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From the page: "The Energy Star program hit a milestone today--the one millionth efficient home that earned the blue label wrapped building. That's right--the number of pointedly energy efficient homes in the US has hit the seven digit range. And though this comes on the heels of some unfortunate news about the validity of Energy Star ratings, it's nonetheless a hallmark worth noting in the slow but steady ascent to greener policies and consumer choices in the US." - Shea Gunther

WASHINGTON -- The most common deals under the government's $3 billion Cash for Clunkers program, aimed at putting more fuel-efficient cars on the road, replaced old Ford or Chevrolet pickups with new ones that got only marginally better gas mileage, according to an analysis of new federal data by The Associated Press. The single most common swap -- which occurred more than 8,200 times -- involved Ford F-150 pickup owners who took advantage of a government rebate to trade their old trucks for new Ford F-150s. They were 17 times more likely to buy a new F-150 than, say, a Toyota Prius. The fuel economy for the new trucks ranged from 15 mpg to 17 mpg based on engine size and other factors, an improvement More auto news * Drive of just 1 mpg to 3 mpg over the clunkers. Owners of thousands more large old Chevrolet and Dodge pickups bought new Silverado and Ram trucks, also with only barely improved mileage in the middle teens, according to AP's analysis of sales of $15.2 billion worth of... - Shea Gunther

The blogs went a-buzzing (as they're wont to do) when PETA president Ingrid Newkirk showed up on Glenn Beck's show to join in an unlikely chorus of Gore-bashing. In response to the hundreds of blog posts maligning her (see mine here), Newkirk wrote a column defending the appearance. Her publicist sent us a note, asking us to consider the piece, and I have--it doesn't seem to hold water at all, and I maintain that showing up on Beck's show was a stupid and reckless move. Here's why. PETA & Glenn Beck V. Gore First of all, Newkirk never actually explains why she showed up on Glenn Beck's show, except that it offered a publicity opportunity. Which would be fine, even though Beck mocks vegetarians as a rule, if she weren't there simply to denigrate someone--the entire purpose of her appearance was basically to wave a banner saying 'Al Gore is a Hypocrite.' But Newkirk never attempts to defend her smear as anything but that--instead she boasts that it drew interest in PETA: - Shea Gunther

Oh Rats While scientists fight over BPA studies, Congress could just act 0 * Tom Laskawy Posted 2:17 PM on 9 Nov 2009 by Tom Laskawy o More from this author o Subscribe by RSSAuthor Feed * Posted in o Food * Read More About o BPA, o Congress, o FDA, o food, o health * Print * Share * Comment Joining Tom Philpott on the anti-BPA bandwagon, the New York Times columnist Nick Kristof had an op-ed Sunday detailing the mounting evidence against the hormone disrupting chemical. One comment in particular summed up the debate nicely: "When you have 92 percent of the American population exposed to a chemical, this is not one where you want to be wrong," said Dr. Ted Schettler of the Science and Environmental Health Network. "Are we going to quibble over individual rodent studies, or are we going to act?" One of the problems we face when it comes to regulating toxic substances is that the EPA and the FDA aren't generally able to apply a strong "precautionary principle" the way regulators do in... - Shea Gunther

A 15-YEAR-old Brisbane school girl has been suspended for shaving her head to raise money for vital cancer research. Emily Pridham and her family told Channel Nine News her father is battling leukemia. He underwent a bone marrow transplant a few weeks ago but has been given only a few months to live. Ms Pridham decided to shave her head as part of a fundraiser for cancer research. "Basically my way of coping is to try and help other people going through the same thing," she said. Ms Pridham said she has been banned from Mount Alvernia College until her hair grows back. Barbara Pridham said she supports her daughter's fundraising decision. - Shea Gunther

Where I grew up, the issue of whether gays and lesbians made OK parents was a non-starter. In the liberal enclave of Berkeley, Calif., the answer is considered so obvious the question almost seems rhetorical: Of course there are both "good" and "bad" homosexual parents -- just as there are both "good" and "bad" heterosexual parents. So, when I saw an article in Sunday's New York Times Magazine announcing proof that same-sex couples are capable of raising children who turn out to be perfectly healthy adults, I rolled my eyes with a huff. Then I regained perspective: This has to be said. Abbie E. Goldberg, an assistant psychology professor at Clark University, has done just that in her book, "Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children," which analyzes more than 100 studies on same-sex families. The Times' Lisa Belkin summarizes the book's finding like so: The children of gay and lesbian couples "show no increased incidence of psychiatric disorders, are just as popular at school and have... - Shea Gunther

Watch this video of a new school in Cameroon and how they get around the problem of not having a power compactor. - Shea Gunther

From the page: "270 Million Tons of Plastics in 2007 Bioplastics are certainly not a panacea - they have their problems - but if we are to someday move to a world free of fossil fuels (by choice or by necessity), we'll need something to make plastics. Researchers from Utrecht University conducted a study that was commissioned by the associations European Bioplastics and the European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence (EPNOE), and their findings were pretty interesting." - Shea Gunther

From the page: "The theory of peak oil itself is fairly non-controversial. But saying that we're close to this absolutely peak in oil and gas production is still debated by very knowledgeable people on both sides. A few years ago, it seemed like the balance was tipped in the direction of the "peak oil is not a problem for the near future" side, but lately, it seems like things might be going the other way. At the Petroleum Geology Conference in London, 500 geologists took a vote on wether "Peak oil is no longer a concern" (something that was argued by some of the speakers). The results were interesting." - Shea Gunther

Check out the new green media company started by my pals Adam Shake and Sean Daily. This kicks mucho ass. - Shea Gunther

From the page: "The clean energy bill slogging through the U.S. Congress is far weaker than whatâ€s needed. Thereâ€s every chance it will a) get weaker still and b) fail to pass in the end. These facts are widely acknowledged among progressives. Whatâ€s less agreed upon is who or what is to blame. You see a lot of stuff like this post on OpenLeft (from Friends of the Earth) that casts the billâ€s weakness as a failure of will by progressive senators. Whatâ€s needed is for some senate â€oechampions” to â€oestand up for a stronger bill.” Similarly, many folks have traced the billâ€s failures back to Obama, saying heâ€s been distracted by health care and insufficiently engaged. The idea seems to be that the bill would be better if only those damn Democrats would try harder. But the lack of vocal Democratic champions for a stronger bill is more effect than cause. The root of Americaâ€s political dysfunction lies elsewhere, and deserves far more attention, not only... - Shea Gunther

Teabaggers, keeping it classy. - Shea Gunther

The key thing to understand about that rally is that it wasn't a fringe event. It was sponsored by the House Republican leadership -- in fact, it was officially billed as a G.O.P. press conference. Senior lawmakers were in attendance, and apparently had no problem with the tone of the proceedings. True, Eric Cantor, the second-ranking House Republican, offered some mild criticism after the fact. But the operative word is "mild." The signs were "inappropriate," said his spokesman, and the use of Hitler comparisons by such people as Rush Limbaugh, said Mr. Cantor, "conjures up images that frankly are not, I think, very helpful." What all this shows is that the G.O.P. has been taken over by the people it used to exploit. The state of mind visible at recent right-wing demonstrations is nothing new. Back in 1964 the historian Richard Hofstadter published an essay titled, "The Paranoid Style in American Politics," which reads as if it were based on today's headlines: Americans on the far... - Shea Gunther

A common way for scientists to describe evolution and adaptation is to assign a purpose for the various features and behaviors that animals possess. For example: An anteater's long snout evolved to allow it access to out-of-the-way areas where its food lives. This wording insinuates that the animal evolved along a path, a direction, a plan. We also tend to mention that the goal of nature is survival, as if nature itself has an intelligent purpose. Remember, though, that species go extinct just as they survive; through the adaptations that either succeed or fail to prepare them for their ever-changing environment. It is important for scientists to remember this distinction when describing nature because the example above is not accurate for evolution; it suggests intelligent design. - Shea Gunther

From the page: "Kellogg Co. says it will pull immunity claims from its Rice Krispies and Cocoa Krispies cereal boxes amid the publicâ€s growing concern about swine flu. Kellogg began adding extra antioxidants to its cereal last year, which it says help support the immune system. The company began advertising the change with large labels on cereal boxes that read in bold letters: "Now helps support your childâ€s immunity."" - Shea Gunther

ISTANBUL -- Turkey said Sunday it will welcome Sudan's leader even though he has been indicted for orchestrating crimes against humanity in Darfur. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is free to join an Istanbul summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. The 57-nation group holds its main meetings Monday. Erdogan said Turkey respects human rights and would not hesitate to challenge al-Bashir if it believed he had committed atrocities. But Erdogan said he doesn't believe that Sudanese paramilitary forces committed acts of genocide against African residents of Darfur. "It is not possible for those who belong to the Muslim faith to carry out genocide," Erdogan told ruling party members. - Shea Gunther

Mark's right, if no one pays it'll all be shite eventually. - Shea Gunther

Giving up the car can save you money, keep you fit, and makes for a healthier planet. Just say no to the automobile. - Shea Gunther

After all these years of eating chicken wings, it turns out that I've been doing it all wrong! Chef John of Food Wishes reveals the secret of eating a flat wing: - Shea Gunther

Epic commercial. - Shea Gunther

Tom Tancredo is a pussy. - Shea Gunther

Are those people fscking crazy? Who puts meat in their lap for lions to eat? Jeebus! - Shea Gunther

In stark contrast to Copenhagen (where more than half the residents travel by bike), one school district in Saratago Springs, N.Y., created a policy that prohibits biking and walking to school. Though Janette Marino and her son, Adam, were warned prior to the first day of school, they rode in defiance anyway only to be greeted by an unhappy group of school administrators and a state trooper. The schools cited dangerous road conditions on Route 9, which leads to the school, as a primary reason for the policy, even though that road is designated as an official "bike route." - Shea Gunther

From the page: "Sounds like a strange mix, but a blanket that sports solar power could help improve health care in Africa by allowing those people without electricity to charge cell phones, which are used to send and receive text messages with health information for people with HIV and Tuberculosis. It's called the Portable Light iTEACH Blanket, and it wants to save lives. Cell phones are facilitating some amazing movements in green activism, and Africa is one of the continents on which mobile technology can do an incredible amount of good. The technology is simple, the cell phones can be easy to access...but the problem is keeping them charged. In an effort to address this problem so that more people have access to health care information via cell phones, the iTEACH blanket project wants to reach the world's poorest people with accessible technology that gives them access to mobiles, lighting at night, a boost to the local economy via local manufacturing methods, and more. It aims to... - Shea Gunther

AUSTIN, Texas -- Breaking up may actually not be hard to do, say scientists who've found a population of tropical butterflies that may be on its way to a split into two distinct species. - Shea Gunther

Haitian cabbie Pierre Jean-Charles climbed into his yellow taxi van while cradling a bottle of Coke and a bag of Doritos -- the customary get-me-through snack for the 51-year-old full-time student and father of five. He had parked at a meter in front of a corner store at 75th Street and Collins Avenue in Miami Beach. It was before noon September 7, Labor Day, and the sweltering streets were full of people draped in towels, wearing bathing suits, and flip-flopping to the beach. Jean-Charles found that an SUV had parked inches behind him, jamming him in. He honked and stepped out of the taxi, gesturing for the woman behind the SUV's steering wheel to back up. A short, stocky Hispanic man emerged from the passenger side and stomped toward the cab. "Where you from?" the man snapped. - Shea Gunther

About one quarter of the oil consumed in this country is used for industrial purposes. Plastic production is the most obvious example, as awareness grows of the harm plastic does to the earth and people shun the material when they can. But oil has permeated more of our lives than most people realize. Here, the most surprising places you'll find oil, in some form, as a key ingredient: - Shea Gunther

Al Gore is awesome. - Shea Gunther

Back in 1997, Larry Ellison was on a beach in Hawaii. After sipping his second Margarita that evening, he turned to his pal Steve Jobs, who was listening to Bob Dylan on his Sony Walkman. "Steve...Steve...STEVE! Hey, let's buy Apple." The Oracle CEO had all the money lined up, ready to buy the triumphant return of Caesar. But Steve didn't want that kind of comeback. He thought that, if he proceeded with a takeover, people would think he was just greedy, wanting to make money out of the company. In Ellison's own words: He explained to me that with the moral high ground, he thought he could make decisions more easily and more gracefully. - Shea Gunther

I actually saw Bruno in the theaters. Didn't think it was as funny as Borat, but still amusing enough at times. Anyway, one of the bits from the movie involved Sacha Baron Cohen's character coming to a place to do interviews and realizing there was no furniture. Instead, he had the interview subject -- in the movie, it's Paula Abdul -- sit down on one of the laborers doing work. Evidently there was a scene that didn't air in the movie that involved former Cincinnati Reds legend Pete Rose. The clip has been released as a teaser for the DVD release of the film on Nov. 17. (Some semi-NSFWities in the clip.) - Shea Gunther