Latest Articles

Dweeb between the lines

With today's news of re-rising SUV sales comes a related tidbit: an old co-worker just alerted me to a site he's started called Dweebs Drive Humvees. Though the commentary is somewhat uneven, it has some fine moments -- and if it takes off like FUH2, the site that invites people to submit pictures of themselves flipping Hummers the bird, it could be a hooooooot. His goals are lofty: "I'm trying to spread the word until 'dweeb' and 'Hummer' become synonymous."

Fuel Security and Consumer Choice Act

This is pretty cool:

U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar today joined Sens. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Barack Obama (D-IL) in introducing the Fuel Security and Consumer Choice Act. This bill would require all U.S. marketed vehicles to be manufactured as Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) within ten years. FFVs can use both regular gasoline and E-85 renewable fuel (motor fuel with 85 percent ethanol content). This capability would ensure access to an important alternative to foreign petroleum in the future as the nation's renewable fuels industry continues to expand rapidly.

...

The bill would require 10 percent of vehicles sold in the U.S. be FFVs within 18 months of passage. The requirement would increase by 10 percent for each subsequent model year resulting in all new vehicles being FFVs within ten years.

The Queensbridge Wind Power Project

Have you heard the one about the group of people who wanted to put windmills on the Queensbridge in New York? No?

Neither did I, until I watched this video over at Current TV. The clip includes computer models of the proposal and an interview with climate scientist Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig on the effects of global warming on the New York region.

Crazy or a good idea?

China announces Renewable Portfolio Standard

Everyone needs a China strategy. Even China.

With a burgeoning population rapidly growing in number and affluence, and a manufacturing sector serving the world as well as driving infrastructure development at home, China's sheer mass demands that it be accounted for in every field. Of special concern are energy and the environment: What will be the impacts of all the new energy resources required?

That's why China's new commitment to a federal Renewable Portfolio Standard is such good news. Fifteen percent by 2020 may not offset the new carbon emissions produced by its spectacular growth, but it's sure better than the U.S. federal RPS (0% by never). And the investment -- estimated to be U.S. $184 billion -- will help build the economies of scale key to bringing down costs in renewable industries.

Here's hoping China's investment means the same for renewables as it has for t-shirts, tchotchkes, and damn near everything: What was once expensive now made dirt cheap and plentiful.

CBS fills Sunday-night hackery gap left by FOX

While Fox moves toward sanity, the rest of the news biz moves toward Fox.

Exhibit A: On Sunday, while Fox is educating its viewers on global warming, CBS's 60 Minutes will be producing a breathless piece of hype on "Eco-Terror's Growing Threat."

Growing according to who? Why, the FBI, of course, and far be it from a group of journalists to do anything but pass on the FBI's latest talking points.

Eco-terrorists have never killed or even hurt anybody, so it's a bit tricky to try to make them look like the nation's biggest threat. Here's one way to do it: Dig up some fruitloop who says they ought to kill people.

A spokesman for extreme animal rights groups believes killing humans is justified. "I think people who torture innocent beings should be stopped," says Dr. Jerry Vlasak, a California trauma surgeon. "If they won't stop when you ask them nicely, they don't stop when you demonstrate to them what they're doing is wrong, then they should be stopped using whatever means are necessary."

Eco-terrorists: The Nation's Biggest Hypothetical Threat!

Ask yourself this: If you put white-supremacy groups up against "eco-terror" groups and compared property damage done, lives lost or hurt, and willingness of spokespeople to say batshit crazy things on TV, who do you think would come out ahead? Why do you think the FBI is focused so intensely on one and not the other?

Could it have something to do with whose interests are threatened?

A roundup of green plans and brown bills proposed post-Katrina

Resourceful environmental leaders have unearthed opportunity amidst the wreckage left behind by this year’s record hurricane season and the battering of the Gulf Coast. They’ve crafted plans for everything from the building of new, green, affordable housing to the tightening of auto fuel-economy standards. Of course, powerful people with less eco-friendly agendas have seen opportunity […]

From Cosmo to Cornhose

Hand’s across America Vermonter Thomas Hand — of Project BioBus and the Road to Detroit campaign, recently featured in our illustrious pages — now has a spot of honor in Cosmo‘s 2005 Bachelor Blowout. He describes his love of the outdoors and why a single flower bests a dozen roses. Two words: drea-my. Renew it […]

The End of the End of the Affair

SUV sales regaining strength in the U.S. Showing characteristic signs of short-term memory loss, the American public is apparently renewing its love affair with the SUV. When gas prices spiked to over $3 a gallon following Hurricane Katrina, demand for hybrids was in the headlines and chatter about fuel-efficiency standards was all the rage. Now […]

Let Freedom Sting

Thousands of sites in Iraq contaminated with chemicals, uranium, more Donald Rumsfeld wasn’t kidding when he said freedom is messy. More than 20 years of war and neglect have left Iraq with serious chemical spills, heavy-metals contamination, and widespread pollution from depleted uranium — and the cleaning bill could run up to $40 million. The […]

Start Spreading the Dues

Charging cars to enter city could loosen New York’s traffic jams Charging drivers a fee to enter the city center succeeded in ameliorating traffic woes in London — but can the concept make it on the mean streets of New York, N.Y.? ‘Cause if you can make it there … oh, never mind. The Partnership […]