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Get to stitchin’, bitchez

Yo-ho-ho me fellow lovers of the briny deep. I realized just recently that me li’l column be runnin’ for a whole year now. Remember that first arrrr-ticle? With the joking about poop decks and the promise to shiver ye timbers? (And speaking of that, we should get together soon, matey …) How the time flies […]

A new blog — just what the world needs

I get lots of requests along the lines of, "hey, I just started a new green blog, will you give me a mention and a link?" Before you send one … don’t. Why? Because the vast majority of blogs don’t make it past six months, and fewer still make it past a year. Starting a […]

Love, Nancy

Via The Gavel, a letter issued yesterday by Nancy Pelosi, et al, re: Green this Hill, damnit: The Honorable Daniel P. Beard Chief Administrative Officer U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Mr. Beard: We are writing to direct you to undertake a critical initiative to address energy conservation, efficiency and cost savings for […]

Knock that junk off

Washington state is one of a half dozen states considering legislation this year to create a "do not mail" list for residents, similar to the feds' popular "do not call" registry.

And like the telemarketing industry's cries that it would be utterly destroyed and millions of contented telemarketers would be out of a job, similar forces are mobilizing against the "do not mail" bills, including the Direct Marketing Association, the mail carriers' union, and others who argue that junk mail is simultaneously essential, irreplaceable, and innocuous.

Bollocks.

The beginning of a deluge

Two of the world’s leading oil producers have almost overnight joined some of the biggest players in wind power in the United States, accelerating a trend of large corporations investing in the rapidly growing alternative-energy field. That’s Shell and BP, if you’re interested.

Hint: the people who deny we’re causing it

A right-wing news site called … Right Wing News recently sent a poll to 240 "right-of center" bloggers. Sixty-three responded. There’s much amusement to be had reading through the results, but let’s focus on this: 4) Do you think mankind is the primary cause of global warming? Yes (0) — 0% No (59) — 100% […]

Dumbly

The nonpartisan U.S. Government Accountability Office recently issue a blistering report on the Department of Energy’s delinquent treatment of energy efficiency standards. Despite a mandate from Congress, DOE has missed all 34 deadlines for issues standards covering everything from consumer products to power transformers. Only 11 sets of standards have been completed; 23 remain unfinished. […]

Fed legislation shouldn’t mess with state efforts

Speaking of this argument Jason raised — what exactly Dems should do on global warming in the next two years — one point strikes me as central: whatever Congress does, it should not impede or supercede the many great efforts taking place at the state and local level. That’s the baseline for acceptable legislation, in […]

From Aliens to Australians

Roswell that ends well Says Yahoo! News: “A former Canadian defense minister is demanding governments worldwide disclose and use secret alien technologies obtained in alleged UFO crashes to stem climate change.” And nothing we could say would make that funnier. Photo: iStockphoto They dream of greenie Generation Insomnia is growing up in Britain as half […]

Readers write in about sexist hair-color remarks, microwaving tea, eco rock concerts, and more

  Re: It’s Official: He Rocks Dear Editor: So Cameron Diaz is more luscious as a blonde than a brunette? Since when does Grist publish this type of sexist garbage and then not remove it from its website, despite the protests of readers? Our family has supported Grist in the past but will no longer […]