Latest Articles

We’re Just Saying

Scientists, states, and Congress point out that mercury is bad Mercury is not a problem. Mercury is not a problem. (Psst: hey readers, it’s us. We interrupt this federal brainwashing to let you know that researchers who sampled more than 2,700 fish from 626 rivers and streams in 12 Western states found mercury in every […]

Hidin’ Dirty

Bush pushes “alternative” fuels plan, critics push back President Bush got bizzy promoting his new energy goals yesterday, taking his message to a DuPont biofuels facility in Delaware and signing an executive order requiring federal agencies to buy more fuel-efficient vehicles — including plug-in hybrids when they become available. But Bush’s plan to cut gasoline […]

Everything is lame

The people at Living Homes are totally lame and hypocritical for designing a modular LEED platinum house, but making it too big. And putting too much glass on it. The Prius is totally lame because it gets worse gas mileage than it says, and also because it’s not public transit. The Super Bowl is totally […]

No, really

Um ... literally.

Come to think of it, this little gizmo (scroll to the bottom of the page) might just come in handy during my nightly 3 a.m. stumble to the bathroom.

Tuna populations are in decline

Bluefin tuna have a lot of admirers. Marine biologists are intrigued by their size and speed, they're a noteworthy source of revenue for many fishermen, and many sushi lovers are willing to spend a little more for their favorite tuna roll. In fact, this fish is so important to so many, that it warrants a five-day meeting of the world's five biggest tuna fisheries -- accounting for 77 countries and regions.

Cool design competition

West Coast Green and the Building Materials Reuse Assoc., along with the EPA and AIA, are sponsoring a design competition called the LifeCycle Building Challenge:

But why?

Peter Madden, chief executive of Forum for the Future, writes a monthly column for Gristmill on sustainability in the U.K. and Europe.

British supermarkets are now competing to go green. Two big retailers have just launched initiatives to tackle climate change.

Marks & Spencer, which sells food and clothing to Britain's middle classes, promised this month to cut waste, sell fair-trade products, and make the company carbon neutral within five years. Environmentalists praised its 100-point "eco-plan." Greenpeace U.K. said, "If every retailer in Britain followed Marks & Spencer's lead, it would be a major step forward in meeting the challenge of creating a sustainable society."

Later the same week, Tesco, one of the top five retailers in the world, set out its own stall on climate change. As the giant of British supermarkets -- one in every eight dollars spent in British shops goes into its tills -- Tesco is in a similar position to Wal-Mart in the U.S., and faces many of the same criticisms.

VP snickers at Bush energy proposals

Want to know how seriously Oilman Cheney took Bush’s ambitious goals for reducing gasoline use? Have a look: At least he gets the joke.

A sham

It always feels somewhat pointless being a green blogger after a Bush speech. Other than the repeated references to Iran — which might actually mean something, and not something good — little Bush said in the SOTU has any policy implications, especially when it comes to energy and environmental issues. The promises are inevitably forgotten, […]

Happy Feet is a travesty

While we're on the topic of Oscar travesties, how about that Best Animated Feature nod for Happy Feet?

Don't get me wrong, I'm psyched that two movies with obvious environmental themes are up for big awards (can't wait for Ellen's climate-change jokes), but it would be nice if they were both good movies.

Oh jeez. Just had a horrible thought. Are they going to make poor Ellen dance with an animated penguin on national TV?