Climate Climate & Energy

Native Shun

Representatives of more than 50 U.S. tribes gather for climate conference This week, representatives of more than 50 Native American tribes met in Arizona for a first-ever tribal climate-change conference. The crisis is hitting home on U.S. reservations, as species migrate and weather patterns change. “We basically have two seasons now,” said Robert Gomez of […]

Eco-tech stuff

In one of my other lives, I'm a bit of a tech/computer/gadget geek, though by the high standards of online dorkdom, a mere amateur. Those interests don't overlap with my gristmillian preoccupations all that often -- but today, twice:

First, an amusing post on ForeignPolicy.com reveals that the avatars used in MMORPGs use as much energy -- in hardware and server cycles -- as the typical Brazilian. (If the preceding sentence means nothing to you, well, perhaps it's time to go outside and shout at the kids to get off your lawn.)

Second, ecogeek draws our attention to a truly drool-worthy new piece of hardware: the LG Ebook, which just won a Red Dot Award for design. Its display uses organic light-emitting diodes (OLED), which use much less energy than today's LCD monitors. And it's powered by methyl alcohol rather than lithium-ion batteries; the alcohol is stored in a blue-tinted cylinder that also serves as the hinge. Have a look:

Flex-fuel vehicles greenwash Detroit’s SUV addiction.

David mentioned something about it when it came out a couple of months ago, but as Grist wraps up its first week of biofuel coverage, it's worth pointing to again: after much testing and comparing, Consumer Reports finds the whole live-green-go-yellow, E85 thing pretty much a sham.

As Grist readers will know, the government gives automakers a credit against their mileage requirements for every flex-fuel vehicle (able to run on ethanol, gas, or a mix).

CR's conclusion: Detroit is using it a lever to help it churn out more gas-guzzling SUVs, and the policy is working to increase fossil fuel consumption, not stem it.

The most depressing finding, for me: the greenwash appears to be sticking with the general public:

A handy biofuels glossary, and videos to boot

With all the talk of biofuels swirling around, things can get a bit confusing. So we’ve put together this handy glossary for your reference. Now you can pontificate at cocktail parties with the best of ’em. And just to keep you awake (yeah, we remember second grade too), we’ve included some explanatory videos thanks to […]

Using grease and other goodies, small biodiesel producers are making a big difference

If you live in a city of any size, you’ve likely seen them out there: boxy little ’80s-era foreign cars, bumpers adorned with pro-ecology and anti-war slogans, and references to “grease.” Even the fumes they emit may smell different: literally like French fries, in some cases; like generic used vegetable oil in others. Foh sizzle […]

Do federal courts have jurisdiction in Massachusetts v. EPA?

As the court-watchers (or even dabblers) amongst you are aware, the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court seemed preoccupied with the issue of standing during the recent oral argument in Massachusetts v. EPA. This debate has echoed in the blogosphere.

• Jonathan Adler argues, both on Volokh Conspiracy (it's a bit buried) and in an amicus brief (PDF), that global warming causes nonjusticiable, generalized injuries.
• Grist's own David Roberts questions whether a court order can provide Massachusetts with any relief.
• The Sierra Club's Executive Director, Carl Pope, believes that an adverse standing decision would have an enormous negative impact on environmental litigation.

In this post, I'm going to try to break down the arguments a little.

The Good Phyto

Global warming affects ocean’s tiny plants, which could affect global warming Proving that big things do come in small packages, researchers say global warming could hobble the teeniest marine organisms, phytoplankton — which could, in turn, lead to more warming. Whuh-huh? Well, these wee plants not only make a tasty sea snack, they provide a […]

Got biofuel resources or questions? Let us know

The thing we discovered while researching our biofuels series is this: there's no end of freakin' information on this ever-evolving topic.

We've put together a glossary and a resources page for you, our dear readers, but we know they are by definition incomplete.

In fact, we heard yesterday from reader Kate McMahon, a research assistant with Friends of the Earth, who let us know about a beta version of an online biofuels database she's building. She'd love your help reviewing it -- check it out.

We know there's a teeming underworld of biofuels info out there. That's why we want your questions and suggestions. Got info? Puzzling over a perplexing term? Starting a biodiesel co-op in your garage? Let us know here.

The what, where, and why of E85 ethanol

If you’re like the rest of us, you’ve probably heard of E85 — yet don’t have the slightest idea what it is. Or if you do have an idea, it’s, well, slight. But never fear, friends and neighbors: We’ve got the skinny on the corn-a-rific fuel that’s increasingly on the tips of tongues and in […]

A look at the impacts of biofuels production, in the U.S. and the world

Nothing but blue skies from now on? Photo: house.gov Great news! We can finally scratch “driving less” off our list of ways to curb global warming and reduce our dependence on foreign oil! Biofuels will soon not only replace much of our petroleum, but improve soil fertility and save the American farmer as well! Sound […]