Climate Culture

All Stories

  • Laurie and Larry David call it quits

    Is it because she gave away his hybrid? Dunno, but if you want to read a bunch of substance-free psychobabble about the possible reasons why Laurie and Larry David are divorcing, you’re in luck.

    Katharine Wroth Culture

  • Skip it

    heatYou can skip George Monbiot's book Heat: How to Stop the Planet from Burning.

    Slightly longer book review:

    Because there are far too many climate books to read, I confess I apply a litmus test. I look up "hydrogen" in the index. If the writer thinks it's a climate solution, the book can be skipped.

    I thought I would like this book, since I like many of the columns by the British author, including an early excerpt on the connection of the global warming deniers to big tobacco. But on page 162, he writes, "hydrogen fuel cells are beginning to look like a feasible technology for motor transport, if not on the time scale the producers predict."

    No. Not even close. They are looking less feasible these days. They are a post-2050 climate solution at best. And Monbiot is a man in a hurry -- he believes the only hope for mankind is "for rich nations to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 90 per cent by 2030."

    Heck, it would require three major breakthroughs -- in fuel cells, storage, and renewable hydrogen -- just for hydrogen cars to be 1% of the cars on the road by 2030 -- and they would still be a lousy way to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

    Joseph Romm Culture

  • Unfortunate

    NASA administrator Michael Griffin offered a lame apology for his denier remarks on climate change. The Associated Press reports that Griffin "regrets airing his personal views about global warming during a recent radio interview." That is, he apologized for speaking his mind. Sad.

    In a related story, the media revealed a recent report on how NASA and the Bush administration are gutting earth observation work crucial to tracking climate change:

    Joseph Romm Culture

  • That’s It, We’re Not Washing Our Undies Anymore

    Groups ask U.S. EPA to ban chemical in detergent that feminizes fish Your detergent gets your clothes clean, sure — but does it feminize your trout? Five green groups and a labor union are petitioning the U.S. EPA to ban a family of chemicals used in cleaning products that have been linked to gender changes […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • We had to destroy the village to make it a global village

    The job of the PR industry: comforting the comfortable, afflicting the afflicted. Now on to protecting the feelings of the poor maligned air travel industry:

    As part of the makeover, there's a short in-flight video, titled "Flying's a Wonderful Thing," that has been produced to ease consumer guilt over plane travel, and brochures have been printed. "Air transport made the global village a reality," one pamphlet says.

    JMG Culture

  • Susan Griffin-Black, purveyor of organic bath and body care products, answers Grist’s questions

    Susan Griffin-Black. What work do you do? I am the co-CEO and co-founder of EO. I am also affiliated with Youth for Environmental Sanity, Pachamama Alliance, Marin Organic, the Organic Trade Association’s Personal Care Task Force, and Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. How does it relate to the environment? EO is a certified organic, family-owned and […]

    Grist staff Culture

  • Visit exotic travel spots before we obliterate them!

    How’s this for backwards messaging? A Forbes article posted late last week on MSNBC urges tourists to “See these travel spots – before it’s too late!“, referring to the world’s most endangered tourist destinations. These are exotic spots threatened by over-tourism, deforestation, and global warming, and as the article says, if they’re on your destination […]

    Kate Sheppard Culture

  • Trying to let go of the weekend

    It’s been sunny, clear, and hot in Seattle. My shoulders are sunburnt! My weekend was capped by two great experiences yesterday. First, I got to test drive BioD’s new rig. Wow. You really can’t imagine all the new horizons an electric bike opens up until you’re on one — especially an electric bike with enough […]

    David Roberts Culture

  • Ultimate Seattle hybrid plug-in

    Well, I spent last weekend building the ultimate electric hybrid bicycle for Seattle riding. My first bike was more or less a prototype that taught me all I needed to know to put this one together.

    Biodiversivist Culture

  • 15 Green Actors

    Photo: Steve Granitz / WireImage Leonardo DiCaprio Once “king of the world,” this star often flies commercially and drives himself around in a hybrid Toyota Prius. In 1998, he started the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation to promote environmental causes. More recently, he’s been working on 11th Hour, an environmental documentary featuring interviews with global green leaders. […]

    Grist staff Culture