Articles by David Roberts

Billionaires

In other exciting news: "The number of billionaires surged this year, as did their collective pile of cash, according to Forbes magazine's annual billionaire list."

The gentleman from Colorado

I was going to blog about this, but I honestly can't add anything to the ThinkProgress post. So I'll just steal it:

Colorado State Rep. Jim Welker (R) blasted an email to his colleagues containing "an essay written by someone else that accused 'welfare-pampered blacks' of waiting for the government to save them from Hurricane Katrina." A excerpt from that essay, written by the Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson:

President Bush is not to blame for the rampant immorality of blacks. Had New Orleans' black community taken action, most would have been out of harm's way. But most were too lazy, immoral and trifling to do anything productive for themselves.

Welker forwarded the essay "without comment." Here is his defense:

"Some of my best friends are of different skin color, like Ed Jones," said Welker, referring to Sen. Jones, a Colorado Springs Republican who is black.

According to Jones, "he and Welker are friends, but not best friends."

Wow. Just ... wow.

Greens are fond of thinking that when another Katrina happens -- maybe another hurricane, maybe a flood, maybe a heatwave -- people will finally "wake up" and start cutting back on consumption, lobbying lawmakers to address global warming, etc. This bespeaks a rather naive view of human nature, if you ask me. Seems to me just as likely that you see stuff like the above: An outbreak of tribalism.

I'm not sure what could swing things one way or the other, but one thing that will certainly help is to have a model of a good green life, ready at hand, so people willing to resist tribalism have something easy to fall back on.

From Clubbin’ to Clubbing

Hellooo Kitty Looking for a bar where you can “strip down and drink in your undies” and save the earth? Say konnichiwa to Japan’s green sex clubs. Featuring recycled goods ranging from kink-wear and candles to an S&M rabbit, the clean-energy cathouses also serve organic food and beer. Domo arigato, indeed. Photo: iStockphoto. Speaking of […]

The first ever Official Gristmill Music Recommendation

I downloaded an album several weeks ago and it's been growing on me ever since: Below the Branches, by Kelley Stoltz (Sub Pop).

Randomly, a few days ago, I received a press release (one of dozens I get each day), and what should it say, but:

The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), together with the Green-e program of the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) announced today that recording artist Kelley Stoltz's newest album, titled Below the Branches, is the first album to incorporate the Green-e label on its product packaging. The logo explains to consumers that the album was recorded using 100-percent renewable energy.

Well I'll be damned!

I wouldn't do this if it were merely a good album, or if it were merely created with renewable energy, but the combination adds up to the very first Official Gristmill Music Recommendation: Below the Branches, by Kelley Stoltz. Buy it. And tell 'em Gristmill sent you.