Climate Culture

Selfishness

I was somewhat dismayed to hear that environmentalism can only save itself by explicitly becoming "selfish" and "cool." (Or is there a difference?)

I was even more dismayed to find that Grist is, apparently, the house organ for this line of thinking:

From Roberts to Redford

The Brockovich is back America’s sweetheart (back off, Witherspoon!) Julia Roberts has agreed to serve as a spokes-star for clean-energy developers Earth Biofuels, joining fellow Oscar winner Morgan Freeman and country singer Willie Nelson. We’re glad she’s green and all, but still, let’s hope she burned that unsettling sprite get-up from Vanity Fair. Photo: Kevin […]

Green-burial movement gets more ambitious

Resting in peace at Ramsey Creek. Photo: Memorial Ecosystems. “I’d prefer to be put in the ground, under a tree,” says Joe Sehee, contemplating his inevitable demise. “But I don’t want to go in the ground with anything, I just want to be buried in a simple pine box or shroud, and that’s it.” If […]

Umbra on fridge-freezer efficiency

Dear Umbra, Are there any environmental advantages to the refrigerators with the freezer on the bottom and the fridge on the top? Annette Indianapolis, Ind. Dearest Annette, There are three fridge/freezer configurations: side by side, bottom freezer, and top freezer. In models with comparable storage volume, the least efficient is the side by side. Top […]

Media Shower: Game on!

I don't know if anyone else pays attention to the Google ads in Gristmill, but I just clicked on an ad for the game Xeko Mission: Madagascar and, wow, it sounds really cool! I'm all for creative ways of educating the public and this seems like a great way for families to learn about ecosystems.

And speaking of gaming, I direct you to this New York Times article by Clive Thompson titled "Saving the World, One Video Game at a Time". Here's a taste:

Tierra Del Forte, eco-jeans designer, answers questions

Tierra Del Forte. What work do you do? I’m a designer and the founder of Del Forte Denim. How does it relate to the environment? We design and manufacture a line of premium organic denim for women. We also strive to educate consumers about the dangers of conventional cotton agriculture and the restorative effect of […]

Umbra on countertops

With the home remodeling boom, we keep wondering: what is the best countertop choice? We’ve gone through a couple homes since getting married, and are now considering building our own. Laminate, Formica, butcher block, concrete, granite, plastic, composite, tile … they all have their own durability merits and drawbacks, but from creation to home health, […]

From Hot to Hott

AC dicey Americans know what to do when it’s hotter than firecrotch out there: crank the AC and use more juice than ever before! We salute thee, supreme energy-suckers. Conservation be damned. Photo: iStockphoto. Drink. Lick. Stir. Repeat. Beat the heat with a chill “Lollipoptail” — so named when Cynthia Nixon dipped an organic Pomegranate […]

Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard chats about the band’s environmental ethos

Pearl Jam. Photo: Danny Clinch.  Stone Gossard, hard-rock guitarist and founding member of Pearl Jam, has a soft spot for the environment. Maybe it’s the water-meets-mountains scenery surrounding his Pacific Northwest home. Or that name of his. But the guy knows green. He’s even got his own pimped-out 1982 Mercedes Benz, which runs on used […]

Sundance Channel Green

This just in:

Sundance founder, Robert Redford announced today that Sundance Channel will launch SUNDANCE CHANNEL GREEN, a weekly primetime destination block focusing on environmental topics, in early 2007. Consisting of three hours of hosted programming, SUNDANCE CHANNEL GREEN will present original series and documentary premieres about the earth's ecology and concepts of "green" living that balance human needs with responsible environmental stewardship. With SUNDANCE CHANNEL GREEN, Sundance Channel becomes the first television network in the United States to establish a significant, regularly-scheduled programming destination dedicated entirely to the environment.

Cool! More below the fold: