The Green Grok

Are All Meat-Eaters Children of the Corn?

erica — Modification date

November 18, 2008 | Written by Bill Chameides

For decades, big companies have been consuming others until only a few are left. This Pac Man-like game has been especially true of agriculture where a handful of large corporations control almost every aspect of our food production. A new study explores this situation vis-a-vis our fast-food addiction.

Pulse of the Planet: A New Ice Age IS Coming ... but Don't Hold Your Breath

erica — Modification date

November 17, 2008 | Written by Bill Chameides

Skeptics have been arguing that we should forget about global warming -- a new ice age is imminent. Maybe, some say, it's already started. In fact, a new study does predict the coming of an ice age, one promising to be more permanent than others. Is it imminent? Depends on how you characterize 10,000 years.

Isn’t It About Time for a U.S. Renewable Energy Standard?

erica — Modification date

November 14, 2008 | Written by Bill Chameides

The elections produced mixed results for progress on renewable energy. Missouri upped the amount it plans to get from sources like wind and solar. California did not. But what’s going on at the federal level?

Update on E-Waste

erica — Modification date

November 13, 2008 | Written by Bill Chameides

If you caught 60 Minutes on Sunday, you got quite an eyeful. Scott Pelley's 12-minute exposé opened a window onto the continuing problem of electronic waste. Following a tanker filled with computer monitors and other abandoned electronics, from a U.S. to a Hong Kong port, the news magazine shined a light on an illegal but apparently common practice. Though exporting e-waste is against the law, it is obviously still happening. But a bit of good news on the e-waste front crossed the wires this week as well.

Looking to WWII Lessons to Fight Climate Change: Lester Brown's Plan 3.0

erica — Modification date

November 12, 2008 | Written by Bill Chameides

Lester Brown, founder and president of the Earth Policy Institute, spoke at Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina, this week. Both at dinner beforehand and later at his lecture, I had an opportunity to hear straight from the source about Brown's Plan B 3.0 for saving civilization. If nothing else, it’s ambitious.

Leave the Caps Off!

erica — Modification date

November 11, 2008 | Written by Bill Chameides

Are you an obsessive-compulsive type like me, who recaps plastic bottles before tossing them into the recycling bin? Wrong.

The Ozone Hole Remains

erica — Modification date

November 10, 2008 | Written by Bill Chameides

A recent news flash from the European Space Agency: 2008 Ozone Hole Ranks Fifth Largest. Yes, after all these years, we are still worrying about the ozone hole.

Statistically Speaking: Lessons from an Electricity Crisis

erica — Modification date

November 7, 2008 | Written by Bill Chameides

Do people change the amount of energy they use when prices rise? In May 2008 Americans drove 10 billion fewer miles than in May 2007 -- a trend, sustained between November 2007 and August 2008, suggesting that drivers do drive less [pdf] when faced with higher gas prices. But what about electricity use? California's 2000-2001 electricity crisis provides some insight.

The Pros and Cons of Modernization: Cancer in China

erica — Modification date

November 6, 2008 | Written by Bill Chameides

When it comes to getting cancer, is it better to live in a modern, developed economy or in an undeveloped one? Two studies from China suggest that the answer is yes … and yes.

An Open Letter to Our Next President

erica — Modification date

November 5, 2008 | Written by Bill Chameides

Dear President-Elect Obama,
Please consider these four environmental actions in the first days of your administration.