>> Coal: Still dirty. And now we've got a new website -- Clean Coal Body Slam -- that has "pulled together some of the best and most outspoken leaders on the environmental, public health and economic effects of America's addiction to coal." There I found the best clean coal ad ever, below.
>> Umbra of Grist has a few tips on wearing skirts with bikes, but none seem particularly easy to implement. Anyone have better suggestions?
>> If your skirt-wearing habit keeps you off a bike, check out these other ways to green your commute. I use the "Stay home" method.
>> Continue to fill up your tank and you may have to deal with a new form of theft: thieves drilling into fuel tanks to get vehicles' gas.
>> In case you were having a good day, here's a debbie downer: Thanks to climate change, we're at increased risk of crop failures, outbreaks of invasive species and insects, and depleting the nation's water resources -- and those problems "will persist for at least the next 25 to 50 years," according to the Department of Agriculture.
 >> Exxon's really, really good at squeezing money out of its gas stations. "Major integrated U.S. oil companies, which produce crude oil, own refineries and sell gasoline, have been reaping billions of dollars in profit over the last two years, but they are still working to extract every penny they can from the marketing end of the business."
>> ExxonMobil really, really doesn't want to take action on climate change. According to Co-op America, ExxonMobil "sent its investment relations people to major investors nationwide to convince them to vote against resolutions urging Exxon to take action on climate change." ExxonMobil's annual shareholders' meeting happens May 28.
>> You're probably familiar with the EnergyStar logo, but what about the WaterSense label? This partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency makes it easier to identify water-efficient products. "The EPA has claimed that if every home in the US switched to WaterSense labeled fixtures, we would save 60 billion gallons of water a year," says Joel Bittle in Low Impact Living.
>> Eco-kitchen remodeling must be the in thing right now. In addition to the recent Wall Street Journal how-to guide of sorts, here's Chow's guide to building the ultimate green kitchen.
>> Today's the last day of World Vegetarian Week! Eat a PB&J sandwich in celebration -- or get some veggie burgers for the BBQs tomorrow.
Photo by Jeremy Stanley via Flickr
 I was going to write about Wired's over-the-top "everything you know about environmentalism is wrong" cover message -- then found a bunch of bloggers had done so already. That didn't, however, stop me from my impulse to still add my two cents! So here are the three main quibbles I have about Wired's wannabe contrarian feature:
Overblown headlines. For example, the "Keep your SUV" article doesn't actually encourage you to keep your SUV. It simply points out that if you own a relatively fuel-efficient car already, keeping that old car may be more eco than buying a new hybrid. "Crank the A/C" is another big headline -- as if turning your house into an icebox will save the environment -- when all the article really shows is that heating takes more energy than cooling.
 Out-of-date mantras. "Live in cities," Wired announces as some brand new idea -- never mind that new urbanism advocates have been pushing for walkable, close-knit neighborhoods that don't require lots of driving for decades now. Even Villaraigosa's been on board with this for years now. It's a little odd for Wired to say "The war on greenhouse gases is too important to be left to the environmentalists" -- before going on to advise we do exactly what environmentalists have been recommending for a long, long while.
 Oversimplification of complex issues. "Screw organic," says Wired, arguing that organic farming requires more land per unit of food -- without taking into effect the many environmental disasters (i.e. pesticide runoff) created by conventional factory farms that also increase their carbon footprints. Wired takes a myopic one-solution-cures-all approach and disses organic to champion local. In contrast, environmentalists in general caution against a silver bullet theory, and instead encourage a general move toward a less meat-centric diet favoring locally and sustainably grown organic foods.
For more Wired dissing, check out the rebuttal piece by Worldchanging's Alex Steffen also published in this Wired issue. In addition, Hank Green of EcoGeek provides a point-by-point analysis of each Wired topic, and David Roberts of Grist has a more sarcastic tirade of sorts about the tiredness of Wired ("This techno-futurist, hipster-libertarian, self-consciously contrarian shtick was fresh and interesting ... back in 1996, when Wired was founded").
 >> California's average gas price tops $4 a gallon; the national average is above $3.83 a gallon.
>> Relatedly, hybrid sales are zooming and Ford's given up hopes of becoming profitable by 2009.
>> Metro riders can rock out for free at the Viper Room on Mondays. A $5 Metro Day Pass, or weekly and monthly Metro passes will grant you free admission to the weekly 103.1 Check One... Two.
>> Metro adopts a $3.4 billion budget for the coming fiscal year. Good news: No fare increases! "Up 7.3% from current budget, the increase is largely due to increased transportation subsidies for municipal bus operators, paratransit service, Metrolink, the County of Los Angeles and cities, preparation to start new Metro Gold Line service to East Los Angeles later in 2009, and rehabilitation of older Metro Rail cars."
>> Alaska plans to sue against polar bears' new status as a threatened species. "Alaska elected officials fear a listing will cripple oil and gas development in prime polar bear habitat off the state's northern and northwestern coasts." (via grist) Earlier: Politics and polar bears.
>> Why more companies are siding with environmentalists to push for government regulation. Writes Gregory Dicum in the Economist: "Alliances between companies and activists are not as strange as they might seem. For bosses planning long-term capital investments, says Michael Lenox, an expert on corporate sustainability at Duke University, 'uncertainty is more damaging than regulation.' This puts bosses in the same boat as activists: both want regulators to hurry up and set the rules."
>> The problem with nuclear power: Debates about costs and benefits aside, nuclear power requires bullying people into accepting radioactive wastes. The latest: Washington State got sued by the Bush admin for refusing radioactive waste, and the courts ruled against the state. Meanwhile, Italy plans to build nuclear power plants again, after a 20-year break.
Photo by Gregg Moscoe
 >> The 3-day environmental business conference Green West is in its second day now. Andrea Chang of the L.A. Times reports on the first day.
>> U.S. carbon dioxide emissions went up 1.6% in 2007, according to government agency Energy Information Administration, which was quick to point out that the rise in emissions was slower than our economic growth. "U.S. officials argue that despite the high level of emissions of the country, it is not as high as some countries when measured against GDP." (via Grist)
>> The coal industry's death spiral comes in the form of a huge "clean coal" ad campaign. "Coal's message has been carried by an ever-morphing conglomeration of nonprofit organizations that all work out of the same Alexandria, Va., office and use the same staff. All three groups have been funded by the biggest names in coal and related industries." This despite the fact that "even the most enthusiastic coal boosters admit that widespread use of carbon capture and storage technology is at least a decade away."
>> Want to reduce CO2 emissions in the future? Read about the difference between cap-and-auction (Clinton and Obama) and cap-and-giveaway (McCain's proposal), concisely explained by Kevin Drum in the Washington Monthly's Political Animal (via Grist).
>> Greener, healthier shaving creams reviewed. "Jason 6-in-1 takes top honors. In cash-per-ounce terms, Jason's product also ranks as the best buy."
 Bike to Work Week's officially over, but the bicycle love just keeps coming -- into my mailbox and e-mail inbox. The latest fun bike love comes in the form of a cute 120-page booklet, "Seven Wonders for a Cool Planet," written by Eric Sorensen and others at the nonprofit think tank Sightline Institute and published by the Sierra Club.
The first wonder, as you may've guessed, is the bicycle. Why? It's the most energy-efficient vehicle ever made, and it's available widely NOW. In fact, all seven "wonders" covered in this book -- from the condom to the clothesline -- are ALL uber-efficient objects that are both affordable and readily available.
While all seven of these items are eco-friendly, efficient inventions in and of themselves, each also serves as a synecdoche for larger environmental issues. Yes, every bike ride that replaces a car trip reduces CO2 emissions -- but considering the bicycle also forces us to confront larger issues about our transportation habits, our city layout and planning, our car culture, and the like.
Those of you reading this blog'll be happy to know that the microchip also makes the list, as a synecdoche for the information economy. After all, the computer's made telecommuting -- and the attendant reduction in auto travel -- possible. Even though computer use still uses up a lot of energy, the computer's given us a way of sharing information cheaply and efficiently.
Of course, I did have quibbles with the book here and there, mainly because "Seven Wonders" often tends to oversimplify issues and statistics for dramatic impact. For example, "Seven Wonders" asserts that a book bought at a bookstore incurs 16 times the energy costs of a book bought at Amazon -- despite the fact that enviro experts have shown e-commerce only saves energy -- and not even that much -- if you live in rural areas.
In addition, "Seven Wonders" claims roughly 80% of humans can afford to buy a bicycle -- which I have a hard time believing, considering the fact that over half of the world's population lives on less than $2 per day according to the United Nations Development Programme.
Still, I liked the book's can-do attitude and the micro-macro perspective to the major enviro-issues confronting us today. Read some excerpts here, or buy the book -- printed on chlorine-free, 50% post-consumer recycled paper -- for $9.95.
Your eco-questions, answered.
Question: Would you know if LA pursued the Earth Hour?
I know I turned of my lights, but being green seems not popular in LA.... I went to Mulholland Drive and saw no dimming at 8 pm. L.A. was as bright as usual. Very few city buildings have CFLs and solar panels in general.
So why is the LAT, a pretty liberal paper, not talking about earth hour at least (besides your blog)? Must we accuse once again the bad influence of our shameful Mayor? Ed
Answer: Cheer up, Ed. It's true that L.A. perhaps burned a little too brightly during Earth Hour on Saturday, but it may simply be that we've got a little burnout on the lights out thing.
After all, just five months ago we had Lights Out LA, which urged everyone to turn out their lights from 8 - 9 pm on Oct. 20. The city of L.A., led by Supervisor Yvonne Burke and City Councilwoman Wendy Greuel, got behind that lights-out movement. You'll be glad to know that the L.A. Times -- the print paper, not only this blog -- DID cover this city effort back then.
Considering the fact that Earth Hour basically just repeated what Lights Out L.A. did, I'm not surprised that this deja vu didn't get as much attention in the city this time around.
That said, many people -- including both you and I, celebrated Earth Hour and turned the lights out. Great thing about grassroots actions: Government involvement's nice, but not a pre-requisite. In fact, I'm sure if both you and I worked a little more to get the word out, we could've gotten more people to turn their lights out. I'll admit I made no effort as a Santa Monica resident to get my city to sign on to Earth Hour. If I and my neighbors and friends had pushed for it, it could've happened!
Lastly: These lights out events are gonna keep happening, so even if you as an individual or your city as a whole missed the last few, you can take part in the next ones. Rufus Wainwright, for example, is calling for a blackoutsabbath from noon to midnight on June 21. "The time could be spent contemplating alone or with friends on the coming year and what personally one can do to save the planet," he says, in his call to turn off not just the lights, but all electronics for 12 hours!
If all electronics for 12 hours seems like too much, Earth Hour 2009's already taking signups. So there's a challenge you can look forward to -- and perhaps write
your councilmember about, if you're keen on city involvement.
Remember -- If you want your city to do something, you as a resident need to ask them to do that thing. I'll definitely try to get the City of Santa Monica to sign on to Earth Hour next year. Will you do the same for the City of L.A.?
 Nuclear energy's poison, says the guy who used to head up the U.S.'s biggest nuclear program, Tennessee Valley Authority. The now 82-year-old S. David Freeman has built up 50 years of experience in the field of energy -- and he's using his background and expertise to push for a green energy revolution.
In his latest book "Winning Our Energy Independence: An Energy Insider Shows How," Freeman argues that we need to get rid of "three poisons": coal, oil, and nuclear energy. That's no easy task, as those three poisons give us 71% of our energy right now. Yet Freeman says it's both practical and feasible to get all our energy from renewable resources -- with today's technology.
The problem, Freeman points out, is that big energy companies have been very successful at convincing the American public that green energy is not yet ready, and won't be for years and years yet. That's delayed efforts to gain energy independence -- and now, we need to finally seize the moment and push for big changes, he says.
Thus, Freeman calls for a fixed, 30-year timetable to achieve energy independence for all of the U.S. This plan would mandate federal efficiency programs, phase out coal and nuclear power plants, and reduce our dependence on oil by developing green vehicles.
But while Freeman makes a convincing, specific argument as to why these three poisons need to be eliminated, his assertion that alternative energy technologies available today can provide all the power we need isn't quite as convincing -- mainly because he spends so much time talking about technologies that haven't yet been developed. Certainly, one of Freeman's points is that we need to fund research and development of these new technologies NOW so we can benefit from them later. Yet his penchant for praising practically every potential energy source that's not one of the three poisons has a rather haphazard "throw money at everything else and see what sticks" attitude about it.
For example, he writes about ethanol as a clean energy option -- then quickly admits that corn ethanol "on a net basis, could supply only 2 percent of our gasoline supply" and goes on to tout cellulosic ethanol -- a fuel that's definitely not viable now and may actually never be viable, according to recent studies. (Corn ethanol, by the way, has many, many other social and environmental problems, many excellently outlined in this Rolling Stone feature.)
Freeman also writes glowingly about hydrogen fuel cell cars -- despite the fact that even GM and Toyota execs have "expressed doubts about the viability of hydrogen fuel cells for mass-market production in the near term," according to the Wall Street Journal. (via grist)
That said, Freeman does also show how existing technologies in solar, wind, and other existing renewable energy sources could be used to liberate us from the stranglehold of the three poisons. These already-proven technologies just need to be applied on a large scale to provide dramatic solutions to our energy problems.
And perhaps even more importantly, "Winning Our Energy Independence" is a highly inspiring and optimistic read that encourages environmentalists to think big and act fast. Near the beginning of the book, Freeman recounts about how Environmental Defense's David Yarnold asked "Why would you want to lobby for something that can't get done?" when asked in 2005 why his organization didn't offer solutions more dramatic than what Congress was considering. "Winning Our Energy Independence" challenges this attitude, asserting that we should ask for and demand more, that we shouldn't let our imaginations and actions be limited by what the status quo says is possible.
Earlier: 'Winning Our Energy Independence' — one bus ride at a time
 Dumping e-waste isn't good for you or the environment -- which is why we should take old computers and TVs to an e-waste collection center. But what happened to reusing things and fixing things when they break? Is it possible to REDUCE the amount of e-waste we create?
While some old appliances just need to be replaced -- old refrigerators, for example, suck up way more energy than newer, energy-efficient ones -- other goods often get tossed simply because they break and we can't find any way to fix them. After all, companies make more money right now selling us new stuff instead of helping us fix existing things.
This is pissing off many environmentalists. Beth of Fake Plastic Fish, for example, discovered her HP monitor couldn't be fixed -- and after complaining to HP, took her rant about "the issue of planned obsolescence of electronics" to the Electronics Take Back Coalition, a group that's trying to get companies to take responsibility for recycling their e-products.
And now, the Electronics Take Back Coalition's collecting "Dead Gadget Stories"! Basically, they're looking for stories "showing clearly how products simply can’t be fixed or upgraded, because of clear choices made by the product designers."
Tried to fix a DVD player, only to be told it was unfixable? Then write up your story and send it to stories@deadgadgets.com with this info:
- Make and model
- Year bought and whether it's under warranty.
- Why it’s dead. (Doesn’t turn on, can’t upgrade it to run certain software, etc.)
- Steps taken to try to fix it, or cost to fix it -- in all their eco-obsessive details.
- Picture of the dead gadget (make sure the manufacturer name / logo's visible) for a soon-to-come dead gadget gallery.
The info'll be compiled to further Electronics Take Back Coalition's e-waste responsibility campaigns. If you send something in, feel free to share it in the comments too!
Extrapolating a bit -- I think there's a growing market for people who can fix electronics. In Wired magazine, Clive Thompson points out how fixing and reusing things can be a political act: "We've lost our Everyman ability to build, maintain, and repair the devices we rely on every day. And that's making it harder to solve the country's nastiest problems, like oil dependence, climate change, and global competitiveness."
While Thompson is referring specifically to personal fix-it skills, the problem goes beyond individuals to encompass our entire communities' inability to fix things. After all, not everyone has to be able to fix a computer monitor -- but it'd be great if every town had someone who could, and who could make a viable living at it. And it'd be even better if our TVs were MADE to be fixed, and if fixing cost less than buying new ...
For now, I try to upgrade electronics only when absolutely necessary. I've decided to keep my old LG flip phone this year, instead of upgrading to a new, sleeker one for free (provided I extend my contract). iPhones look cool, but I really spend enough time mucking around on the Web already, sans an ultra-portable do-everything celly.
I do, BTW, have a great recommendation for a local guy who'll come by to fix your printer, if you have a broken one.
Photo by David J via Flickr
Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
>> California's adding more biofuel stations -- specifically those for E85, an alternative fuel made of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. At the moment, only 3 public E85 stations exist in the state.
>> Virgin Airlines flew the first plane that ran on biofuels. The plane was only partly-powered by biofuels -- and environmentalists weren't all that impressed.
>> Biofuels aren't unanimously enviro-friendly. Tom Philpott of Grist points out that biofuels are losing steam in Europe, even though they're gaining popularity in the U.S. His biofuel skepticism is aimed mostly at virgin biofuels made from corn, soy and palm -- not the second-hand stuff like biodiesel made from used veggie oil collected from restaurants.
>> The cleanest green laundry detergent of them all. Grist put seven eco-friendly laundry detergents through a ketchup, balsamic vinaigrette, blueberries, and red wine test. Seventh Generation Free & Clear came out on top. Earlier: Green cleaning week.
>> An online Encyclopedia of Life will attempt to catalog every species on the planet. The first 30,000 pages will go online Thursday, thanks to the work of an international team of scientists, and the other 1.77 million pages will hopefully go up within a decade. (via NY Times)
>> The Svalbard Global Seed Vault will store 4.5 million seeds in case something horrible happens to the world's food crops. The opening ceremony was held in Norway today. (via grist)
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