AltWeeklies Wire
Greeting Society's Collapse with a Smile and a Shovelnew

Transition was launched when one Rob Hopkins recognized that modern Western society cannot continue at its current pace of life as fast access to oil begins to dwindle. Global warming and economic meltdown are the two other principle drivers of the Transition movement, but in an ideal "Transition Town," society would be ready for such changes.
North Bay Bohemian |
Alastair Bland |
06-22-2009 |
Environment
Not So Cool: Austin Struggles With Climate Protectionnew
The Austin Climate Protection Plan was among the most ambitious in the country when announced in 2007; two years later, making it real remains a challenge.
Austin Chronicle |
Katherine Gregor |
06-21-2009 |
Environment
Killing Fields: Field Burning's Deadly Legacynew

The fiery death in 1988 of novelist William Wharton's daughter, her husband and baby girls is probably the grimmest reminder of the dangers of field burning smoke. Today the fight to ban the burn continues in Oregon.
Eugene Weekly |
Camilla Mortensen |
06-18-2009 |
Environment
Green Beers That Are More Al Gore Than Dr. Seussnew
Green beers are friendlier to the environment, and most of the ingredients are grown without pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. For a beer to be USDA-approved organic, 95 percent of its ingredients must be organic.
INDY Week |
Matthew McGibney |
06-18-2009 |
Food+Drink
How the Energy Industry is Moving Out of the Dark Agesnew
The energy revolution doesn't hinge on technological discovery. Indeed, the vast majority of technology it will draw on has existed for years, if not decades. The energy revolution is about something much more difficult to change: our own human behavior.
Metro Spirit |
Matt Spaur |
06-17-2009 |
Environment
Is West Texas' Water Supply at Risk of Radioactive Contamination?new
For years, Waste Control has touted its 1,300-acre dump site as nearly geologically perfect for containing radioactive waste for tens of thousands of years. The company’s primary selling point has been what it calls the "almost impenetrable red bed clay" in which the waste will be buried. But the red bed is leaking.
The Texas Observer |
Forrest Wilder |
06-17-2009 |
Environment
Lawsuits and Tree-Sits Surround Oregon Bureau's Proposal to Lognew

A tree-sit has gone up in an Oregon forest where the state Bureau of Land Management proposes to log Fall Creek, an old-growth forest that has been successfully defended by tree-sitters time and time again.
Eugene Weekly |
Camilla Mortensen |
06-11-2009 |
Environment
Swamped: The Everglades Restoration Isn't Good for Everyonenew

As environmentalists absorb the biggest infusion of cash in a decade from the federal government, activists around the Glades are raising some inconvenient concerns.
Miami New Times |
Tim Elfrink |
06-08-2009 |
Environment
Sensitive Species Butt Heads with Energy Needs in the Battle for Idaho Sagebrushnew

As the energy development race heats up, it's heading for a face-to-fuzzy-tail confrontation with two high desert species on the fast track to federal protection: sage grouse and pygmy rabbits.
Boise Weekly |
Deanna Darr |
06-03-2009 |
Environment
A Portland Company Is Building a House You Can Heat with a Blow-Dryernew

Root Design Build's Shift House, a project that has the potential to change the way the Northwest (and maybe the United States) thinks about green architecture, packs a lot of innovative technology, but one thing you won't find in it is a furnace.
Willamette Week |
John Minervini |
06-03-2009 |
Housing & Development
Austin Climate Protection Plan: Two-Year Reviewnew
Two years after its launch, the ambitious Austin Climate Protection Plan is succeeding well in some areas - but stalled in others.
Austin Chronicle |
Katherine Gregor |
05-24-2009 |
Environment
Cap and Trade for Dummiesnew

If a pollution tax is a lever, cap and trade is a vast, rickety Rube Goldberg contraption, complete with ramps and gears and pulleys and suspended buckets of water.
Boston Phoenix |
Lissa Harris |
05-07-2009 |
Environment
The GOP and the Greenest Generationnew

Eco-friendly youth are now the nation's most powerful (and feared) voting bloc. So why isn't the GOP listening?
Boston Phoenix |
David S. Bernstein |
05-07-2009 |
Commentary
Crime Scene Cleanup: Evidence of Toxic Chemical Leak Disappearsnew

As evidence in San Antonio's Toxic Triangle whodunit disappears, so does the possibility of justice for its victims.
San Antonio Current |
Greg M. Schwartz |
05-05-2009 |
Environment
The Toyota Prius Isn't the Angel Everyone Thinks It Isnew

The Prius is one of the great success stories of the last decade, becoming the one car synonymous with "hybrid." But between serious safety and environmental concerns, some critics think it helped kill the electric car.
Houston Press |
Paul Knight |
04-28-2009 |
Transportation