Climate Culture

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  • A few random observations before getting back to work

    Well, here I am, back from a nine-day vacation in the South, sunburned, mosquito-bitten, jet lagged, and generally dazed. Rather than wading through the 300 or so emails demanding my attention, how about a few vacation observations? I split my time between big-city Atlanta and the sort of not-quite-rural, not-quite-city, not-quite-suburb nether regions that, it […]

    David Roberts Culture

  • While planet burns, Boeing scores a PR victory

    At the gym, in between hearing an EMT talk about the heat stroke issues he expects tomorrow, I marveled at how awful news programs were today, devoting huge chunks of time to talking up Boeing's new "Dreamliner" jet, which the blow-drieds say will consume 20 percent less fuel per mile. I even heard one blow say "eventually reducing the cost of air travel."

    Man, talk about delusional.

    (Oh, and I know I'm not supposed to connect things like our craze for jet travel and high temperatures, as if to suggest a connection between another spate of record breaking temperatures in what's shaping up to be a record breaking year ... bad me. I'll report to reprogramming.)

    JMG Culture

  • Amazing how much honesty a non-candidate can bring!

    From Brad Blog comes this transcript of Robert F. Kennedy's excellent comments at LiveEarth:

    JMG Culture

  • Where were younger people at Live Earth house parties?

    Pretty much everyone in attendance at two Austin Live Earth house parties was a boomer. Is grassroots activism still unhip among young people?

    If you are under 30 raise your hand. Photo: iStockphoto

    I was a bit nervous about attending a Live Earth event. At 52, I thought I'd be at least twice the age of most of the people I'd encounter. I needn't have worried.

    I attended two Live Earth house parties in Austin, Texas, and saw nobody under 30 except the kids of one of the hosts. I looked for online pictures of other parties elsewhere and saw about the same thing: mostly folks in their 50s with some 40-somethings and 60-somethings in the mix.

    Michael Tobis Culture

  • Well, not that dirty

    I love, love that the Waste World Cup exists. This ESPN chap said it, not me: Bicycles are the new SUV. That’s all. (So my cousin came to visit a few weekends ago, and we were discussing those inevitable awkward situations when you’re at a social gathering, and you’re chatting with someone, and even if […]

    Sarah K. Burkhalter Culture

  • Again and again

    Did you miss out on seeing Live Earth as it happened? Or maybe you saw it all, but just can’t get enough? You’re in luck! You can relive your favorite performances, your favorite fashion faux pas, and all the Gore-y goodness (hologram or otherwise!) on MSN’s Live Earth site. I also recommend checking out the […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • A Grist correspondent sweats her way through Live Earth

    Emily Gertz reports on environmental issues from her home base in Brooklyn, N.Y. She has written for Grist, BushGreenwatch, The Bear Deluxe, and other independent publications. She contributes to Worldchanging.com, and recently launched OneAtlantic.net: Environmental News & Views for the Atlantic Coast. Saturday, 7 Jul 2007 EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. With Live Earth over, Al Gore, […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • A young biodiversivist

    Well, I've returned from my camping trip. This was an annual gathering of about half a dozen families. I met an interesting guy named Remy. We had much in common, including our wry sense of humor and an enthusiasm for investigating biodiversity. Upon arrival at the campsite he immediately and correctly identified a snake I had caught.

    My reputation had proceeded me. Remy was looking forward to the two of us hunting snakes together. He managed to catch two. One was a 3-foot long specimen he spotted crossing the road. He grabbed it by the tail just like his hero the late Steve Irwin used to do and wrangled it into a net. I don't know who was more excited, him or me as I watched him catch it. He missed catching a racer on a night foray because it was just too fast (that's why they call them racers) but on another night he caught a shiny (it had just shed its skin) gopher snake that he pulled from a hole in the ground.

    Not bad for a 6-year-old boy who probably weighs every bit of 50 pounds. The one and only thing he wanted from Santa last year was a snake stick, which he had brought along on this trip.

    Biodiversivist Culture

  • The Day the Music Lied?

    Live Earth reaches an estimated 2 billion, critics harp on hypocrisy By all accounts, Live Earth (perhaps you’ve heard of it?) was a smashing success. Organizers say the shows reached about 2 billion people in 130 countries. More than 150 musical acts crooned, and supporters held more than 10,000 registered “fringe events” in addition to […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • Umbra on replacing toilets

    Dear Umbra, I’m selling my house in Los Angeles and my toilet is not low-flow. One of the inspectors is trying to tell me I need to replace my toilet with a new low-flow. Well, I know the old ziplock baggie filled with water trick. But I saw that you made mention of some kits […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture