AltWeeklies Wire
Bands On the Road in Hard Timesnew
Nowhere does the old adage about the journey being more important than the destination ring truer than in the average band's tour van. But lately, the cost of taking your act on the road has skyrocketed to the point where it might not be worth leaving home at all.
Boston Phoenix |
Michael Brodeur |
09-04-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Would Drilling for Oil Off Florida's Gulf Coast Lower Fuel Prices?new
Why wouldn't it? Just pump that stuff out and ship it a few short miles over to gas stations in Tampa Bay, ready to dispense at our local convenience stores. How cheap would that be?
Creative Loafing (Tampa) |
Wayne Garcia |
09-03-2008 |
Economy
America's Energy Crisis Belongs in the GOP's Lapnew
In recent weeks, we've heard a rising chorus of Republicans blaming America's energy woes on the Democrats. It seems that they've all forgotten how Ronald Reagan gutted Jimmy Carter's energy plan.
Charleston City Paper |
Will Moredock |
08-20-2008 |
Commentary
Republicans, Democrats Trade Barbs Over Energy Independencenew
The war on terror. The war on drugs. Welfare reform. Family values. Remember those? Every single one was a signature issue of a general election campaign designed to distract the voting public from critical challenges facing the US. This year it's energy independence. Woo-hoo!
Charleston City Paper |
D.A. Smith |
08-13-2008 |
Commentary
Here's the Drill: The Sticky Truths About Offshore Oilnew
Approving drilling now would mean that oil reaches our gas tanks in a decade, under the best estimates, and the small quantity relative to global production would do little to alleviate prices. Still, advocates argue, anything that reduces American dependence on foreign oil is worth pursuing. That pursuit becomes sticky, however, when weighed with drilling's definable risks to the environment and public health.
Charleston City Paper |
Stratton Lawrence |
08-13-2008 |
Environment
Bob Beaumont Recalls His Past Creating and Selling Electric Carsnew
In 1974 the CitiCar -- an electric car modeled on an golf cart -- began rolling out of the factory, and Beaumont's Sebring Vanguard Motors became the sixth-largest car manufacturer in the country.
Baltimore City Paper |
Chris Landers |
08-12-2008 |
Transportation
No Car, No Problem: One Portland Family Gets Onto Their Bikesnew
When you're joyful that gas has dropped to about $4 per gallon, it’s not hard to figure out why people are giving up on driving. But how easy is it to get rid of owning your car for good?
Willamette Week |
Lillian Hogan |
08-06-2008 |
Transportation
Man vs. Mileage: Inside the Mind of a Hypermilernew
Mike Turner is just one of a growing legion of people who identify themselves as hypermilers. They make up a community of drivers committed to taking the edge off of rapidly rising fuel costs through a combination of practical design and driving-style modifications, and in some cases, controversial techniques.
Creative Loafing (Charlotte) |
Kennedy Spencer |
07-31-2008 |
Transportation
Rep. Bart Stupak Pushes for Regulating Oil Speculatorsnew
The sophisticated finance boys on Wall Street are making fun of Stupak, the Michigan congressman who is so much of a hick he cares about poor people who are having trouble affording gasoline. What really bothers them is that he is now in a position where he may be able to do something about it.
Metro Times |
Jack Lessenberry |
07-29-2008 |
Politics
Rising Fuel Prices Finally Catch Up with TARC, Commutersnew
Although TARC ridership has increased by about 6 percent compared with this time last year, the added revenue from fares is not enough to sustain services and routes as they are now.
LEO Weekly |
Jennifer Oladipo |
07-14-2008 |
Transportation
What if Courageous California Pols Had Put a $2/Gallon Tax on Gas Five Years Ago?new
The SUVs and Hummers would be long gone. Public transit would be booming. And with 1.5 billion gallons of gas sold per year in the state, there would be $3 billion more each year in new revenue. Enough to fund huge improvements in urban transportation systems. The high-speed rail line to Los Angeles would be well underway. Traffic (and pollution, and global warming) would have dropped dramatically.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Tim Redmond |
07-10-2008 |
Transportation
Fighting for Green Technologies ... and Some Venture Capital, Pleasenew
The flow of capital toward alternative energy and other green technologies has risen from a trickle to a torrent which last year equaled tens of billions of dollars. Much of that money comes off one street in Silicon Valley, and the Bay Area has already become a green tech hub. But the Southland is also a potential center of the emerging industry. We looked into a few of the mad scientists hoping to do well, do good, and do the hustle.
Los Angeles CityBeat |
Nathaniel Page |
07-07-2008 |
Environment
Republicans are Pandering at the Pumpnew
We must face a difficult truth. With global oil reserves on the decline, the age of cheap gas is over. While government can provide some short-term fixes, nothing will permanently reduce gas prices. What we need is political leadership to formulate a realistic energy policy. Too bad the GOP can't deliver.
The Texas Observer |
Editorial |
07-02-2008 |
Commentary
Web of Hummer Hatred: The Monster Truck Wars are Over, and the Greens Wonnew
By almost any measure, the Hummer haters have won. These behemoths are languishing on the sales floor. General Motors, which owns the Humvee brand, says sales in the first half of 2008 were about half of what they were at the 2006 peak of 71,524.
New Haven Advocate |
Adam Bulger |
07-01-2008 |
Transportation
Blame Reagan for Today's High Gas Pricesnew
Less than four months after Jimmy Carter signed the Energy Security Act, the Reagan administration replaced the Carter administration. And as soon as they took office, the Reaganites set about killing the synfuels program. Where would we be today if Reagan had stayed the course?
Boulder Weekly |
Paul Danish |
06-30-2008 |
Commentary
