Climate Technology
All Stories
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Umbra on Wal-Mart
Dear Umbra, Why is Wal-Mart evil? This is really a request for more information. I have often heard that the company has a weak environmental track record, treats its employees poorly, and generally is Satan incarnate. However, when challenged on this position, I have no data. My opponents argue that shopping in bulk reduces packaging. […]
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Starbucks tokens
Next year, coffee mega-super-behemoth Starbucks will begin stocking its stores with partially recycled coffee cups -- 10 percent recycled, to be precise. Ten percent is no great shakes, of course, but even if this is a largely symbolic gesture, perhaps enviros should consider for once hailing the symbolism rather than immediately bashing the company for not doing more. Just a suggestion.
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The Rat Pack
EPA laxity leaves kids at risk from rat poison, enviros charge The U.S. EPA seems more concerned with protecting rat-poison manufacturers than protecting kids, two enviro groups are charging. Last week, the Natural Resources Defense Council and West Harlem Environmental Action filed suit against the EPA, criticizing the agency for harming children by revoking safety […]
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Power in Lumbers
Small tree-harvesting operations gang up to get certified Many small to mid-sized forestry operations are run by folks who value the health of their trees and try their best to be good stewards of the land they own. However, getting official recognition of this fact — in the form of being certified green by the […]
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Bringing Shapeless Hemp Sweaters to Yuppies, at Last
Whole Foods ponders move into organic clothing Have you ever felt chafed by the inconvenience of having to go one place for your bulk bulgur wheat and another for your Guatemalan organic cotton poncho? Well we’ve got good news: From here on in you can point your Lexus SUV in one direction only, to organic […]
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We’re Not the Only Country With a Bushmeat Problem
E.U. fishing subsidies drive illegal bushmeat trade in West Africa Heavy European Union subsidies for fishing fleets off the coast of West Africa are driving the illegal bushmeat trade in the region, to devastating effect. As Euros eat more of their fish, there’s less left for West Africans, who turn to bushmeat — or the […]
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The Shipping News
Global warming may open Northwest Passage to shipping Global warming may melt arctic ice enough to make the legendary Northwest Passage a viable trade route, trimming almost 40 percent (roughly two weeks) off the current Asia-to-Europe route, which involves a large detour down through either the Suez or Panama canals. Some view this as a […]
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European. Small. How Can They Fail?
European automakers target the U.S. with itsy-bitsy cars European automakers hope to make inroads in U.S. markets with small, fuel-efficient cars, but they have quite a task ahead of them, despite gas prices that now exceed $2 per gallon. While a segment of the U.S. market is gaga for hybrids like the Toyota Prius, which […]
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Blood and Gore
Al Gore launches an investment firm focused on sustainability After the whole endorsing-Howard-Dean thing didn’t work out, Al Gore is hoping his new venture is more successful: It’s an investment firm called Generation Investment Management that will focus on socially and environmentally conscious companies. The firm’s approach “is designed to serve people who want to […]
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Exx the Foul
ExxonMobil’s greenhouse-gas emissions continue to rise ExxonMobil, the world’s biggest oil company, supported President Bush’s decision to keep the U.S. from ratifying the Kyoto Protocol. In a wacky coincidence, the company’s greenhouse-gas emissions have been increasing, last year rising 2 percent to almost 150 million tons — more than twice the emissions of the entire […]
