" -- love it). But there must be some reason I perk up every time I see you and Trudi on the telly.

Mexican wrestler dons an eco-justice cape

I know nothing about Mexico's wrestling league -- except that it's the kind of alternate universe where a man in a cape and a silver mask can stand up for eco-justice and not get laughed out of the building. (God bless Mexico!)

It seems Hijo del Santo ("Son of the Saint"), of Lucha Libre fame, has declared that he is dedicating a good portion of his spandex-enhanced powers to fighting eco-crimes this year.

She says no and hell no

Seattle is facing a difficult decision: what to do with a crumbling highway that serves as a major north-south corridor through the city? Below, we hear from Erica C. Barnett. Erica is the senior news writer for Seattle’s alternative newsweekly, The Stranger, where she covers City Hall and transportation, writes a weekly politics column, and […]

Biofuels on Science Friday

For those who don't listen to Science Friday, shame on you. It's one of the best science shows around.

This week, they had an interesting segment on biofuels. Listen to it in mp3 format, Real Player, or Windows media.

Because local transportation choices aren’t local any more

As Bradley noted below, the citizens of Seattle face a dilemma. The Alaskan Way Viaduct — an elevated highway that enters Seattle on its west flank, offering stunning views (to drivers) of the city and the waterfront — is falling apart. There’s real danger that an earthquake, or just Father Time, could send it tumbling […]