Climate Politics

On the art and brutal economics of small-scale farming

Since moving to the North Carolina mountains in 2004 to launch a farm project, I've learned some sobering lessons about idyllic rural life.

To wit, small-scale organic farming is an art form -- and as with most artistic endeavors, the hours are long and the pay is crap. How did I wind up penniless and exhausted, sporting a beat-up pair of Carhartts? You'd think I had set up shop as an abstract painter in some squalid, ruinously priced Williamsburg, Brooklyn, garret.

(There's much to love about the farming life, too: for example, the volunteer broccoli raab that's sprouting up everywhere in one part of the garden, a triumph of unintentional permaculture. Saute it with a little olive oil, garlic, crushed chile, and vinegar, and you remember why you came to the farm in the first place.)

The USDA's Economic Research Service recently released two reports on the state of farm economics. The information contained therein can help greens as they formulate an agenda for the 2007 Farm Bill (which may be even more important than defending biofuel and hybrids from critics.)

Governor, May I Take One Baby Step?

Schwarzenegger calls for slow and steady climate action In line with his recent climate-action plan to reduce the state’s greenhouse-gas emissions 25 percent by 2020, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) called yesterday for power plants, refineries, and factories to begin … reporting their emissions. Ah, well: baby steps. In a speech, Schwarzenegger advocated a “sensible […]

Rage against the (hybrid) machine

Some California drivers are getting all steamed up that they have to share the carpool lanes with single-occupant hybrids, like the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic, under a new state program. Some of the complaints, of course, should be taken with a grain of salt. Said one fumer in an online discussion group: "These [drivers] barely go 65 mph and allow no one to pass them on the right... Talk about road rage!" Uh, dude, that's not road rage -- that's whining.

A Low Blow

Congressional committee OKs amendment to kill Cape Wind project The Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound may have blown its final … may have been blown … in a gust of … oh, never mind. We’re out of wind puns, and the proposed offshore wind farm is out of steam: If a recent, sneaky effort […]

Fuel Me Once …

Enviros sue Bush admin over lax fuel-economy rules for light trucks In a new lawsuit, the Center for Biological Diversity has charged the Bush administration with violating the 1975 Energy Policy and Conservation Act, which requires the feds to regularly update fuel-economy standards to the “maximum feasible level.” With currently available technologies, light trucks could […]

Hungry for Justice

Police arrest peaceful Indian anti-dam activist for hunger striking Demonstrations against dams in India’s Narmada Valley yesterday brought the heavy hand of police, who roughed up protestors and arrested India’s most famous environmentalist eight days into a hunger strike on charges of — get this — attempting suicide. Medha Patkar’s fast started when officials began […]

Obama Hiccups; Grist Rushes to Transcribe

Obama slams Bush admin for inaction on America’s oil addiction Sen. Barack Obama, progressive golden boy, rebuked the Bush administration yesterday for being all talk, no walk on curbing oil use. When President Bush said America is addicted to oil, “I was among the hopeful,” said the Illinois Democrat. “But then I saw the plan.” […]

Jilting at Windmills

Measure in Congress could kill Cape Wind project The Cape Wind project on Nantucket Sound may soon receive another blow — oh, we’re so funny! — if Congress passes an amendment giving Massachusetts power to veto the controversial wind farm if it would interfere with navigation. Of course, it depends on what the definition of […]

What Fresh Eliot Is This?

Spitzer claims green mantle in race for governor of New York As attorney general of New York, Eliot Spitzer (D) has garnered a reputation for many things, but subtlety is not one of them. So it’s fitting that he kicked off the first big environmental speech of his gubernatorial campaign with this: “George Bush is, […]

Space Inveighers

New NASA policy emphasizes open communication with media Stung by recent press reports of political interference with scientists — the dictum that “Big Bang” be accompanied by “theory” was amusing; the suppression of global-warming findings less so — NASA has scrambled to repair the PR damage. Yesterday, administrator Michael Griffin released a new policy making […]