Latest Articles
-
When’s Obama gonna do something?
I must confess that my initial infatuation with Sen. Barack Obama (D-Mount Olympus) is wearing off.
Yes, he's got the charisma, the personal history, the zeitgeist on his side ... but he hasn't done anything, and shows no signs of planning to do anything, of any daring or significance. Someone in his position, with that much media attention, that much popular support, has a responsibility to use that power to make something happen -- something other than political advancement. The jury's still out, but the clock is ticking, to mix metaphors.
Obama's on the cover of two national magazines this week: Time (along with an excerpt from his new book and a photo spread) and Harpers (not online). Though the pieces are written from decidedly different perspectives, they both tell the same basic story: look how amazing this guy is ... just imagine when he does something!
Want to see something that captures my mixed feelings? Watch this video:
-
Melting of Larsen B ice shelf connected to climate change
Introducing a new regular feature here on Gristmill: the Inhofe Alert.
Inhofe Alerts are not about Sen. James Inhofe (R-Mongo) himself. They're about the ever-accumulating evidence for global warming. Remember: based on the logic of the position he has taken, Inhofe must dismiss every one of these studies. He must claim each one is false, or that it is fabricated by brainwashed scientists seeking the approval of their peers. Or scrabbling for funding. Or acting on behalf of the New World Order. Or something.
Without further ado, today's Inhofe Alert:
-
Canadian conservatives suffer for environmental policy
The Conservative government in Canada -- once a proud Tory tradition, now effectively GOP-lite -- is slipping in the polls, after showing some gains during the summer.
The main reason for their difficulties? The laughable attempt to gussy up their hostility to living things and call it an environmental policy.
-
E.O. Wilson chats about his new book on the intersection of science and religion
E.O. Wilson. Photo: Jim Harrison In 1967, E.O. Wilson coauthored the book that founded island biogeography, a new field of scientific study. He could have retired then with a distinguished record. Instead, in the ensuing four decades, he’s gone on to discover hundreds of new species, generate major advances in entomology, win the National Medal […]
-
Did You Mean: Solar Power?
Google to install more than 9,000 photovoltaic panels at its HQ Google Inc. is converting six buildings at its headquarters in the San Francisco Bay area to run on up to 30 percent solar power. The project, one of the largest solar endeavors undertaken by a U.S. company, will require installation of 9,212 solar panels, […]
-
Hormones and Groans
Endocrine disruptors in everyday products may trigger early puberty Some doctors worry that children as young as preschool age are facing a higher risk of early-onset puberty — including breast growth and pubic-hair development — due to the increasing prevalence of certain cosmetics, prescription drugs, and environmental contaminants containing endocrine disruptors or hormones. In rare […]
-
Two’s Company, 300 Million’s a Crowd
U.S. population hits 300 million This morning at 7:46 eastern daylight time, the 300 millionth American was either born or crossed the border. Person 300 Million is here just in time for bitter pre-election immigration debates: 40 percent of the U.S. population growth rate is attributed to immigration, and immigrants make up the largest proportion […]
-
The state of China’s student activist movement
“Watch out.” That’s what one student leader, Hu Kunzhu, told us in a sweltering university dining hall in Xi’an this August. We were in this ancient capital of China for the College Environmental Groups Forum, which brought together students from more than 60 universities across the country. These included representatives from the far-flung wealthy provinces […]
-
An interview with environmental scientist and evangelical leader Calvin DeWitt
No one has worked longer at the intersection of environmental science, evangelical ethics, and practical activism than Calvin DeWitt. Calvin DeWitt. A respected scientist with advanced degrees in biology and zoology, DeWitt spent over 25 years as director of the Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies, where he worked to help college students learn the […]
