Latest Articles
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Ooh, That Fiddle Sounds Pretty
G8 leaders dither on energy issues The G8 industrial nations met in St. Petersburg this weekend, focusing on energy security. They agreed to … nothing. Said the group statement: “We recognize that G8 members pursue different ways to achieve energy security and the goals of climate protection.” You could say that. The U.S. and U.K. […]
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In Goodell Company
A conversation with Jeff Goodell, author of Big Coal Lots of folks think of coal as an outmoded relic of our past, like steam locomotives and petticoats. But journalist Jeff Goodell — author of Big Coal: The Dirty Secret Behind America’s Energy Future — has got news for you: Not only is coal alive and […]
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Ranger expedition switches target
After more than two months at sea, Oceana's catamaran -- the Ranger -- has documented dozens of illegal Italian driftnetters ... and we've got the footage to prove it:
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Umbra on recycling tapes and videos
Dear Umbra, What to do? I’m a child of the late ’70s, and one of the last to remember what it was like to exchange a mix tape at age 15. Now I’m hitting my 30s, and realize I still have that Color Me Badd tape. I really want to chuck it, but don’t have […]
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Sunday linkfest
Time to clear out the backlog!
CNN has a whole package of stories and interactive info widgets under the banner "Fueling America." Great work -- really valuable.
The U.S. State Department has a series of electronic journals called Economic Perspectives. The latest edition is called Clean Energy Solutions, and if you're looking for the official gov't line on energy, it's a good snapshot. On the upside, see Amory Lovins' piece on how to build hyper-efficient cars. On the less upside, James A. Lake shills for the nuke industry.
Judith Lewis has a sharp piece in the L.A. Weekly on the DIY electric-car crowd.
In The Nation, Mark Hertsgaard discusses the G8's plan to spread nuclear across the globe, driven by newly enthusiastic support from, of all places, the U.K. Here's the punchline: The Brits claim they won't subsidize nukes. They'll just let the industry blossom like a lotus in the desert. Back here on Planet Clue, there's no nuclear industry without subsidies -- never has been, never will be. So they're either lying about wanting nukes or lying about the subsidies. One guess.
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McDonough presents
Treehugger is right: This video of William McDonough (below the fold) is unbelievably good. Of course, I'm a confirmed McDonough fanboy, so what would you expect me to say? Still, if you can talk your friends into watching this, do.
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Julieclipse, R.I.P.
Gristmill reader Julieclipse wrote what follows, intending to post it on this thread. She died in a automobile accident before she had the chance. Thanks to her boyfriend for sharing it with us.
Rest in peace, Julia. Your hope and humanity are an inspiration.
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Progressive realism
Check out Robert Wilson's essay on "progressive realism" in the Sunday NYT.
The basic idea is that ...
... the national interest can be served by constraints on America's behavior when they constrain other nations as well. This logic covers the spectrum of international governance, from global warming (we'll cut carbon dioxide emissions if you will) to war (we'll refrain from it if you will).
And it is based on a fundamental change in international relations:
[T]echnology has been making the world's nations more interdependent — or, as game theorists put it, more non-zero-sum. That is, America's fortunes are growing more closely correlated with the fortunes of people far away; fewer games have simple win-lose outcomes, and more have either win-win or lose-lose outcomes.
This principle lies at the heart of progressive realism. A correlation of fortunes — being in the same boat with other nations in matters of economics, environment, security — is what makes international governance serve national interest. It is also what makes enlightened self-interest de facto humanitarian.Word.
