One of the great things about the green jobs movement is that it brings to the fore the importance of getting a diverse group of constituents benefiting from and arguing for a green economy. As a result, more and more people are feeling invested in this...

In the Spring of 2007 I had the opportunity to spend a month working with my good friend and colleague T.H. Culhane, the founder of Solar CITIES, an NGO that builds solar water heaters and biogas generators in the slums of Cairo, Egypt. What is most innovative about...

Ask most people about the benefits of residential renewable energy--geothermal, rooftop solar photovoltaic and solar thermal, and backyard wind turbines, primarily--and the response is usually the same: they are good for the environment, raise property value and lower or eliminate utility bills....

Despite the recent (and undoubtedly temporary) drop in energy prices, the fact remains that because of the economic downturn and an aging housing stock, many families will struggle to heat their homes this winter. At the same time, the need to create jobs, stimulate the economy,...

Van Jones and others have so successfully argued for green collar jobs--defined by Green for All as a job that does something for the planet, pays family wages and provides opportunities for upward mobility--that the term has become ubiquitous among politicians, environmentalists...

Just because Congress has allowed the ban on drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf to expire doesn't mean we need to throw our hands in the air and watch idly as the oil companies swoop in and make a profit. In fact, we don't...

There are a lot of similarities between the current financial crisis and the climate crisis, except for the urgency with which the two are being addressed. On the one hand, the present state of the financial markets hasn't been seen since the Great Depression of...

We already know the numerous reasons why bottled water is bad, including the energy and water it takes to manufacture, ship and discard the product, as well as the fact that tap water must meet more stringent water quality standards. But here's the interesting thing: fossil...

The thing about fossil fuels is that they enable utilities, planners and policy-makers to, in effect, be dumb. Because fossil fuel is essentially stored solar energy, the fuel can simply be pulled out of the ground, transported to a large power plant and burned. No attention needs...

We Don't Need Better Panels but Rather Better Politicians and Bankers
One of the key aspects of Gore's challenge to produce 100% of America's energy from renewable sources within a decade is his belief that we already have the requisite technology to do so....

The Old Mantra
For a long time one of the defining mantras of the environmental movement has been "Reduce. Reuse. Recycle." It's the kind of simple message that is easy to remember and makes for fantastic bumper sticker reading, yet it's also a message that utterly fails to...

Last week I visited Rhode Island's central landfill to do some research on recycling and composting. As I sat in an office overlooking the dump, I couldn't help but marvel at the endless stream of trucks filling the valley with what I like to call the by-products of...

Last Thursday Al Gore gave a speech, the full text of which can be read here, that challenged America to "to commit to producing 100 percent of our electricity from renewable energy and truly clean carbon-free sources within 10 years." It was a speech that should have inspired and...

A recent leaked report from the World Bank, stating that 75% of the increase in world food prices is due to biofuels, has served to reignite the food vs. fuel debate. In particular, many are outraged that even as food prices rise corn continues to be used for...

Fuel Oil and Food Aid Were Key in North Korea
16 months ago North Korea agreed to shut down its nuclear program in exchange for aid and the lifting of sanctions. President Bush recently removed North Korea's designation as part of the 'Axis of Evil', and "the energy...

Cycling Has An Image Problem
For the last five years the bicycle has been my sole means of transportation, and I happen to feel pretty good about that. Sure, it means my carbon footprint is smaller and I save money on gas and insurance, but what really matters...

A New Model
During the twentieth century, if you wanted to save the world chances are you sought to emulate Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King or any number of tremendous individuals whose fight for justice was characterized by self-abnegation and spiritual rigor. To some extent, that...

Here are two interesting points: electric motors are inherently more efficient (and simpler) than internal combustion engines (ICE), and it is far easier to produce green electrons than it is to produce green gallons of liquid fuel. Both augur well for an increasingly electrified transportation system.

The first point...

It's amazing how unaware Americans are of the extent to which our economy is dependent on oil. Amazing not only because of the consequences--geopolitical, environmental and social--of oil addiction, but also because oil prices affect every aspect of our daily lives. I was reminded of this fact the other day...