China Eludes Greenhouse Limits

Staff / Truthdig Jun 12, 2009 There's movement toward a global agreement on climate change, with the U.S. rescinding its demand that China commit to greenhouse gas emissions at the level of those in already-developed countries. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Turning Trash Into Electricity

Staff / Truthdig Nov 13, 2008 Here's a solution to the energy crisis Americans are sure to love: A company called Geoplasma is building a plant in Florida that will vaporize garbage with a plasma torch, turning 1,500 tons of waste into 60 megawatts of the good stuff. It may not be as clean as solar, but hey, America is the Saudi Arabia of trash. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Global Warming? It’s What’s for Dinner

Staff / Truthdig Sep 10, 2008 Rajendra Pachauri, head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, suggested Monday that a decrease in individual meat consumption could provide the most immediate and feasible strategy for reducing the effects of global warming. In fact, only 13 percent of global greenhouse emissions come from transportation (planes, trains and automobiles), while a whopping 18 percent of the emissions come from the planet's livestock industry. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Biofuels Blamed in Global Food Crisis

Staff / Truthdig Jul 4, 2008 While environmentalists and opponents of foreign oil may have found common cause in the use of biofuels, a new, confidential World Bank report estimates that the recent increase in plant-based fuel production has actually contributed to a 75 percent rise in global food prices, sparking riots across the world and pushing millions beneath the poverty line. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Nicholas von Hoffman on ‘The Big Squeeze’

Nicholas von Hoffman / Truthdig Jun 6, 2008 A new book by New York Times reporter Steven Greenhouse argues that the plight of American workers, both white-collar and blue-collar, is growing worse, putting the American dream out of the reach of tens of millions of citizens. Dig deeper ( 11 Min. Read )

The Defining Moment for Climate Change

Staff / Truthdig May 11, 2008 Even for Americans, constitutionally convinced that there will always be a second act, and a third, and a do-over after that, and, if necessary, a little public repentance and forgiveness and a Brand New Start -- even for us, the world looks a little Terminal right now. Dig deeper ( 8 Min. Read )

Gore: Change Laws and Lightbulbs

Staff / Truthdig Apr 22, 2008 After "An Inconvenient Truth" hit theaters, Al Gore may have won a couple of trophies for his work in fighting climate change, but the former vice president doesn't believe enough has changed where it counts -- in national and international laws. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Bush Plays the Green Card

Staff / Truthdig Jun 1, 2007 President Bush is preparing for next week's G8 summit in Germany by stressing the importance of long-range environmental action goals for the U.S. and several other nations, including China, to adopt by the end of next year. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Have Your Hummer and Hug It Too

Staff / Truthdig Apr 13, 2007 Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to make the environmental movement sexy Why get rid of Hummers, California's governor argued Wednesday, when you can make them run on biofuel and hydrogen, like his? Schwarzenegger has a warning for politicians who stand in the way of environmental progress: "Your political base will melt away as surely as the polar ice caps  ". Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Top Court Puts Heat on EPA

Staff / Truthdig Apr 3, 2007 The Environmental Protection Agency is being spurred by the U.S. Supreme Court to revamp its regulatory policies regarding greenhouse gas emissions from cars -- a major concern in the debate over global warming, and one that the agency had previously reserved the right to ignore. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.N. Leader: Climate Crisis as Dangerous as War

Staff / Truthdig Mar 2, 2007 U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon warned Thursday that the danger posed by war "is at least matched by the climate crisis," and urged the U.S., which produces roughly 25 percent of all greenhouse emissions, to take a leading role in addressing global warming. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Who Are You Calling a Gas Guzzler?

Staff / Truthdig Feb 17, 2007 Although California has a reputation for smog-choked freeways and self-indulgent excess, the Golden State consumes less energy per capita than any other state in the union. What's the secret? A combination of tough regulation and high prices. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )