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Patricia Feeney, Youth Power Shift

Patricia Feeney is a senior biology major at Berea College in Berea, Ky., where she also studies sustainability and environmental studies. She is co-coordinator of Youth Power Shift, a campaign of the Student Environmental Action Coalition. Tuesday, 6 Jan 2004 BEREA, Ky. “What do you plan to do after you graduate from college?” the man […]

On climate change, other nations get cracking while the U.S. is slacking

The recent Milan conference on the Kyoto Protocol started out with a bang — a commotion of rumors about Russia’s ratification of the treaty — and went out with a whimper, offering no clear signal that the landmark accord on climate change would ever become international law. But one important development became clear amidst the […]

Readers sound off on solar houses, ethanol, LNG facilities, and more

  Re: Little Solar Houses for You and Me Dear Editor: As a Winchester, Tenn., resident and strong supporter of renewable energy and sustainable living, I just want to say thanks to Amanda and to Grist for the great article on the renewable-energy scene in Tennessee and the Southeast. It’s perfect that I stumbled onto […]

In Cod’s Country

E.U. Fisheries Ministries Reach Agreement on Catch Quotas They had to pull an all-nighter to make it happen, but the 15 nations of the European Union have finally reached an agreement on catch quotas for all commercial species of fish in the region. In crafting the agreement, fisheries ministers from the member nations sought to […]

Spills and Chills

Exxon Valdez Spill Continued to Cause Harm Years Later, Scientists Say The Exxon Valdez oil spill has lived on in the minds of Alaskans, environmentalists, and people around the globe who were horrified and outraged by the widespread ecological destruction from the 1989 disaster. Now, it turns out that the spill has also lived on […]

Not in My Backwards

Japanese Town Vies for World’s First Fusion Reactor With all the Not In My Backyard squabbling that takes place over nuclear energy facilities, it’s tough to believe that some communities actually invite nuclear power into the neighborhood. But that’s exactly the hope of Rokkasho-mura, a tiny fishing village in Japan that wants to house the […]

Umbra on water heaters

Dear Umbra, I have a question that’s been nagging at me for some time. Since I have a water heater inside my house, any waste heat from the water heater contributes to heating the house. Does it still make sense in terms of energy savings to put an insulating blanket on the water heater? KurtLittleton, […]

Umbra on turning down the thermostat

Dear Umbra, My housemates and I are engaged in an ongoing argument about the heat (gas) in our somewhat old house. I argue that for the minimum eight hours that we are out of the house during the day, we should turn our heat down to at least 62 degrees. They argue that we should […]

Umbra on home heating

Dear Umbra, Can you shed some light (or some warmth) on the most environmentally sound ways to heat one’s home this winter? Natural gas over coal and oil for its lower carbon (and particulate) content? What about fireplaces: good or bad? Would burning gas logs be a good alternative to burning real wood? Thanks for […]

Willy Wonks

Judge Orders Feds to Reconsider Protections for Puget Sound Orcas The Bush administration’s environmental policies are taking a beating from the judicial branch this week. Not only did a federal court yesterday reject a plan to allow snowmobiles in Yellowstone and Glacier national parks; today, a different federal judge struck down the administration’s decision not […]