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Articles by Yolanda Crous

Yolanda Crous is a Grist contributing writer based in Santa Barbara, Calif.

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  • The latest attempt to make learning about the environment fun is … not fun

    Starbucks and Global Green USA have teamed up to put together a new online game called Planet Green. The objective: Travel around a small town called Evergreen (Get it? Ever ... green ... ha!) looking for ways to save on CO2 emissions.

    The game reminds me of something that might be produced to teach small children about the dangers of sexual predators or crossing the street in heavy traffic. Well-intentioned, yes. A whole lotta fun? Heck to the no.

    Yolanda Crous Culture

  • Berkeley students vote on a new sustainability fund

    Tomorrow through Friday, UC Berkeley students will vote "yay" or "nay" on TGIF (aka the Green Initiative Fund), a $5 increase in their per-semester fees that will be used to finance "initiatives on renewable energy, energy efficiency, resource conservation, and 'green' student internships."

    Last year, UC Santa Barbara (my school, fools) passed TGIF. Now Berkeley folks are playing catch up with this incredibly slick online campaign. Most compelling statistic: UC Berkeley uses as much electricity as Cambodia.

    Video below the fold.

    Yolanda Crous Culture

  • Our prez nearly made a slip of the plug

    The funniest news lede I've read in a long time:

    Credit Ford Motor Co. CEO Alan Mulally with saving the leader of the free world from self-immolation.

    Apparently, our befuddled prez was about to stick an electrical plug into the hydrogen tank of a Ford hydrogen-electric plug-in hybrid. This act, if completed, would have generated Hindenburg-esque bad publicity and probably made Cheney our next president. (Eep!)

    To make the save, Mulally apparently "violated all the protocols," grabbing the president's arm and steering him away from the plug.

    Maybe that's exactly what Bush needs: someone who's not afraid to step in to steer him away from stuff that's eventually going to blow up in his -- and our -- face.

    Wonder if Mulally would accept a pay cut ...

    Yolanda Crous Politics

  • How many washed-up reality stars does it take to screw the environment?

    According to Ecorazzi, Kelly Osbourne became a mite confused last Thursday night en route to a party for Dita von Teese. Said party was being held at the same venue as Elle magazine's "Green Bash," and the Spawn O' Ozzy ended up on the wrong red carpet.

    Her reaction when she realized her mistake? "Screw the environment."

    Get in line, Kelly. Get in line.

    Yolanda Crous Culture