News | Grist

Polluting and young minds

Sen. Kerry to youth on climate bill: We’re gonna need your help 2
Posted 1 week, 2 days ago On a conference call Tuesday night with young climate activists, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) hinted that sort-of climate news will come out of President Obama's upcoming trip to China and that getting a bill through Congress will mean compromising with Republicans who want more nuclear energy.
Who’s who on the EPW: Senate committee begins landmark climate hearings 0
Posted 1 week, 3 days ago This week, hearings begin in the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. The committee members can be sorted by their degree of support for clean energy, progressive reform, and strong climate action.
The whole world is watching

U.N. chief will pressure senators on climate bill 1
Posted 1 week, 4 days ago Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, said Monday that he plans to contact senators to urge them to pass a bill before December.
Simple lifestyle tweaks key in climate change fight 47
Posted 1 week, 4 days ago The United States could cut greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of France's total annual emissions by getting Americans to make simple lifestyle changes, like regularly maintaining their cars or insulating their attics.
a climactic day

Thousands gather worldwide on day of climate protests 4
Posted 1 week, 6 days ago Kicking off with thousands gathering on the steps of Sydney's iconic Opera House, global warming protests took place around the world Saturday to mark 50 days before the UN climate summit. Here's a round-up of the events.
Mountains look best with their tops on

Coal River Mountain, a symbol of hope, is slated for destruction 37
Posted 1 week, 6 days ago Mountaintop removal mining is starting on an iconic peak in West Virginia, which has tons of potential for wind energy. A wind farm versus a mountaintop removal coal mine -- there could be no better symbol for the crossroads of America’s energy future. Whichever way it goes, the fate of Coal River Mountain is America’s energy future.
Oil spill a ‘massive’ risk to Australian marine species 3
Posted 2 weeks ago A massive oil and gas leak off Australia's northwest coast was killing seabirds and threatening thousands of marine animals, conservationists warned Friday.
African leaders adopt landmark refugee convention 0
Posted 2 weeks ago African leaders on Friday adopted a convention -- billed as the first of its kind worldwide -- on the protection of the 17 million people on the continent who have fled their homes.
Pretty words

Obama energy speech contained few policy specifics, but shaped forward-looking narrative 1
Posted 2 weeks ago Obama delivered a speech on energy at MIT on Friday, marking the kick-off for what is likely to be a protracted effort by the administration and Democrats in the Senate to pass the Kerry-Boxer clean energy bill.
Don't pewk, but...

Poll finds sharp rise in global warming skepticism 31
Posted 2 weeks, 1 day ago A new Pew poll finds a significant drop in the number of Americans who believe global warming is happening, is human-caused, and is a serious problem. Some possible explanations.
Indian Prime Minister says green technology should be shared 0
Posted 2 weeks, 1 day ago Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh argued Thursday that innovations in "green" technology should be shared with developing countries in much the same fashion as HIV/AIDS drugs.
Cap-but-don't-trade

Groups use 350’s big day to fight cap-and-trade 12
Posted 2 weeks, 1 day ago The open-door policy for the International Day of Climate Action this Saturday means not every group will be on-message.
India and China sign pre-Copenhagen climate change pact 0
Posted 2 weeks, 2 days ago India and China put aside a diplomatic spat to sign a five-year agreement Wednesday to cooperate on climate change leading up to crucial talks in Copenhagen.
Could climate change spark the first worldwide grassroots movement? 2
Posted 2 weeks, 2 days ago Even as politicians dial down expectations for the December 7-18 U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen, analysts and activists detect a groundswell of anger, channeled through the Internet and voiced especially by the young, demanding action on global warming.
let's bounce

Yes Men chase Specter in Survivaball suits 1
Posted 2 weeks, 3 days ago More fun Tuesday from the Yes Men, the climate-minded pranksters who are still riding high after punking the Chamber of Commerce with a fake press announcement.
Climate law update

A victory for Katrina victims; a defeat for Alaskan villagers 0
Posted 2 weeks, 3 days ago A federal appeals court has reversed the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by victims of Hurricane Katrina seeking damages related to global warming, while a federal district court in California has dismissed a similar lawsuit brought by an Alaskan village allegedly disappearing beneath rising sea levels.
The enemy of the human wallet

Report finds massive hidden energy costs, mostly from coal 5
Posted 2 weeks, 3 days ago A new report from the National Research Council on the "hidden costs of energy" is, frankly, stunning. In a sane world, it would be headline news.
Not-so-great expectations

U.N. official expects no climate treaty at Copenhagen 2
Posted 2 weeks, 3 days ago U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen in December are unlikely to produce a new global treaty on cutting emissions but should establish the political framework, Yvo de Boer said Tuesday.
Chamber plays the fool in Yes Men hoax 3
Posted 2 weeks, 4 days ago Another brilliant stunt from the Yes Men: the New York pranksters faked both a press release and a press conference on Monday, pretending to be from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and reversing its position on the Senate climate bill.
Maldives leader turns stuntman to fight climate change 0
Posted 2 weeks, 4 days ago Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, who staged the world's first underwater cabinet meeting at the weekend, is emerging as the global stuntman in the battle against climate change.