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Greens need a vision of the future that they can agree on

Imagine for a moment that you are not an environmentalist. You have basically positive feelings toward environmental protection, but haven't much looked into the specifics. You're vaguely aware that global warming is out there, and it's bad; you're vaguely aware that we import too much oil from the Middle East, and that's bad; you're vaguely aware that Bush is not very good on the environment, and that's bad, though not a big deal compared to, say, terrorism.

Imagine, in short, that you are like most U.S. citizens.

Now, say you hear the State of the Union speech (or see headlines about it the next day). Bush acknowledges that America is addicted to oil and proposes funding for some alternative energy programs. Not huge money, but at least he's addressing the issue. The environmentalists got what they wanted, right? But noooo ... there they are on TV, in the newspapers, denouncing his speech, denouncing his programs, complaining about ethanol, complaining about nuclear, complaining about hydrogen, and on and on.

Obviously nothing will satisfy these people, right? Nothing except halting economic growth completely and turning out all the lights. Shivering in the dark.

Dick, hunting

The internet is chockablock with entertaining coverage of Cheney's hunting mishap -- The Daily Show's segments on the matter deserve some kind of award -- so I won't presume to add to the flurry. For my part, I think James Wolcott's post sums it up pretty well.

EcoLogical Home Ideas debuts.

Welcome, welcome to Dig This, the cleverly-titled weekly column on digs -- or, for those of you not up on the lingo, houses. Or, eco-stuff for houses. Or, eco-stuff vaguely related to houses. We'll see how it goes. I'm not above making obscure connections.

Today's (very digs-related) spotlight: the brand spankin' new magazine ecoLogical Home Ideas. You can check out the site, but I currently hold in my hands -- well, my lap, since I'm typing -- a glossy copy of the premier issue. I know, you've grown so accustomed to Grist that you've forgotten they made magazines out of paper. Me too.

The magazine shown on the ecoLogical Home Ideas website doesn't have the same cover as the actual hard copy, so consider this a sneak preview. Lucky you! The biggest headline on the actual copy is "If Money Were No Object."

But Kermit Said …

Japan rules, U.S. drools in new list of greenest vehicles An annual list of the world’s greenest cars placed the top American car at an impressive, uh, No. 10, while Japanese cars took all of the top five spots. (But American cars dominated the Totally Un-Gay Testostero-Manly Mean Machine list!) The American Council for an […]

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Dependence on Foreign Energy Sources?

Austria embraces renewable energy Austria is yodeling up a new tree: the biofuels tree (oh, what are you, the metaphor police?). Like other hip countries, Austria is giving renewable energy a big bear hug — nearly 70 percent of its domestic power production came from renewables in 2003. Taking advantage of what is readily available […]

Girl Juneau It’s True

Alaska guv wants to hire PR firm to burnish state’s freeloading image Alaskans are widely perceived as freeloaders who suck tax money off the federal teat and plunder wild lands for profit, but that could all change if they hired the right PR person. Ha ha … oh, wait, really? “Alaska does not just take. […]

Dick, Get Yer Gun!

Bald eagle may soon leave the Endangered Species List Remember when John Ashcroft sang that hymn he wrote, “Let the Eagle Soar”? That was something, wasn’t it? Anyhoo! Speaking of the bald eagle, it may soon leave the Endangered Species List, thanks to its strong recovery in parts of the U.S. In an unusual joint […]

Last run

I ran into an interesting news bit this morning while perusing the headlines. Actually, I didn't run. Not much of a runner, me. But I hear it's a great way to get healthy. Does wonders for the heart and the lungs and that fat roll hanging over your jeans (you know what I'm talking about). And marathon runners? You gotta admire them. Imagine how healthy those lungs are after running 26.2 miles! Unless, of course, you run those 26.2 miles in Hong Kong on a day with very high air pollution levels and then die. Yeah, not so much with the healthy, then.

Another zero-carbon power plant experiment contemplated

"$1 billion hydrogen power plant in works" reads the headline on MSNBC this morning. My headline, though more accurate, is somehow less exciting. Let me summarize the article for you. It is essentially your run-of-the-mill zero-carbon coal plant experiment, where you burn gases released from pressurized coal, except they are substituting petroleum coke for coal, like a lot of power plants already do. They are counting on government assistance, are planning on using this pressurized CO2 to force more oil out of nearby wells, won't know if they can do it until 2008, and should be making electricity by 2011 if they decide to go through with it.

I heart …

This morning Grist received this wonderful valentine from reader Bo B.:

Our affair's been strung across eleven months -- wherein we've shared bellied-laughs, melancholic sighs, and the blooming of recommitance and fresh passion. I owe much of my current-outlook's levity to y'all and yours. On this day it struck me that it was time I said as much.

SO: I heart you, Grist. Happy Valentine's Day.

Likewise, Bo. Likewise.

So, on this Valentine's Day, feel free to use this space to let us know of other deserving organizations, people, ecosystems, etc. that you'd like to express your feelings toward.

Love is in the air. Can you feel it?