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4 Things Sarah Palin Believes About the Environment
Tweet Share on Facebook August 29, 2008 Comment (69)As America begins the process of getting to know surprise McCain VP pick Sarah Palin, here are a few of her positions on the environment.
1. Palin believes that we should drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which McCain has previously opposed. He's wavered on the issue before, though, so his nomination of Palin may be the tipping point. She also supports offshore drilling.
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The Recycling Bin: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Edition
Tweet Share on Facebook August 28, 2008 Comment (1)- Even though a solar plane broke a world record this week with 82 continuous hours of unmanned flight, engineers are not sure the plane could ever be commercially viable.
- Railroad advocates are very pleased with Obama's choice of Biden.
- Streetcars are coming back to many cities.
- Japan will soon be installing the Eco Ride, a commuter train that uses technology similar to roller coasters.
- All new cars will be hybrids by 2020.
- The new Honda hybrid will cost less than the Prius.
- Cars completed a hydrogen-powered cross-country journey—except they had a little help from traditional diesel-powered vehicles.
- Tropical Storm Gustav may crash our less-than-$4-a-gallon fuel party.
- The trash raft, crossing the Pacific to raise awareness of ocean debris, has made it to Honolulu today after three months at sea.
- A couple is biking around the world to raise awareness of green issues.
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An Open Letter to Carbon ONset-Pledging Glenn Beck Fans
Tweet Share on Facebook August 27, 2008 Comment (18)Dear Glenn Beck Fans,
OK, so global warming is not your thing. Whatever. But participating in Beck's Carbon ONset program, where you agree to consume more energy, water, and gas in order to negate what the Democrats have offset this week, is cutting off your nose to spite your face. Forget the Democratic National Convention for a minute. Think instead of your bank account and the recession, as you dutifully take longer showers, run empty dishwashers and dryers, and drive around to waste nearly-$4-a-gallon gas. Think of the extra amount you'll be paying in utilities and gas just so you can stick out your tongue at the Democrats. When Beck tells you to waste water and energy "for the children," think about how half of all clean water produced in the world goes to waste. Besides, it's not as if the Democrats need your help for some rain on their green parade—some of their eco-friendly plans have gone awry even without Beck's urging. So really, you're still planning to run an empty dishwasher, buy extra gas, and increase your air conditioning bill, all for a CNN talking head and the Democrats? Well, I hope you're willing to pay the price.
Sincerely,
Me -
Green Democratic Convention Not Going as Well as Planned
Tweet Share on Facebook August 26, 2008 CommentThe DNC has trumpeted for months its desire for the greenest convention ever, but now that it's in the midst of the convention, not all of its green schemes are working out. First, the bikes—Freewheelin has brought 1,000 bikes to Denver that will also go to Minneapolis next week for conventioneers to ride to events and parties totally free. Denver does not have enough bike racks for 1,000 bikes, though, and bikes aren't even allowed near the Pepsi Center or Invesco Field, as they're considered a security threat. Better take the Prius instead!
The Denver Sheraton, serving convention guests, doled out Visa-sponsored room swipe cards made of "sustainably harvested wood," rather than traditional plastic swipe keys. They were abandoned quickly, though—turns out the wooden key cards don't work. Now, the Sheraton is handing out plastic keys, and letting guests keep their wooden keys as a keepsake. Even the best-laid plans...
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Recession Shopping Can Make Us Unintentionally Greener
Tweet Share on Facebook August 26, 2008 Comment (2)The recession could be making us greener, a Unilever study reveals. In tough times, consumers prioritize their spending, and the first five items that they stop buying are air fresheners, cookies, beer and wine, frozen dinners, and soda. Recessionproof items that we'll never stop buying include pet food, toilet paper, deodorant, pain reliever, hair care products, fresh meat, and canned vegetables. According to Treehugger, this is great news for the environment—no more chemical-filled air fresheners, or artificial ingredient-laden cookies, soda, and microwave dinners. Presumably, we'll opt for cheaper, more healthful fare, or at least more home-cooked meals.
How closely does the list match your own, and do you think you're greener as a result? I'll go first: Lately, I haven't bought cookies or sweets, and have switched to meatless lunches and dinners a few days a week, which is more healthful, greener, and saves cash. The recession will never take away my shampoo or makeup, though, neither of which are particularly organic.
Your turn: What will the recession never pry from your cold, green fingers, eco-friendly or not?
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How Colleges Are Going Green
Tweet Share on Facebook August 25, 2008 Comment (5)The almighty U.S. News College Rankings, as I previously mentioned, don't include a green listing this year. However, universities are getting greener by the minute, with environmental studies courses and abundant green initiatives. Here are a few highlights:
- In the Environmental Protection Agency's "Green Power Challenge," universities compete against others in their athletic bracket to see who can purchase the cleanest energy. As of last month, Colby College is in the overall lead, offsetting 115 percent of its energy. NYU, UC Santa Cruz, Connecticut College, Western Washington, Evergreen, Central Oklahoma, Southern New Hampshire, and St. Mary's of Maryland are all offsetting their power by 100 percent.
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Why There's No 'America's Best Green Colleges'—Yet
Tweet Share on Facebook August 22, 2008 Comment (1)A few others in the rankings biz have rated colleges by how "green" they are this year. We didn't, and some might be wondering why. I talked to Bob Morse, our director of data research, who told me why green rankings weren't in the cards for us this year but will be in the near future.
"I think green rankings are important," said Morse. "Some colleges may be taking [environmental issues] more seriously than society, and some colleges are taking it more seriously than others. There's a population of students that care about going to a school that is more environmentally friendly, and that's only going to increase."
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San Francisco Man Equates Cyclists to Islamic Fanatics
Tweet Share on Facebook August 21, 2008 Comment (3)Some people really hate bikers. They're rare, but I encounter them on my commute every few days and always regret not taking down the company names and numbers of the cab drivers who lean out the window to hurl insults at me simply for pulling up beside them. That's nothing compared with the San Francisco man who has singlehandedly derailed plans to put in more bike lanes by suing the city. Rob Anderson, sick of bikers' holier-than-thou attitudes, claims (1) that bike lanes will increase congestion by causing more traffic for car drivers and (2) that we shouldn't try to alter America's carcentric ways. Meanwhile, bikers are protesting for their safety. In a summer in which the amount of riders have increased exponentially, bikers across the country are getting injured or killed in horrible collisions with drivers who aren't used to their presence on the road.
Nothing beats this quote, though, from Anderson's blog: "Regardless of the obvious dangers, some people will ride bikes in San Francisco for the same reason Islamic fanatics will engage in suicide bombings—because they are politically motivated to do so."
Um, bicyclists are the new terrorists? We want our space on the road, of course, but not at the expense of life-threatening road rage (A heads up: The photo may be a little upsetting).
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City Mouse, Country Mouse: Who Spends More?
Tweet Share on Facebook August 20, 2008 Comment (1)For decades, people have chosen life in the 'burbs because of the lower cost of housing, the extra space, and the family-friendly atmosphere. Gas prices, however, could change everything about suburban life—and a great tool that analyzes the true cost of suburban living can show us how.
According to the rule of thumb, when budgeting, most families should earmark a third of their income for housing but try not to spend more than that—leading them to seek housing farther and farther away from city centers, encouraging sprawl. However, the farther you are from a city center, the more likely you are to have no other options than becoming a two-car household, at the mercy of gas prices in your town.
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Japan to Label Carbon Footprints of Products
Tweet Share on Facebook August 19, 2008 Comment (2)Japan announced today that the country will soon be labeling goods with information about their carbon footprint, similar to the way nutrition labels are displayed. Reports the Agence France-Presse, the labeling will begin in April 2009 and is designed to raise awareness of global warming and the transport and delivery of food. A similar system exists at the British supermarket chain Tesco. From the article:
The ministry's research shows one example of carbon footprint using potato crisps.
A bag of crisps emits 75 grams (2.63 ounces) of carbon dioxide. Forty-four percent of the CO2 comes from growing potatoes and another 30 percent from production of the processed food.
Another 15 percent comes from the packaging, nine percent from delivery and two percent from disposal of the bag.
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