Grist | Topics | 25 Results

RESULTS		Results 1 – 25 of 25
Headline	Author	Published	Section
All the news fit to omit Media drops the ball on drilling	David Roberts	05 Sep 2008	Gristmill
The Center for Economic and Policy Research has a new analysis out looking at the way the media is presenting the drilling issue. Suffice to say, educating its audience about the facts has taken a back seat: This paper examines television news coverage of proposed drilling for oil in environmentally sensitive zones in the United States. It finds that these broadcasts almost completely ignored data, and conclusions, from the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Informa ...
Topics: oil and gas drilling, energy, oil, mainstream media (all these topics)

A Palin in the neck Note to media: Pork queen Palin is an earmark expert, not an energy expert	Joseph Romm	04 Sep 2008	Gristmill
If you google 'Palin 'energy expert,'' you'll find more than 10,000 hits. It's no surprise that conservative shills like George Pataki and Haley Barbour use that label -- heck, a major conservative talking point is that she's a foreign-policy expert because 'Alaska is the closest part of our continent to Russia,' as Cindy McCain put it. Conservatives are desperate to inflate the resume of this partially vetted semi-qualified VP choice. But it is outrageous for CNBC' ...
Topics: Alaska, elections, energy, mainstream media, oil and gas drilling, politics, presidential race 08, Sarah Palin (all these topics)

Climate chaos and internet rumors Deniers' talking points spread via the same process as that of all urban legends	Gar Lipow	02 Sep 2008	Gristmill
John McGrath, a contributor to Grist, made an important comparison between how the internet contributes to making urban legends look legitimate and how it is used in spreading climate chaos denialism: It highlights the odd dynamic of the Internet: tiny, vocal, crazy-ass minorities can nevertheless be numerous enough on the Internet to appear more impressive than they are. So we get never-ending rumors about Barack Obama's birth, and now no doubt Sarah Palin's dau ...
Topics: blogosphere, climate, mainstream media (all these topics)

DNC: Sign of the airtimes Should you freak out at the lack of airtime for climate change in Denver -- or Minneapolis?	Joseph Romm	27 Aug 2008	Gristmill
Andrew Jones -- former Rocky Mountain Institute colleague and systems-dynamic modeler extraordinaire at the Sustainability Institute -- asks if I could write something 'from a D.C. insider perspective' about why we shouldn't be freaking out that climate change is getting so little airtime at the Democratic National Convention? Actually, Drew, getting people to freak out is the whole point of this blog, no? But seriously, the media wouldn't cover climate change even i ...
Topics: climate, Democratic National Convention, mainstream media, politics, Republican National Convention (all these topics)

Double pandered Media focuses on high costs of clean energy, but gives nuclear a free pass	Miles Grant	26 Aug 2008	Gristmill
When the media talks about clean energy, it usually deals with the cost issue with a rational, balanced analysis. Something along the lines of, say, 'It's so expensive!' Yet somehow, in Keith Johnson's Environmental Capital blog post today slamming greens for not supporting nukes, the cost issue is little more than an afterthought. The nuclear industry wants $50 billion in loan guarantees? Hardly seems worth mentioning. A full 320 words into a 346 word post, Johnson ...
Topics: energy, energy subsidies, mainstream media, nuclear power (all these topics)

Hedging hog Note to media: Enough with the multiple hedges on climate science!	Joseph Romm	19 Aug 2008	Gristmill
In an otherwise fascinating story on the growing 'icebreaker gap' in the rapidly defrosting Arctic Ocean, NYT reporter Andy Revkin writes: Even with the increasing summer retreats of sea ice, which many polar scientists say probably are being driven in part by global warming caused by humans, there will always be enough ice in certain parts of the Arctic to require icebreakers. I do not view a quadruple-hedged climate impact attribution as acceptable for a major me ...
Topics: Arctic, climate, climate science, mainstream media, oceans (all these topics)

Climate whiplash	Andrew Dessler	18 Aug 2008	Gristmill
In a recent article in The New York Times, Andy Revkin talks about the whiplash effect: When science is testing new ideas, the result is often a two-papers-forward-one-paper-back intellectual tussle among competing research teams. When the work touches on issues that worry the public, affect the economy or polarize politics, the news media and advocates of all stripes dive in. Under nonstop scrutiny, conflicting findings can make news coverage veer from one extreme ...
Topics: climate, climate change impacts, climate science, mainstream media, scientific research (all these topics)

Brought to you by Exxon sponsors political coverage	David Roberts	15 Aug 2008	Gristmill
ExxonMobil is sponsoring political coverage from CNN, CBS, and National Journal. Here's a question: Would they accept sponsorship by Philip Morris?
Topics: politics, mainstream media, Big Oil (all these topics)

The pretender Why McCain hates renewables but pretends he loves them	Joseph Romm	15 Aug 2008	Gristmill
McCain has been an opponent of renewable energy all his political life. Why? He is a conservative -- and that is what conservatives do. The GOP's ultra-rich big energy donors don't like competition and dole out millions to get their way. He has long been uncomfortable around cutting edge technology -- witness his Internet illiteracy. As a former FCC chair put it, 'Basically, John is a technological troglodyte, and proud of it.' And yet in his speeches an ...
Topics: energy, fossil fuels, John McCain, mainstream media, nuclear power, politics, presidential race 08 (all these topics)

Drill bits The internets weigh in on drilling	David Roberts	14 Aug 2008	Gristmill
A few bits and pieces from around the internets on the drilling issue. Rick Hertzberg has a piece on his New Yorker blog about arguments against drilling. He points out that most of the opportunistic Dem arguments against drilling used thus far -- it's too far out; it won't save us; it's gimmicky -- aren't particularly effective. He hones in on the one he thinks will work: We take all the risks. We pay all the costs. But we don't get all the benefits, such as ...
Topics: Congress, energy, mainstream media, oil and gas drilling, politics (all these topics)

Republican rules The media will not tell the public the real story on the energy clash in Congress	David Roberts	13 Aug 2008	Gristmill
I'm not sure what's more astonishing, the current political drama around energy or the utter and complete failure of the media to portray it accurately. Let's recall what's happened over this past session. Congress had some 13 chances to support renewable energy, as bill after bill was put forward by Democrats. Republicans blocked them all. Now Republicans have gotten the idea in their head that drilling for oil in protected areas in the U.S. is a political winner, ...
Topics: Congress, mainstream media, oil and gas drilling, politics, renewable energy, shenanigans, tax incentives (all these topics)

The uncertainty agenda Journalists need to evaluate strength of scientific consensus	Andrew Dessler	13 Aug 2008	Gristmill
One of the biggest problems in the climate change debate is the fact that many people out there fail to understand the finer points of 'scientific consensus.' For an example of this misunderstanding, see Ron Rosenbaum's recent article in Slate. (h/t Dot Earth.) His article trots out one of the staples of the denial industry: Science has been wrong in the past, so how do we know that a scientific consensus on climate change is right? Because of this, reporters ...
Topics: climate, climate science, mainstream media, scientific research (all these topics)

Solar discord The New York Times blows the solar PV story	Joseph Romm	13 Aug 2008	Gristmill
It would seem like an easy story for the paper of discord record: In recent months, chains including Wal-Mart Stores, Kohl's, Safeway and Whole Foods Market have installed solar panels on roofs of their stores to generate electricity on a large scale ... In the coming months, 85 Kohl's stores will get solar panels; 43 already have them. 'We want to keep pushing as many as we possibly can,' said Ken Bonning, executive vice president for logistics at Kohl's.Macy's, whic ...
Topics: business, electricity, energy, mainstream media, solar voltaic power (all these topics)

Stardom? NYT Magazine swoons for Pickens	Sir Oolius	04 Aug 2008	Gristmill
From the most recent New York Times Magazine: As a Texas oilman and major contributor to the Republican Party, you've just launched yourself, at 80, into green stardom by devising an energy plan that relies mainly on wind power. Green stardom. All you have to do is mention wind turbines to make the eyes of dirty hippies glaze over in delight.
Topics: energy, mainstream media, Texas, wind power (all these topics)

'Can this planet be saved?' Conservatives will drill-and-burn this planet to the point of destruction	Joseph Romm	01 Aug 2008	Gristmill
Great Paul Krugman column in The New York Times today. And another absurd Charles Krauthammer column in The Washington Post -- yes, I know, that's a dog bites man story. They both teed off Nancy Pelosi's statement that one of the reasons she was blocking a vote on coastal drilling was, 'I'm trying to save the planet; I'm trying to save the planet.' Krugman understood that, notwithstanding the fact that offshore drilling would never have a significant impact on oil ...
Topics: climate, Congress, John McCain, mainstream media, oil, oil and gas drilling, politics (all these topics)

When 'picking energy winners,' don't ignore past investment Marketplace commentary gives a misleading picture of government's role in energy use	Liz Borkowski	01 Aug 2008	Gristmill
In a commentary on Thursday's Marketplace, the Cato Institute's Will Wilkinson critiqued T. Boone Pickens' new energy plan. In doing so, he painted a misleading picture of the government's role in our energy usage. Pickens wants wind energy to replace natural gas in electricity generation, and use the freed-up natural gas to fuel vehicles so we can use less foreign oil. There are problems with this energy plan, but Wilkerson is most concerned that the government ...
Topics: electricity grid, mainstream media, wind power, renewable energy, energy, oil (all these topics)

Precedent versus vision The media's central arguments for and against Gore's challenge to the nation	Sara Barz	23 Jul 2008	Gristmill
Nearly a week after Gore unveiled his carbon-free challenge (sounds sadly kind of like a reality TV gimmick), the substantive reactions from the nation's editorial pages and blogosphere fit (for better of for worse) into two groupings: precedent versus vision. Brushing past the naysayers (John Tierney and his 'junk science' complaints) and the yes-men (Christine Pelosi and her Gorish platitudes), those in the 'precedent' camp tend to disapprove of Gore's goal on the ...
Topics: Al Gore, energy, mainstream media, renewable energy (all these topics)

Meet the Blogger Better questions for Gore	David Roberts	22 Jul 2008	Gristmill
In response to my rant about Gore on Meet the Press, a certain boss of my acquaintance asked me what questions I would have asked. Here are a few: High gas prices have created extraordinary pressure for a short-term political response, which Republicans are providing with their drilling campaign. What is a better political and substantive alternative? Why did you do so little to coordinate with other groups and constituencies before giving this speech? Why are ...
Topics: Al Gore, climate, mainstream media, renewable energy (all these topics)

An irritating force meets an inadequate object Al Gore on Meet the Press	David Roberts	20 Jul 2008	Gristmill
Following his blockbuster speech on Thursday and his appearance at Netroots Nation yesterday, Al Gore was on Meet the Press today to talk about his new proposal. It was ... painful. First off, Tom Brokaw's questions were, almost without exception, awful. Just awful. They reflected the most brain dead, ill-informed D.C. conventional wisdom you can imagine. The first three or four were basically the same: Won't solving global warming with a plan like yours cost big and ...
Topics: Al Gore, climate, mainstream media, politics (all these topics)

Can the coal industry and an environmental blog find common ground?	Sara Barz	19 Jul 2008	Gristmill
In response to this post on the many varied reactions to Gore's energy speech, Behind the Plug (the coal industry blog for which we have strong language) contacted me regarding questions for Gore on 'Meet the Press.' The impetus: Coming from very distant sides of political and editorial spheres, could we find some common ground to collaborate on a question for Gore? As Behind the Plug says in its post, 'We all breathe the same air and we all have an interest in Ameri ...
Topics: coal, mainstream media, Al Gore (all these topics)

Late to the party, but made the last call Bloggers weigh Gore's plan in advance of 'Meet the Press'	Sara Barz	18 Jul 2008	Gristmill
Liberals love Gore's gall. Conservatives hate that he drove a gas-guzzler to the big speech. Politicians grumble over his timing. Climate policy wonks and science geeks admire the inititive, but want something a little more ... feasible ... say, 50 to 90 percent renewable electricity by 2020 with a little natural gas for good measure? Across the blogosphere, however, certain questions about Gore's plan remain unanswered. What practical measures will we take to get ...
Topics: climate, climate change mitigation, Al Gore, mainstream media (all these topics)

Goracle on Meet the Press Questions for Gore's energy plan?	Sara Barz	18 Jul 2008	Gristmill
This Sunday, Al Gore will appear on NBC's 'Meet the Press' to talk about the energy action plan he unveiled in Washington this week. So, Grist readers, in tribute to the late Tim Russert, what kind of tough questions do you want host Tom Brokaw to lob Gore's way? Offer your suggestions here. Looking ahead, is it safe to say that Gore stands to get a very warm reception from interim 'Meet' host Brokaw? After all, the ex-NBC anchor hosted an Emmy Award-winning Disc ...
Topics: Al Gore, climate, energy, mainstream media, politics (all these topics)

The Iraqi Oil Ministry's new fave five All the oil news that's fit to print	Guest author	07 Jul 2008	Gristmill
This is a guest essay from Nick Turse, author of The Complex: How the Military Invades Our Everyday Lives. It was originally published on TomDispatch and is republished here with Tom's kind permission. ----- On June 19, the New York Times broke the story in an article headlined 'Deals with Iraq Are Set to Bring Oil Giants Back: Rare No-Bid Contracts, A Foothold for Western Companies Seeking Future Rewards.' Finally, after a long five years-plus, there was ...
Topics: Big Oil, energy, Iraq, mainstream media, oil, oil and gas drilling, politics, White House (all these topics)

The media is (almost) onto McCain's cynical doubletalk 'Purpose,' McCain's new energy ad, features wind turbines he voted against	Joseph Romm	02 Jul 2008	Gristmill
McCain has a new ad titled 'Purpose': The AP critiqued it with a piece titled, 'McCain energy ad short on specifics.' Okay, mainstream media, half credit. The ad has a much bigger problem than lack of specifics -- McCain is trying to get a political boost by claiming he will champion popular clean energy technologies that he, like President Bush and most conservatives, has consistently opposed:SCRIPT: Announcer: American technology protected the world. We went to th ...
Topics: elections, energy, John McCain, mainstream media, politics, presidential race 08, video (all these topics)

'Often contradictory stances' Mainstream media realizes that McCain's energy rhetoric and record don't match up	Kate Sheppard	01 Jul 2008	Gristmill
The mainstream media has started to pick up on the fact that John McCain's energy policy is totally inconsistent. Bloomberg: As a senator, John McCain has condemned policies that pick market winners and losers, aiming particular criticism at government ethanol subsidies as a taxpayer rip-off. As a presidential candidate, the Arizona Republican himself is backing specific industries in proposals for relief from high energy prices and foreign oil dependence. ...
Topics: elections, energy, John McCain, mainstream media, Muckraker, news, politics, presidential race 08 (all these topics)

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