Articles by Lisa Hymas

Beleaguered automaker finally starts touting fuel economy

GM -- stung by declining sales of SUVs and subsequently shamed by having its credit ratings lowered to junk status -- is trying a new marketing approach: touting its more fuel-efficient models (such as they are).

A new full-page newspaper ad cries "Meet the 30 and Up Crowd" and showcases "19 cars that have EPA highway estimates of at least 30 miles per gallon."

Too bad it doesn't have a single consumer hybrid model that it can tout on the page. (Its two hybrid trucks top out at 22 mpg.) Sucks to be GM.

Mag looking for eco-gals to take it all off

Well, for one issue. Kinda.

From a Playboy press release dated today:

Playboy magazine is searching for the sexiest environmentalists in America, women willing to take it all off for their favorite cause. The magazine is planning a pictorial for an upcoming issue featuring women involved in environmental causes or with groups dedicated to saving the planet or protecting wildlife. In addition to a modeling fee for each of the participants, Playboy will make a donation to the favorite causes of the women chosen to appear in the pictorial.

But will they be as hot as Leona Johansson?

Much as I'd love to help Grist get more exposure (ahem), I won't be entering myself. But the rest of you "enthusiastic and uninhibited environmentalists," as Playboy puts it, have at it. Call 312.373.2717 for details.

(And you thought gastroporn was racy.)

Vegetarianism gets hotttt.

The hottest thang in veggie circles these days? Gastroporn.

It comes (ahem) courtesy of Britain's venerable Vegetarian Society, as part of its "Can you keep it up for a week?" campaign. A must-watch.

(Check out The Independent for the backstory.)

Board election means club won’t take a stance on immigration limits

The neutralizers carried the day in the Sierra Club's contentious board election, which wrapped up today.

Sierra Club members turned out in historic numbers this year ... to reject a ballot initiative that would have forced the group to support restrictions on immigration. Over fifteen percent of the Club's membership returned 122,308 ballots -- the second highest in the Club's recent history -- and defeated the anti-immigration measure by more than a 5 to 1 margin.

In addition to calling for club policy to remain neutral on immigration, members also elected five establishment-backed board members, while board candidates who advocated immigration restrictions, backed by Sierrans for U.S. Population Stabilization, were soundly squashed.

So immigration's off the table, until next year's election ...