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A cool technology, and fun-sounding to boot.

So, like, this is cool and stuff:

A water desalination system using carbon nanotube-based membranes could significantly reduce the cost of purifying water from the ocean. The technology could potentially provide a solution to water shortages both in the United States, where populations are expected to soar in areas with few freshwater sources, and worldwide, where a lack of clean water is a major cause of disease.

The new membranes, developed by researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), could reduce the cost of desalination by 75 percent, compared to reverse osmosis methods used today, the researchers say. The membranes, which sort molecules by size and with electrostatic forces, could also separate various gases, perhaps leading to economical ways to capture carbon dioxide emitted from power plants, to prevent it from entering the atmosphere.

Cleans up water, works against climate change. An amazing technology indeed. And will it come into widespread use anytime soon? My Magic 8 Ball (which always tilts toward skepticism) is skeptical.

The separation of economy and environment is a myth.

New head of the United Nations Environment Program Achim Steiner:

"Care for the environment is often portrayed as detrimental to economic growth," he told on his first day as head of the United Nations' top environment body.

"We hope to lay that myth to rest in the 21st century," he said by telephone from UNEP headquarters in Nairobi, setting out priorities for a four-year term.

Common sense ... I like it.

I put up my tent!

So I made it to 'Roo, as all the cool kidz call it. I even set up my tent, in the dark, all by myself.

Mmm ... Nothing like fair-trade coffee and sunlight to show you how dirty you really are. Yay for showers in my camp area. Boo for not finding them 'til I was dressed and sunscreened!

On tap today: interviews with Lyrics Born and a 'Roo green guy. Plus my first press conference!

China can pollute and dam all at once!

China has experience with spilling toxics into rivers: it's done it just recently in the Songhua, the Xiangjiang, the Yellow, and the Yangtze.

And China really loves dams; oh, does it heart dams.

So I guess this shouldn't be surprising:

Chinese authorities tried to slow the spread of a toxic spill by building 51 makeshift dams along the tainted river and using fire trucks to pump out polluted water before it reaches a reservoir serving a city of 10 million people, state media said Friday.

The spill of 60 tons of coal tar into the Dasha river in north China's Shanxi province was the latest in a series of mishaps fouling the country's already polluted waterways. Officials said there have been at least 76 water pollution accidents in the last six months.

Nope, not surprised. Just depressed.

From Iowa to I Owe Ya

Sometimes a basin is just a basin Personally, we don’t see anything unusual about the shape of this Des Moines, Iowa, water detention basin. Nope, not a thing. But apparently, some locals have started saying it looks like — well, you know. That’s bollocks! Photo: Polk County Assessor’s Office. It’s not that easy being red […]

New green/labor alliance brings Sierra Club and Steelworkers together

Organized labor and environmentalists — engaged in an on-again-off-again flirtation for years — may finally be getting to third base. Greens and blues are shaking things up. Photo: iStockphoto. Last week, Carl Pope, head of the Sierra Club, and Leo Gerard, president of the United Steelworkers (USW) union, announced the formation of the Blue/Green Alliance, […]

Guess It’s Not So Perma After All

Melting Siberian permafrost could release billions of tons of CO2 As it melts, Siberian permafrost could release up to 500 billion tons of carbon dioxide from ancient plant roots and animal bones into the atmosphere — twice what scientists had previously expected, says a new study in Science. It’s a (woolly) mammoth amount: at present, […]

Don’t Be a Menace to South Central

Urban gardeners evicted from community farm in L.A. South Central Farm, a 14-acre community garden in a sea of warehouses in urban L.A., will be bulldozed to make way for … a warehouse. The 350 low-income families who for years have been growing food on the plot this week lost their fight to save the […]

Must Not Be Any Oil There

Bush creates world’s largest marine protected area Well, slap our ass and call us Sally: George W. Bush, the prez formerly known as the earth’s worst enemy, created the largest protected marine area in the world yesterday when he designated the 1,200-mile-long Northwestern Hawaiian Islands chain and surrounding waters as a national monument. The region […]

Getting a Move On

Grist outgrows office, begs readers for help with upgrade Dear readers, we knew this day would come. We’ve finally outgrown the solitary desk that has served us well for so many years. As we look about for a larger space — perhaps one with two desks! — we’re also thinking about other ways to expand. […]