Latest Articles

Elevator Pitch Contest winner

More than 2000 votes have been placed, and the people have made their choice clear. Without further ado, the winning Elevator Pitch:

Do you love breathing air and drinking water? Mountains, oceans, cities, streams? Want kids to grow up healthy, happy, and peaceful? That's environmentalism. It's about everyone and everything you love.

Congratulations to winning (and mysterious) Gristmillian saltman! As soon as we get in touch, a VFOGT (Very First Official Grist T-shirt) shall be winging its way to his/her door.

Thanks for playing, everyone. And thanks for voting.

(Some slightly grumpy and deflationary comments beneath the fold. Don't even click. Seriously.)

Gristmill to hybrid drivers, calling all hybrid drivers

A few days ago I blogged about Wired's review of hybrid cars. I was hoping to hear from others to learn how Wired's reviews stacked up against the experience of actual hybrid car owners/drivers. Sadly, no comments.

However ...

Winning water

Any list of top environmental NGOs in India has the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) near the top.  They have coupled research-based innovations with action on the ground. Their forward looking work on rainwater harvesting builds on the fundamental insight that water management, and not water scarcity per se, is the critical difference in many situations. Through in no small measure CSE's efforts, the Indian water strategy now takes rainwater harvesting seriously.

CSE just had its 25 year record of research, practice, and lobbying recognized internationally with this week's announcement they will receive the 2005 Stockholm Water Prize. The prestigous award, and its $150,000 prize, will be awarded to CSE director Sunita Narain this August at World Water Week, held every summer in Stockholm.

Umbra on talking about environmentalism without being preachy

Dear Umbra, Since you’re the closest thing to Miss Manners that the environmental community has, I’d like to ask for your etiquette advice. I was recently on vacation with some friends and friends of friends and was disturbed by the lack of environmental awareness. For example: the 30-mile round-trips to get a takeout latte. Really. […]

What to make of Ford?

You got this, but then again, you got this. What's an enviro who thinks of the world in terms of black and white, good and evil, supposed to do?

Clark Williams-Derry

Cars that get five hundred miles per gallon?  According to this piece by LA Times editorialist Max Boot, it's possible using today's technology, including plug-in hybrids and "flexible fuel" vehicles that run on both petroleum and biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel.

Now, I'm inclined to agree with the editorial's main points:  North America's petroleum dependence is a profound strategic and economic vulnerability; and we can make our transportation system much, much more fuel efficient using existing technologies--and without waiting decades for new technologies, such as hydrogen fuel cells, to catch on.

But what about this statement:  "How to do better? Biking to work or taking the train isn't the answer. Even if Americans drive less, global oil demand will surge because of breakneck growth in India and China."

What on earth is he talking about?

Blown away

With a drop in recycling rates, Chicago is wondering: how come no one cares anymore? The city's "blue bag" program, introduced in 1995, sells bags for recyclables that are collected alongside regular trash. Last year, 90,000 tons filtered through, compared to 126,000 in 2000.

The Chicago Tribune reports that Mayor Richard Daley says it's not working because Chicagoans are apathetic. (Way to inspire 'em, Dick!) Critics, meanwhile, say the method is inconvenient, the bags break, and people think their goods -- and goodwill -- are just bound for the trash compactor. Oh yeah, and much of the waste has been recycled right into a field in Indiana.

One Chicago TV station offers an interesting comparison between recycling in the Windy City and the Big Apple. How's it going in your neck of the woods?  

 

Behind Enemy Livestock

Ranchers, greens unite to fight oil and gas wells in West Ranchers and environmentalists have traditionally gone together like chocolate and, uh, people who really hate chocolate. But of late, they have been overlooking past tussles to fight a common enemy: increasingly ubiquitous oil and gas drilling in the Western U.S. The ranchers say the […]

Hearth Warming

Biofuel catching on in the home-heating arena Using biofuel — a mix of vegetable oil and diesel — to power vehicles is already popular in certain highly vocal circles, but using biofuel to heat homes is just starting to catch on. A recent surge has taken place largely in the U.S. Northeast, where there remains […]

I Coulda Had a V-12

Automakers make SUV engines bigger, less efficient Under heated criticism for making SUVs that are unsafe and grossly fuel-inefficient, American automakers are responding the way any responsible industry would: making their SUVs even less safe and less fuel-efficient. General Motors, DaimlerChrysler, and Ford are all cranking up horsepower in their SUV engines, in some cases […]