Latest Articles

Energize America at YearlyKos

I'm still kicking myself for not going to YearlyKos, but I won't burden y'all with my self-recrimination. Instead, check out Jerome's report on the Energize America (yes, apparently you do have to italicize the first word) panel presentation. Here's part one, about the plan itself, and part two, about the process whereby Kossacks put the plan together.

Ah, Summer in Rwanda

African nations try to bring in eco-tourists African nations are hoping to boost their economies by attracting the ecologically curious, following the example of nations like Costa Rica, which thrives on ecotourism. The island nation of Madagascar has boosted protection of forests and wetlands and boasts biodiversity rivaled only by the rainforests of Brazil. Other […]

Safe in Sound

Puget Sound orcas gain more protection; Florida manatees downlisted to threatened Ninety endangered orcas in the Northwest may soon swim easier, as the National Marine Fisheries Service proposed Friday to designate nearly the entire Puget Sound — about 2,500 square miles of water — critical orca habitat. The usual suspects took the usual sides: developers […]

All Right, Heartland, You’re Up

Western governors resolve to combat climate change Western states need to reduce greenhouse gases while meeting growing energy demand, says a resolution passed unanimously yesterday by members of the self-explanatorily named Western Governors Association. However, the pact neglects to prescribe specific actions. “My friends,” California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) chided the group, “it’s long past […]

Americans and Climate Change: Leveraging the social sciences III

"Americans and Climate Change: Closing the Gap Between Science and Action" (PDF) is a report synthesizing the insights of 110 leading thinkers on how to educate and motivate the American public on the subject of global warming. Background on the report here. I'll be posting a series of excerpts (citations have been removed; see original report). If you'd like to be involved in implementing the report's recommendations, or learn more, visit the Yale Project on Climate Change website.

Today, two more social-science analyses: dynamic responses (the conflicts between multiple media messages) and issue cycles (the waxing and waning of public attention to an issue). Good stuff.

And with this, we conclude Part I!

Umbra on smelly CFLs (and mercury too)

Dear Umbra, We have been replacing our incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, but we notice that the compact fluorescents have an odd smell. Are they emitting something we should know about? Compact fluorescent bulbs contain mercury; can the bulbs discharge the mercury into the air? Tom MurphyWellsboro, Pa. Dearest Tom, I don’t know […]

A piece of truthiness is born

The story of how a quote from my interview with Gore became a right-wing zombie meme, on Blogcritics.org.

Americans and Climate Change: Leveraging the social sciences II

"Americans and Climate Change: Closing the Gap Between Science and Action" (PDF) is a report synthesizing the insights of 110 leading thinkers on how to educate and motivate the American public on the subject of global warming. Background on the report here. I'll be posting a series of excerpts (citations have been removed; see original report). If you'd like to be involved in implementing the report's recommendations, or learn more, visit the Yale Project on Climate Change website.

Today we take a look at two social-science questions: first, the efficacy of threat-based vs. solution-based appeals (something we've discussed at length here), and second, the "loss-aversion effect." The latter in particular was fascinating to me -- it changed the way I look at a number of environmental messages.

Will ADM surrender gracefully to cellulosic ethanol?

Don't miss a great piece by Sasha Lilley about Archer Daniels Midland and ethanol: "The dirty truth about green fuel."

The latter part covers the environmental sins of corn-based ethanol -- familiar to Gristmillians -- but the first part provides some crucial context. It's about ADM.

Here's a taste:

Notes from the Appalachian frontier

Working as an office bureaucrat can certainly have its days, but as the leader of an amazingly talented, motivated, and productive team of 28 OSM/VISTA volunteers working in poverty stricken and environmentally devastated Appalachian coal country, I am continually awed by the attitudes and achievements of those I am fortunate to work with.

The following letter is an example of one volunteer's satirical perspective of her work in the anthracite region of north eastern Pennsylvania. It was recently submitted to my office as the cover letter for her quarterly progress report and is reproduced here, with permission, for your entertainment and enlightenment. Enjoy!

Dear Jenny:

Our water is orange, or forebodingly clear; our valley is succumbing to sprawl-induced hypertension; new storm water systems are allowed to infiltrate mine pools. Before long, the Anthracite region will be a scene from my favorite childhood Halloween story where the neighborhood children sneak over the witch's home on snow days, because her snow is always black.

There is hope! In my exploration of the Wyoming Valley, I discovered watershed heroes battling each foot of concrete channelized streams. Grizzly Adams' fourth cousins are in the tributaries willing the return of trout and American shad. Clusters of justice-seeking youth are cleaning and banning illegal dump sites in their neighborhoods. Murmurs are growing louder; defense of the environment for its sake and for the sake of human health is strengthing.

Enclosed you will find several war-zone documents - victories of one battalion on one battle front.

May we send only water we would drink downstream!

In solidarity,

Valerie L. Taylor
OSM/VISTA Watershed Development Coordinator
Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation