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  • Cellulosic ethanol’s bumpy ride

    The so-called Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 lays out ambitious targets for production of cellulosic ethanol: a gradual increase to 16 billion gallons per year by 2022. Rounding off to the nearest 10 million, producers are churning out approximately zero gallons of the stuff today. That had better change quickly. By 2010, the […]

  • Hertz to offer car sharing service like Zipcar

    Hertz is going to experiment with hourly rentals a la Zipcar. Here’s hoping they make a go of it, and the other national chains follow. Every person who realizes you can live well — and inexpensively — without owning a car is a plus for the environment.

  • CNNMoney reports that electrification is key to Chrysler’s bailout pitch

    CNNMoney has the surprising story of “Chrysler’s plan to beat the Chevy Volt“: Chrysler is pinning a huge part of its future on a plan to produce a full line of electric vehicles, at a reasonable cost to both the carmaker and the consumer … Chrysler’s strategy hinges on keeping it cheap. The carmaker will […]

  • New energy chief’s enthusiasm for cellulosic ethanol makes me uncomfortable

    "World demand for transportation fuels is growing fast, and biofuels have a major role to play in meeting that demand. That’s why BP is investing in a range of biofuels-related activities around the world, all aimed at bringing biofuels into the mainstream by making them more widely available to motorists." — From a BP press […]

  • Ring in the new with a ‘natural’ bottle of bubbly

    Fewer chemicals in our sparkling wines? We’ll drink to that. Nothing says festive quite like the pop of a chilled bottle of bubbly. But while sparkling wine delivers a party in a glass, things are typically less thrilling out in the field. Like most wine, bubbly tends to come from grapes grown in large monocrops […]

  • The Fair Food Foundation crumbles under weight of the Madoff Ponzi scheme

    For a couple of years, there has been lots of buzz in the sustainable-food world about the Fair Food Foundation of Ann Arbor, Mich. Fair Food was founded recently by Oran Hesterman, under whose leadership the Kellogg Foundation became the key funder in the sustainable-food space. Kellogg has been pulling back from that space; Fair […]

  • Theo Chocolate is the country’s first organic and fair-trade chocolate-maker

    Photo: Sarah van Schagen Stroll into Theo Chocolate in Seattle’s artsy Fremont neighborhood, and you’re bound to feel all warm and cozy. From the freshly made confections beckoning from behind the counter to the welcoming brick fireplace and mugs of hot cocoa (a new addition this winter), the storefront offers a respite from the winter […]

  • NYT op-ed says mostly men will benefit from green jobs

    Green jobs are great — if you’re a dude, says a recent New York Times op-ed by Linda Hirshman: It turns out that green jobs are almost entirely male … especially in the alternative energy area. A broad study by the United States Conference of Mayors found that half the projected new jobs in any […]

  • NYT op-ed says mostly men will benefit from green jobs

    Green jobs are great — if you’re a dude, says a recent New York Times op-ed by Linda Hirshman: It turns out that green jobs are almost entirely male … especially in the alternative energy area. A broad study by the United States Conference of Mayors found that half the projected new jobs in any […]

  • U.S. auto bailout bill dies in Congress

    The survival of Chrysler and General Motors remains in doubt after Congress adjourned late Thursday night without passing a Senate bailout bill for U.S. automakers. The U.S. House passed a version of the bailout bill Wednesday that included a key green provision requiring automakers to abide by California’s strict fuel-efficiency requirements. However, the Senate’s rescue […]