>> Drive less to save the environment — but support your economy by buying a new car? Tom Bachtell looks at some tough challenges in our effort to stimulate the economy while saving the environment:

The popular answer—switch to hybrids—leaves the fundamental problem unaddressed…. If doubling the cost of gas gives drivers an environmentally valuable incentive to drive less … then doubling the efficiency of cars makes that incentive disappear. Getting more miles to the gallon is of no benefit to the environment if it leads to an increase in driving—and the response of drivers to decreases in the cost of driving is to drive more….

>> Create transmission lines for solar and wind power — that’ll mainly sell coal power? “Environmentalists fear power companies will use the rush to renewables as an excuse to build many new transmission lines that will be used to carry mostly dirty old coal. The Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline … would start right near the largest coal-fired power plant in West Virginia. Yet advertisements promoting the new proposed line pitch it as a conduit for wind power, complete with video of windmills spinning in the sky. ”

>> Buy organic fair trade products — from huge multinational corporations that mostly profit from monoculture farming, unhealthy weird foods, and unfair trade practices? Philip H. Howard, professor at Michigan State University, put together charts showing how the organic food industry’s structured. Yes, Kraft owns Back to Nature. (Thanks for the tip, Richard)

>> L.A.’s bike licensing program’s officially suspended — but you can still get ticketed for not having a bike license. Alex Thompson calls out Officer Schube, who cited one Tom for not having a bike license and for having an outdated address on his driver’s license. Alex says he himself was cuffed for 20 minutes and cited for crossing against a flashing hand sign.

Photo by andropolis

0 Comments