Thomas Friedman

Thomas Friedman talks COP15, Mother Nature, and Father Greed

Thomas FriedmanHours before the outcome of the Copenhagen conference was revealed, I sat down with New York Times Columnist Thomas Friedman to discuss the implications of the historic summit. No matter what happens in Copenhagen, said Friedman, what matters most is what happens at home: Where the U.S. goes, so goes the world. But we […]

Our favorite green mustaches

For years, scientists have pondered the mysterious but persistent connection between ecological wisdom and the follicular phenomenon that is the mustache. Is it the ‘stache that produces the wisdom? Or does the wisdom push its bearer toward the ‘stache? Early research focused on Amory Lovins, the efficiency guru who pioneered the green ‘stache in the […]

Tom Friedman chats with Grist about the green challenge and globalization

At a Grist gathering in Washington, D.C., earlier this month, we were pleased to host New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman for a chat on the state of green. Our intrepid video expert was on hand to tape the event. Friedman released Hot, Flat, and Crowded way back in October 2008 — before the worst […]

Grist celebrates in D.C. with Thomas Friedman

David Roberts and Thomas Friedman talk green.Wednesday night, Grist hosted a party — nay, a soirée — at The Warehouse in Washington, D.C. Among those in attendance were EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley, Green Jobs Czar (don’t call him that to his face!) Van Jones, and a number of other fabulous folk […]

An apology and an explanation for Friedman

There’s an old saying my granddad was fond of. “Dave,” he’d say, rocking his chair, puffing his pipe, squinting into the distance, “don’t be such an a**hole.” Wise words. On reflection, my post about Tom Friedman’s column ended up unnecessarily heated and confrontational, even insulting. I stand by my take on the column, but Friedman […]

Somebody hide Tom Friedman’s ball

“Where is my ball?” Editor’s note: See David’s follow-up post to this piece. … Tom Friedman has done stellar work on green issues lately. He’s certainly given them a higher profile than any dirty blogger could. So I guess he’s owed some latitude. But his recent column is a disaster: wrong on the merits, politically […]

Friedman uses perch at Gray Lady to push for carbon tax

Tom Friedman says cap-and-trade is in truth a form of taxation. But taxes don’t suck. Why don’t Dems and the adminstration just tell it like it is and push for something more straightforward: a carbon tax. Such a tax, he goes on to say, should be pitched as a way of renewing the American economy […]

NYT’s Tom Friedman updates the global warming threat and spells out the solution

The NYT columnist Tom Friedman has another terrific global warming piece this past weekend, “Mother Nature’s Dow.” He is the only major national columnist or reporter consistently warning the public of what science now tells us is likely result of continuing on our current greenhouse gas emissions path — unmitigated unconscionable catastrophe. And he is […]

Thomas Friedman's rock-star status

"If rock stars get room keys, I get business cards. I hear the craziest stuff. But it is a sign of a country that is actually exploding with innovation from the ground up."

-- The Mustache on collecting cards from clean-energy entrepreneurs