Latest Articles

A superb series on India and water

There is an excellent series about India and water in The New York Times (and its global sister publication The International Herald Tribune), including separate articles by Somini Sengupta about the immense problems of flooding during monsoon rains, an intensifying agricultural crisis as wells dry up, and the Indian government's systemic inability to deliver sufficient water to the immense and growing populations of its cities, a crisis once largely limited to the urban poor but now broadly afflicting even the middle class in New Delhi, India's capital and richest city.

We can all just get along

I was poking around on the net the other day and stumbled across a hybrid-vs.-diesel debate. It was beautiful. Guys were trying to convince other guys that their choice of car was better. They were doing what most guys do, compete with each other. What I loved about it was that they were competing over gas mileage and emissions instead of horsepower and load capacity. Here's an example:

Short summaries of three new eco-books

Seeing as how my last Under the Covers column was a summer reading list, and now it's an entirely different season, I think it's time I return with more eco-reading selections for what must be my terribly book-hungry audience.

First up, a delightful-looking book put together by the Fundação O Boticário, a conservation organization in Brazil. The book itself is titled Brazil naturally: A 15 year mosaic of conservation histories, but I can't seem to find it on Powells or Amazon. It may be available on the organization's website, but (during my brief search involving a few clicks here and there, all willy-nilly-like) I couldn't find it, what with most of the site being in Brazilian Portuguese. But say you were able to get your hands on a copy, it could be a great coffee-table book. It's full of colorful pictures of wildlife including jaguars, birds, whales, and alligators. And it's all printed on recycled paper!

Harder than it looks

In the latest issue of Sierra Magazine, Seattleite Seth Zuckerman recounts the results of his personal experiment:

Not how it works

I missed this when it first came out, but check out the Zogby poll on global warming:

And their environment commissioner is pissed

Canada's federal environment commissioner Johanne Gelinas recently completed an audit of the country's efforts to address climate change.

She's not happy:

Japanese dolphin hunt underway

Last week, I told you about the annual dolphin hunt in Japan. It's now underway, which may explain why videos like this one are getting hundreds of thousands of hits on YouTube:

Brit’s Eye View: Britain’s Conservatives challenge Labour for mantle of greenest party

This is the first installment of a new monthly column on sustainability in the U.K. and Europe, from Peter Madden, chief executive of Forum for the Future, Britain's leading sustainable development charity.

Something strange and wonderful is happening in British politics. American readers, prepare to be envious: both of our main political parties are actively competing to be seen as the greenest. What is perhaps even more interesting is that it's the Conservatives (a traditionally right-wing, pro-business, and tax-cutting party more or less equivalent to your Republicans) who are currently winning.

In a recent opinion poll, people were asked, "From what you have seen or heard, which of these three politicians as prime minister would do most to protect the environment?" Only a quarter opted for Tony Blair, and 18 percent for his likely successor as head of the Labour Party, Gordon Brown, while 33 percent chose David Cameron , the Conservative leader. It is difficult to imagine a comparable result in the United States.

The change is mainly down to the 39-year-old Cameron himself (pictured at right). Dave, as he prefers to be called, is a slick, approachable, and media-friendly politician. Indeed, he has many of the qualities -- of freshness, of being in touch with ordinary people's aspirations -- that made Tony Blair so popular a decade ago.

Cameron has already shown a strong personal commitment to environmental issues. He rides a bicycle to the House of Commons, he grows organic carrots, and he is fitting a wind turbine to his house.

From Centerfolds to 50 Cent

June is bustin’ out all over A 2007 calendar benefiting the Climate Protection Campaign will feature green models ranging from energy pushers and business owners to city councilchicks and hard-core … cyclists. Their theme? “Ecobabes … because beauty inspires life” — and because sex (no matter how green) sells. Photo: Ecobabes.org Chinese chop tix Censorship, […]

Watch

Despite my best efforts, I can never get the videos on Big Picture TV to work. (I wish everyone would just switch to Flash, a la YouTube.) But perhaps you can. If so, go check out the three clips of Bill McKibben they just put up.

And let me know if they're any good.