Articles by Katharine Wroth

Car travel up for the holidays

Well, there's no question that high gas prices and the specter of peak oil are causing Americans to wean ourselves from the automobile.

Oh, wait -- guess not.

Global warming takes the stage

Late January will see the "One Earth Concert," featuring (so far) The Strokes, The Darkness, and Super Furry Animals. The event, held in (where else?) Cardiff, Wales, will be broadcast around the world, with the aim of convincing a million European households to switch to renewable energy. To say nothing of switching jumpers.

Will Mother Nature beat the odds?

On the afternoon of Friday, Dec. 2, a number of suspicious wagers, originating primarily from New York and New Jersey, were posted on Mother Nature to be named Time Magazine's Person of the Year for 2005. -- PR Newswire

OK, I admit it. I was the one who placed those suspicious wagers on Mother Nature to win. I also bet on Father Time to show ... but you notice that didn't make the news. Is there something so wrong with an old man exposing himself?

Anyway, I digress. This weekend, the winner of Time's legendary honor will finally be announced, so I figured it's time to come clean.

The Twelve Days of Gristmahanukwanzakah

On the first day … … the Grist staff gave to me: the notion that Kwanzaa, Christmas, and Hanukkah are eco-holidays. Kwanzaa (“first fruits” in Swahili) has its roots in African harvest festivals. Christmas involves serious tree-hugging (thank the pagans for that). And Hanukkah celebrates squeezing every last drop from a tiny bit of oil. […]