Latest Articles

New diesel cars will crop up in California.

New diesel cars have not been sold in California for years, due to air regs.

With the introduction of low-sulfur diesel, that will change. Expect to see a lot more 45 MPG VW TDI's on the road as a result. And for wannabe biodiesel enthusiasts, this means no more perusing Craigslist with nothing but beat-up Mercedeses to choose from.

California’s emissions caps will spur the nation to follow

California has a long history of trailblazing environmental regulations that eventually spur federal action. The Clean Air Act and efficiency standards for appliances are good examples. Why does this happen? Sometimes it's because the rules prove proponents right and doubters wrong. And sometimes it is the regulated industries themselves that lobby for the expansion -- better a single standard than a patchwork of state regs.

So, will this week's accord on AB 32 in California result in a federal cap on carbon?

Some think so.

Fair Price Energy has some ideas.

A new website entitled Fair Price Energy includes some interesting proposals for moving forward with sensible energy policy in America. While the author admittedly offers no entirely new ideas to the discussion, the combination of policies and the clear presentation merit a look.

Although economists for decades have proposed a host of policies that would greatly improve the energy situation (economists were among the first to call for gas taxes decades ago), the key issue is political viability; this is where the ideas at Fair Price Energy are somewhat lacking. Both the suggested tax on energy imports and a lack of compensation mechanism for industries hurt by the proposal seem to make it more than a long-shot in the current political landscape. But it is still worth a look, especially since it has a nice system for redistributing the tax revenue from higher energy prices in a very progressive manner, which would ease the concerns among many environmentalists about the potential regressive effects of higher energy costs.

Cigarette company targets environmentalists

Although I'm no fan of the cigarette companies, I have to give credit where credit is due. They have often been on the cutting edge of advertising and marketing. Marlboro made it cool for men to smoke, Virginia Slims made it cool for women to smoke, and Camels made it cool for -- well, let's not go there.

Flipping through Newsweek the other day, I came across an ad for American Spirit. Since I'm a non-smoker, I didn't realize there was a cigarette company marketing itself as the "organic" cigarette manufacturer. As I was rolling my eyes at the advertisement, a silver lining emerged from the cloud of tobacco smoke.

From Cooling to Cooing

Burn, baby, burn The Nevada desert is hot. So, coincidentally, is the planet. Enter Cooling Man, an online carbon calculator for this week’s Burning Man arts festival (which features such sweet creations as the electric cupcake-mobile.) “We think Cooling Man is pretty cool,” says one overbaked burner. And of course, by “overbaked,” we mean “sunburned.” […]

Love of Labor

Grist takes Monday off to celebrate Labor Day You know those bumper stickers and T-shirts that say “organized labor: the folks who brought you the weekend”? Clever stuff. Well, organized laborers are also the folks who brought you this weekend: Labor Day weekend. To celebrate all their hard work, we’re taking Monday off. We suggest […]

A Touch of Class

New York schools will clean green Kids in New York will breathe easier this fall, thanks to a new law requiring schools in the state to purchase environmentally friendly cleaning supplies. “It’s well documented that when you clean up the quality of the air we breathe indoors, students’ attendance rates go up, attention spans in […]

How Ultra-Low Can You Go?

California makes the jump to ultra-low sulfur diesel Starting today, on-road and off-road diesel vehicles in California will fill up with ultra-low sulfur fuel. California is leading the pack on this issue (natch); the rest of the U.S. will require on-road diesel vehicles to go ultra-low starting Oct. 15, but won’t require off-road vehicles to […]

Not Management Material

BLM slacks on environmental monitoring in Wyoming For the past six years, the Bureau of Land Management has been slacking on its commitment to assess and limit the impact of natural-gas drilling on wilderness in western Wyoming, says, um, the Bureau of Land Management. A leaked internal assessment for the BLM’s Pinedale, Wyo., field office […]

Enviros are split over Lieberman vs. Lamont

Progressives around the country cheered when Ned Lamont knocked out Sen. Joe Lieberman in Connecticut’s Democratic primary last month, but some enviros held their applause. Joe Lieberman. Photo: Paul Morigi/ WireImage Lieberman — now running as an independent in an effort to hold onto his seat — has, by most accounts, been a standout leader […]