Latest Articles

Don’t throw me in that tar pit!

Says John McCain:

For argument's sake, let's say ... that the science that we are relying on is wrong -- yet we enact legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. What harm will that action cause? Clean air and a more competitive industrial base.

Says it all.

(Via Daily Scoop)

Studies funded by chemical companies find chemicals aren’t harmful. Whew!

Magpie draws our attention to the relevant passage in this story by Marla Cone on the mounting evidence that Bisphenol A -- a chemical ubiquitous in plastics and food packaging -- may be harmful to humans at very low doses, which, wouldn't you know, virtually every human gets.

In their study, vom Saal and Hughes suggest an explanation for conflicting results of studies: 100 percent of the 11 funded by chemical companies found no risk, while 90 percent of the 104 government-funded, nonindustry studies reported harmful effects.

Shocking.

(Via Kevin Drum)

Get rid of your clutter and feel virtuous, all at the same time

'Tis the season to jettison the clutter that's clogging your closets, basements, and garages and gumming up your feng shui.

First stop: Freecycle, with city-specific listservs on which folks can post things they want to give away and plead for things they seek. I'm a huge fan. I've unloaded speakers, stereo components, a cooler, a box spring, foam pads, light bulbs, and a beige shower-curtain rod to grateful Seattleites, and I've scored a good-quality queen-sized bed, an old-school TV, and a boom box. Freecycle makes people feel happy and munificent. (Read more joyful Freecycling stories!)

And now I've heard tell of a site and system called Throwplace. It looks to be a more complicated version of Freecycle, but with the added benefit that you can specifically direct your still-usable cast-offs to nonprofits and even get a receipt and corresponding tax deduction. If you end up trying it out, please report back on your adventures.

Bush gives name to beetle

According to an AP report, two Cornell University scientists -- who, it must be pointed out, were apparently not snickering at the time -- paid tribute to Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld by naming three new species of slime-mold beetle after them.

Slime-mold beetles.

We can't make this stuff up.

Who’ll win the coveted Flat Earth Award?

We chuckled when Bill McKibben mentioned the new Flat Earth Award on this site in January, and now we're positively whooping with anticipatory glee. The winner of the prize -- which was devised by a handful of Middlebury students to spotlight a public figure in deeeeeeep denial of global warming -- will be announced next week. The three nominees are: oh-no-he-didn't author Michael Crichton; oh-yes-he-did gasbag Rush Limbaugh; and oh-give-me-a-break naysayer Fred Singer. So go on, cast your vote now, and give one of these fatheads -- uh, flatheads -- his due!

P.S. Got any thoughts about who else should have been nominated? We're all ears.

A Prius With Mayo, Hold the Mayo

Fledgling California bill calls for new sales outlets for hybrids Ever wished you could get a five-pound jar of mayonnaise and a Toyota Prius at the same convenient location? Uh, let us explain. California drivers are crazy for hybrids; dealerships in the state have months-long waiting lists, presumably because demand is greater than supply. But […]

Quibbles and Bits

New strategies aim to limit drilling impact in Western U.S. As pressure mounts from greens and the hook-and-bullet crowd to slow the pace of energy development in the American West, some companies are moving to support conservation research and employ strategies to lessen their impact. One such method, called “directional drilling,” involves the use of […]

Getting Cross

Guatemalan Catholic church protests mining project Catholic Church officials in Guatemala have become unlikely activists in a fight against a major open-pit gold mine being carved out in the mountains near San Miguel Ixtahuacan. Speaking from the pulpit, on a church-owned radio station, and during street demonstrations, church leaders have been educating parishioners, most of […]

You Won’t Find a Lower-Priced Greenwash — We Guarantee!

Wal-Mart pledges to buy and preserve land to compensate for footprint Retail leviathan Wal-Mart, stung by a spate of bad press accusing it of sprawling consumption of open spaces, excessive storm-water runoff at construction sites, discrimination against women, employment of illegal immigrants, ruthless price-cutting strategies that drive jobs abroad, and shabby treatment of employees … […]

As Albania gears up to join the E.U., toxic troubles get in the way

It’s easy enough to find the dump in Tirana, the fast-growing capital of Albania: just follow the trail of noxious smoke. Overdeveloped and under-regulated, Albania faces a sea of troubles. Photo: albaniafoto.com For 11 years, this city of 700,000 has been dumping its waste in a suburban field five miles southwest of the center, forming […]