Grist List
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Irish scientists help Guinness go green
Photo: Simon HuckoJust in time for St. Patrick’s Day, scientists at the University of Limerick have developed a biodegradable alternative to that plastic widget that keeps Guinness foamy. It turns out that coating the inside of the can with biodegradable, natural cellulose would do an even better job of putting nitrogen into the beer (which […]
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Con: Nuclear power is expensive, risky, and some of its proponents are kind of annoying
Today, many outlets report that it’s very likely that the #2 reactor at Daiichi is in full meltdown. There is a strong possibility that rising radiation levels from other sources (such as a pool of spent nuclear fuel rods that is heating up) will force the 50 remaining workers at the plant to evacuate. That […]
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Pro: Japan’s terrible disaster is no reason to stop building nuclear power
Japan is now facing a worst-case scenario for its Daiichi nuclear power plant. But that’s no reason to stop building new nuclear power plants, say a bevy of pundits. Their reasons are myriad. Some, like one Wall Street Journal editor, make the economic argument that all human endeavors are fraught with risk, so this one […]
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Hemp chair is not just eco-friendly, it’s eco-kind
You know those hiddy plastic stackable chairs that you see on basically every porch, stoop, and backyard? (I have some. They came with the house.) Well, what if they were biodegradable, made with sustainable materials, and kind of awesome looking? And also made out of pot? TOTAL DREAM CHAIR, right? Okay, so Werner Aisslinger’s stackable […]
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John Kerry takes infrastructure to the bank
John Kerry is willing to bank on infrastructure building. He and Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas) are introducing a bipartisan bill to create a bank for funding infrastructure projects — which includes roads (good way to get Republicans and John Cassidy on board) but also rail. The bank would issue loans to help finance […]
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So much for all that new nuclear energy we were going to build
Photo: Joost J. Bakker The possibly-impending meltdown of three very shaky nuclear reactor cores at the Daiichi plant in Fukushima, Japan, isn’t doing much for the public image of nuclear power, a source of energy about which fans of planet Earth are divided. Kate Sheppard, Mother Jones‘ enviro reporter on the Hill, speculates on Twitter […]
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What exactly is happening with the Japanese nuclear reactors?
The nuke plant in Fukushima, Japan.Photo: Beacon RadioThe Daiichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima, Japan, currently has three boiling water reactors in danger of “meltdown.” Here are the basics on what’s happening and what that means. How does a boiling water reactor work? The nuclear core transfers energy to water by heating it. This cools […]
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Stephen Colbert is having none of your wimpy girl light bulbs
Right-wingers are now pro-choice, but only for light bulbs. Here’s everyone’s favorite talking head, Stephen Colbert, on their move to save what they’re now calling “traditional” bulbs (ah, yes, our storied national tradition of inefficient lighting! It’s the core of what it means to be an American). The Colbert ReportTags: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor […]
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Oil-fattened Congress well on way to preventing EPA from regulating greenhouse gases
Congress is now moving to make it illegal for the government to regulate greenhouse gases, under any circumstances. Apparently killing off possibly the last chance the U.S. had to act on climate change in time to avoid its worst impacts wasn’t enough to sate their appetite for destruction? On Friday, the House Committee on Energy […]
