Environment

Climate-gate!

Andrew Leonard — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:30:00 PST

The climate-change obsessed blogosphere -- including both those who accept the science behind anthropogenic climate change and those who deny it -- is in an absolute uproar today after the revelation that an unknown party hacked into the computer system of an important climate research center and posted hundreds of private e-mails to a Russian FTP server.

Oliver North's climate change English lesson

Andrew Leonard — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:21:00 PST

From a fundraising letter from Oliver North:

Scientists baffled by global warming's time-out

Gerald Traufetter — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:20:00 PST

At least the weather in Copenhagen is likely to be cooperating. The Danish Meteorological Institute predicts that temperatures in December, when the city will host the United Nations Climate Change Conference, will be one degree above the long-term average.

Stimulus at work: Berkeley's SolarMap

Andrew Leonard — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:15:00 PST

On Monday, the City of Berkeley announced it had received a $108,500 grant "for the purpose of spurring the adoption of solar installations" as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Al Gore: "I am optimistic"

Philip Bethge, Gregor Peter Schmitz and Gabor Steingart — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:03:00 PST

Mr. Vice President, you write in your new book, "Our Choice," that we have at our fingertips all of the tools that we need to solve the climate crisis. The only missing ingredient would be collective will. What makes it so hard for governments to implement change even though most people know what needs to be done?

Japanese alien squid invasion takes odd turn

Andrew Leonard — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:39:00 PDT

You may or may not be aware that since March giant robots have been defending the port city of Hakodate, Japan from an invasion of alien squids. At least, that's what informational videos produced by the Hakodate tourism board claim.

Strong earthquake strikes Afghanistan and Pakistan

Associated Press — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:01:00 PDT

A strong earthquake centered in the towering Hindu Kush mountains shook a wide area of eastern Afghanistan and Pakistan early Friday, swaying buildings in the Afghan and Pakistani capitals.

Save the planet -- burn more fossil fuels!

Andrew Leonard — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:45:00 PDT

Last week, my ire was stoked by an absurd advertisement arguing that carbon dioxide was "green," paid for, naturally, by a "nonprofit" called "CO2 is Green." More CO2 in the atmosphere, argued the ad, would lead to lusher plant and animal life.

Monsanto's weedkiller problem

Andrew Leonard — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:13:00 PDT

Whatever happened to peak weedkiller? On Wednesday, Monsanto announced a fourth quarter loss of $233 million, blaming the shortfall on weakening demand for one of its prize products, the herbicide RoundUp.

White House lukewarm on climate change?

Lauren Evans — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:05:00 PDT

President Obama will soon be off to Copenhagen, but will it be for the right event?

Senate finally taking up cap-and-trade bill

Vincent Rossmeier — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:20:00 PDT

During the summer of our healthcare discontent, the issue global warming was largely pushed to the backburner in Washington. The House passed cap-and-trade legislation designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions and hopefully slow the process, but that was back in June. Only now, at the end of September, is the Senate finally taking up a similar bill.

How to lie about climate change

Andrew Leonard — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:55:00 PDT

Let's talk about lies.

Sex, clean coal, and 16 tons of GE nuttiness

Andrew Leonard — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:21:00 PDT

I don't know what is more amazing, appalling, or outright flabbergasting about this "Model Miners" advertisement for clean coal from GE, spotted by Andrew Samwick at Capital Gains and Games. Using a parade of hunky guys and sultry gals -- all looking like they're just one step away from throwing down their pickaxes and engaging in a mass orgy on the spot -- to sell greenhouse gas "emissions reducing technology" is stupid and offensive but not, ultimately, too surprising. But to employ as a soundtrack for the minute-long ad the most famous song ever recorded about the miserable exploitation of coal miners -- "Sixteen Tons" -- is a descent into ironic nihilism so deep that one truly has to ask: Have you completely lost your mind, GE?

Look -- conservatives who believe in global warming!

Joe Conason — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:15:00 PDT

When eminent scientists, elected officials and diplomats of all political persuasions gather in Copenhagen in December to renew the worldwide effort against catastrophic climate change, there will be at least one discordant voice in the house. Sen. James Inhofe, the Oklahoma Republican who has called global warming "the greatest hoax ever perpetrated," has vowed to bring the conservative message of doubt, in person, to Climate Conference 2009.

Brace yourselves for life after oil

Michael Klare — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:20:00 PDT

The debate rages over whether we have already reached the point of peak world oil output or will not do so until at least the next decade. There can, however, be little doubt of one thing: We are moving from an era in which oil was the world's principal energy source to one in which petroleum alternatives -- especially renewable supplies derived from the sun, wind and waves -- will provide an ever larger share of our total supply. But buckle your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy ride under Xtreme conditions.

A cure for global warming: Economic meltdown

Andrew Leonard — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:58:00 PDT

The global recession has a silver lining! The Financial Times has managed to get a look at an excerpt from the International Energy Agency's upcoming World Energy Outlook report that claims global CO2 emissions have dropped dramatically this year.

Let a thousand eco-documentaries bloom!

Andrew O'Hehir — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 03:20:00 PDT

Clockwise from top left, images from "Fuel," "Crude," "Food Inc." and "The End of the Line"

A future so bright, I don't need to change lightbulbs

Andrew Leonard — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:19:00 PDT

I know I'm not the only person who would just as soon skip right past the compact fluorescent interregnum and move straight into the promised land of LED lighting. Yes, my CFLs last much longer than incandescents and use far less power, and I'm not nearly as put off by their unique glow as are other other critics. But LEDs use even less power and last even longer. So let's get on with it, already! I want my solid-state, semiconductor, mercury-free LEDs!

The paradox of Norman Borlaug

Andrew Leonard — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 07:28:00 PDT

An amazing observation from the New York Times obituary of Dr. Norman Borlaug, father of "the green revolution."

Does Silicon Valley have a chemistry problem?

Andrew Leonard — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:12:00 PDT

The comments on the "Don't Blame the Feds if Silicon Valley Falls Behind" are, by and large, excellent.