The Recycling Bin: A Roundup of Green News, Al Gore Edition

What are ecobloggers talking about as we ease into the weekend? Our president of global warming, Al Gore.

• After yesterday's Gore speech, conservative bloggers like the team at Americans for Prosperity are gleefully pointing out that Gore arrived at the event in a car, despite asking supporters to take bikes or public transportation.

• Wired Magazine says of Gore's 10-year plan: "Absent a huge run-up in coal prices, a fusion power breakthrough, or some unforeseen technology, it seems impossible."

• J.S. McDougall of the Huffington Post tells us how we, the little people, can achieve Gore's big goals.

• Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens responded to Gore's speech, emphasizing the differences between their environmental plans. "My plan is aimed squarely at breaking the stranglehold that foreign oil has on our country and the $700 billion annual impact it has on our economy. We import 70 percent of our oil, and that number is growing larger every year. Vice President Gore's plan does not address this enormous problem," he said.

• CNET's Neal Dikeman wonders, "Is Al Gore Nuts?" likening Gore's charge to "challenging your 2-year-old to finish college by the time she is 12." But, he concedes, "if Al Gore's silly challenge on renewable energy was simply a Trojan horse to get people talking about how to move forward on fighting climate change and addressing our long-standing energy policy issues, I'm all for that and am happy to help."

• John Tierney of the New York Times wonders why Gore hurts his cause with "junk science," such as irrelevantly pointing out an increase of tornadoes. He also wonders why Gore avoids discussing nuclear power.

And, in other green news:

• At World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney, Australia, Pope Benedict told 200,000 young Roman Catholics that the world's resources are being spoiled by "insatiable consumption."

• You may have heard that global warming can give you kidney stones.

• Here's what to do with your old iPhone when you've upgraded to the shiny new version.

• California just adopted a green building code for all new construction.

• Calling all extreme recyclers: Don't toss your dryer lint into the trash, says the Budget Ecoist.

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