Articles by David Roberts
David Roberts was a staff writer for Grist. You can follow him on Twitter, if you're into that sort of thing.
All Articles
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Mustache v. Cheney
I can't very well let a Tom Friedman column go by without comment, now can I?
Today the Mustache grasps the rear end of our Vice President, carefully aligns it, and then gives it a swift kick.
Well done.
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The Present Future
Glimpsing the predicament of our moment, of "a human world newly and suddenly vulnerable to the forces of a changed planet," writer and artist team up to question the fantasy of human control over destiny.
That's the tag line for "The Present Future: Paintings for a very hot planet," a showcase of paintings by Alexis Rockman, accompanied by an essay from Bill McKibben, in the latest issue of Orion Magazine. Check it out.
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WTO rules that Europe must accept gene-modified food
In other big news today, the WTO ruled that the European Union has to accept genetically modified food, like it or not. More specifically, it ruled that countries that have banned the import of GMOs have broken international trade laws, since such bans have insufficient "scientific basis." This is glorious news for the Bush administration, which is eager to pry open EU markets for America's copious output of GM crops.
I don't know all the ins and outs of the ruling; it's an incredibly complex issue. I believe/hope our resident food expert will be chiming in soon with some more informed commentary.
But on first blush, I tend to think Roger Pielke Jr. has it exactly right:
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Obama and Inslee propose to save the American auto industry by paying it to do the smart thing
Don't miss "Salvaging the Auto Industry," a Boston Globe op-ed from Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), two of the Dems' brightest lights on energy issues. (Inslee wrote a piece in Grist on his New Apollo Energy Act.)
Obama and Inslee propose a piece of legislation called the "Health Care for Hybrids" Act. The idea is that the feds would help American auto companies pay some of their enormous healthcare costs; in return, the companies would commit to using the money to develop fuel-efficient vehicles.
I'm a little dubious about the bill on the merits.
