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Author |
Published |
Section |
What a green wants: An index-card manifesto (first draft)
A positive environmental program that can (almost) fit on an index card |
David Roberts |
17 Feb 2006 |
Gristmill |
| Without further ado, here's the first draft of my index-card manifesto. It turned out to be two index-card manifestos, with five points each: one for stuff I consider immediately urgent, and a second for what I consider longer-term goals. Feedback is welcome -- nay, requested. (I'll discuss the whole project more in a subsequent post.) WHAT A GREEN WANTS: IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES Energy efficiency: Proven techniques can get the same amount of work with 50% of the oil. ... |
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| Topics: agriculture, cars, electricity grid, energy, environmental movement, green living, messaging, placemaking, renewable energy, urban planning (all these topics) |
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Lights, Camera, Traction
Al Gore and electric car star in films unveiled at Sundance |
Dan Bree |
02 Feb 2006 |
Arts and Minds |
| At 25 years of age, Sundance is the country's premier festival of independent film. But a lot has changed over that quarter century. Well, actually, one thing has changed: m-o-n-e-y. There's a ton of Hollywood cash spent at Sundance, and I could see it everywhere I looked last week. The "VIP" corporate parties on Main Street. The piles of free stuff for celebrities. The Moviefon ... |
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| Topics: Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth, cars, climate, electric vehicles, green living, movies, placemaking, renewable energy, Utah (all these topics) |
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If not suburbs, then what?
Only concrete alternatives will cajole people out of the suburbs |
David Roberts |
25 Jan 2006 |
Gristmill |
| Often, the first step to helping people make better choices is showing them that there are choices. One of the biggest and most important -- albeit frequently overlooked -- steps toward combating global warming, improving public health, reducing air pollution, and restoring a sense of community and fellow-feeling to American life is changing the structure of our communities. Right now, conventional wisdom is that the choice is between suburbs -- big houses, plenty ... |
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| Topics: consumerism, green living, health, placemaking (all these topics) |
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Won't You Be My Neighbor?
On co-housing |
Umbra Fisk |
12 Dec 2005 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, How does one begin to gather a group of people to live in a modern city commune? My dream is to own in common an energy-efficient and sustainable house or apartment building inhabited by 10 or so people who are neighbors but also share the duties of the house (cooking, laundry, gardening), much like an extended family. I think this setup would be far superior to the current situation, where my spouse and I live in a la ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, placemaking (all these topics) |
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No Word on the Mansions
Governors abandon gas-guzzling SUVs as they ask others to use less fuel |
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12 Oct 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| No Word on the Mansions Governors abandon gas-guzzling SUVs as they ask others to use less fuel As post-hurricane gas prices in the U.S. hover around $3 a gallon, several governors have dumped their state-funded, gas-hogging SUVs for more energy-conscious vehicles. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) will be sidelining his Lincoln Navigator for a Ford Escape hybrid, and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) ... |
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| Topics: Bill Richardson, green living, news, placemaking, politics (all these topics) |
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Jam Nation
How to put the brakes on employee driving |
Joel Makower |
04 Oct 2005 |
Toiling Point |
| Even before last month's Gulf Coast catastrophes sent the nation's oil companies scurrying to hike gas prices, the cost of driving to work was nearing the pain point. And not just the price of filling up: as average commute times have grown over the past five years, even in green-minded cities like Portland, Ore., and Boulder, Colo., the economic, environmental, and psychic costs of commuting by car have been anythi ... |
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| Topics: business, green living, placemaking (all these topics) |
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Keeping It Real Estate
Martin Melaver, eco-friendly real-estate entrepreneur, answers readers' questions |
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30 Sep 2005 |
InterActivist |
| Martin Melaver, CEO of Melaver, Inc. Do you see any of your business policies catching on in the larger real-estate industry? -- Virginia Afentoulis, Oakland, Calif. You know, I grew up in a household where family members tended to look at a half glass of milk and call it empty. But I'm really upbeat on this issue -- maybe Pollyannishly so. We're quietly involved in pushing a n ... |
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| Topics: green living, InterActivist, interview, placemaking (all these topics) |
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The Wheel Deal
On bicycle commuting |
Umbra Fisk |
28 Sep 2005 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, My question regards my daily half-hour (each way) bicycle commute through fairly heavy city traffic. I've been wondering if the benefits (exercise, sunshine, free and fast transport) are outweighed by the negatives (primarily breathing in diesel and other exhaust, but I'd also throw in the risk of almost getting run over, despite the cheap thrills). I am fortunate enough that my alternative would be to take the subway, not ... |
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| Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, bikes, green living, health, placemaking, public transportation (all these topics) |
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Estate of Mind
Martin Melaver, eco-friendly real-estate entrepreneur, answers Grist's questions |
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26 Sep 2005 |
InterActivist |
| Martin Melaver. What work do you do? I'm CEO of Melaver, Inc., which is a third-generation, family-owned real-estate company based in Savannah, Ga. What does your organization do? We really do a bit of everything in real estate, which I guess is typical for a business with roots in a smallish town. We develop, acquire, renovate, manage, broker, and own commercial and residential properties ... |
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| Topics: green living, InterActivist, interview, placemaking (all these topics) |
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A plug-in electric hybrid that gets 12,500 MPG and has a range of 20 miles
It's an electric bike |
biodiversivist |
23 Aug 2005 |
Gristmill |
| I don't know what this guy's hang-up is with Deuce Bigalow, but high gas prices and the following comment by Odograph on the cost of plug-in electric hybrids got me thinking again. In lieu of paying $3-6K more for a plug-in hybrid electric car: What if you drive a prius and plant $3-10K worth of trees? What if you skip the prius, buy an echo and plant $13-20K worth of trees? What if you spend $1k and ride a really nice bike? I especially liked his last idea. I jum ... |
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| Topics: bikes, electric vehicles, green living, green products, placemaking (all these topics) |
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LeSabre Rattling
On car disposal |
Umbra Fisk |
27 Jul 2005 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, My wife and I are making plans to purchase our first hybrid vehicle and need to properly dispose of our current car -- a 1989 Buick LeSabre. My question is, what is the best way to get rid of it? It is old and has a lot of miles on it. I suppose the dealer may take it off our hands for a very small trade-in amount -- at which point, they will probably just send it to the scrap yard. What are the odds of it getting properly re ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, cars, green living, placemaking, recycling (all these topics) |
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Nudity. Cycling. What's not to like?
Heck, I'd cycle nude even if it wasn't for a good cause |
Todd Hymas Samkara |
13 Jun 2005 |
Gristmill |
| Speaking of naked protests: This weekend, hundreds of cyclists across the world rode in what is by far my favorite protest -- the World Naked Bike Ride. Riding against oil dependence, for cyclists' rights, or just to feel the breeze on all their parts while surrounded by a bunch of naked friends and/or strangers, protestors bared all in some 50 cities in 17 countries, including London, Chicago, Seattle, and Madrid. And what could be better? Naked cycling protests ... |
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| Topics: bikes, dirty hippies, grassroots activism, green living, placemaking (all these topics) |
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Not a Car in the World
Can a Brit survive in North America without a driver's license? |
Brendan Sainsbury |
26 May 2005 |
Soapbox |
| In the rich mosaic of North American society, I stand rather forlornly on my own as a member of an oft-forgotten minority group: I am an adult male who can't drive. I have a wheelie bad feeling about this. Photo: Andrew White. Catapulted into the overcrowded car culture of Vancouver, British Columbia, from the U.K. last January, I quickly found myself labeled as a maverick and ... |
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| Topics: green living, placemaking, United Kingdom, Vancouver (all these topics) |
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The World Less Traveled
Greens shun cheap air travel, point to impacts of industry |
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04 May 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| The World Less Traveled Greens shun cheap air travel, point to impacts of industry A small but growing number of eco-conscious Brits are turning away from cheap airfares and looking to other means of transport or forgoing planned vacations altogether in hopes of reducing their personal environmental footprints. Overall, aircraft-related carbon-dioxide emissions make up some 5 percent of Britain's ... |
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| Topics: climate, green living, news, placemaking, United Kingdom (all these topics) |
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You'll Never Drive Alone
Carpooling, car-sharing companies offer driving alternatives |
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15 Feb 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| You'll Never Drive Alone Carpooling, car-sharing companies offer driving alternatives Eighty-four percent of commuters who use a car to get to work say they drive alone, and more than half say it's because carpooling is inconvenient, according to a recent survey on traffic issues conducted by major news organizations. But a company called NuRide is trying to change that. Its website hosts a directory of participating D.C. ... |
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| Topics: green living, news, placemaking (all these topics) |
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Got Time?
On effective activism |
Umbra Fisk |
07 Feb 2005 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, If an environmentalist has about six hours per week to devote to activism, what should the person do to make the biggest, most positive impact? Some people (like myself) think that climate protection is a key leverage point -- but is it? If yes, why, and what is the best way activists can help protect the climate? (And what's a leverage point anyway?) Ann Graton, Calif. Dearest Ann, Such a good question, and so important that ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, climate, grassroots activism, green living, NRDC, placemaking (all these topics) |
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The Truck Stops Here. Please.
Celebrities popularize commercial extreme truck |
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31 Jan 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| The Truck Stops Here. Please. Celebrities popularize commercial extreme truck Move over Hummer. The hip new thing in celeb vehicle bling is the International CXT, or commercial extreme truck. The hugemongous pickup weighs more than twice as much as the Hummer H2 and sits at the height of an 18-wheeler; more important, it can tow a 20-ton yacht and lug another six tons in the truck bed. Celebs like trucker-hat enthusiast Ashton ... |
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| Topics: green living, placemaking (all these topics) |
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Plug-in Play
Enterprising hybrid owners tinker to get better mileage |
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28 Jan 2005 |
Daily Grist |
| Plug-in Play Enterprising hybrid owners tinker to get better mileage Hybrid vehicles have been touted as the Next Big Thing in efficient transportation. So what's the Next Next Big Thing? Maybe hybrids with a twist. A handful of engineering students at the University of California at Davis and other mechanically inclined greens have been tinkering with existing hybrids to boo ... |
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| Topics: cars, electric vehicles, green living, hybrids, placemaking, United States (all these topics) |
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Fond O' Honda
Honda ranked as greenest automaker |
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07 Dec 2004 |
Daily Grist |
| Fond O' Honda Honda ranked as greenest automaker Of the six largest automakers selling vehicles in the U.S., Honda is the greenest, according to a new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists. Emissions from Honda's 2003 vehicles amounted to less than half the industry average. Nissan, which ranked second, was the most improved in reducing emissions of carbon dioxide. GM, ranked ... |
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| Topics: business, green living, placemaking, United Kingdom, United States (all these topics) |
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Sundae Drive
New hybrids are more powerful and sexy, if less efficient |
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19 Nov 2004 |
Daily Grist |
| Sundae Drive New hybrids are more powerful and sexy, if less efficient The next crop of hybrid vehicles is eagerly anticipated not only by energy-conscious geeks and early-adopter hipsters, but by regular ol' Americans who like to have their apple pie and eat it too. Auto-industry flacks are predicting buyer excitement over soon-to-debut vehicles like the hybrid Honda Accord and Lexus RX SUV -- long on horsepower and sex appeal, ... |
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| Topics: green living, placemaking (all these topics) |
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Advantages of Bike Commuting
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Suzy Becker |
08 Nov 2004 |
Ha. |
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| Topics: green living, placemaking (all these topics) |
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They've Been Working on the Railroad
Recycled plastic railroad ties making inroads |
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19 Oct 2004 |
Daily Grist |
| They've Been Working on the Railroad Recycled plastic railroad ties making inroads There are nearly a billion wooden railroad ties holding together the railroads and subways of the U.S. That's a lot of wood, and thus a lot of trees. It's also a lot of creosote, a preservative chemical used on wood and deemed by the U.S. EPA "probably a human carcinogen." The cost of wood coupled ... |
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| Topics: business, green living, placemaking, recycling, United States (all these topics) |
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Coming Soon to a Rap Video Near You
Navistar Introduces the Commercial Extreme Truck |
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14 Sep 2004 |
Daily Grist |
| Coming Soon to a Rap Video Near You Navistar Introduces the Commercial Extreme Truck For the driver who enjoys his or her Hummer H2 pickup but just wishes it were a little bigger, a little less fuel-efficient, and a little more obnoxious, the answer has arrived: This week Navistar International introduces the CXT, short for commercial extreme truck. The CXT is 21.5 feet long (4.5 feet longer than the Hummer!) and nine feet tall ... |
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| Topics: green living, placemaking (all these topics) |
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Hy Jinx
Hybrids Gaining Ground Among Celebs, But Still Pricey for the Rest of Us |
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08 Mar 2004 |
Daily Grist |
| Hy Jinx Hybrids Gaining Ground Among Celebs, But Still Pricey for the Rest of Us Thanks to lobbying by intrepid enviro group Global Green USA, several high-profile celebrities arrived at the Academy Awards this year not in stretch limos, but in diminutive hybrid Toyota Priuses. Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, Charlize Theron, Robin Willi ... |
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| Topics: cars, celebrity, consumerism, electric vehicles, environmental justice, green living, hybrids, placemaking, Prius (all these topics) |
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Jesus Christ's Supercar?
Hybrid SUVs to Hit U.S. Market This Year |
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17 Feb 2004 |
Daily Grist |
| Jesus Christ's Supercar? Hybrid SUVs to Hit U.S. Market This Year While a "green SUV" may sound like an oxymoron, Toyota and Ford plan to roll out new gas-electric hybrid SUVs later this year that warrant the label "greener" -- or, at least, less egregiously wasteful. Ford's hybrid Escape will hit U.S. showrooms this summer, while Toyota will start selling a hybrid versio ... |
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| Topics: commercial and industry organizations, green living, placemaking (all these topics) |
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