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A new report

"The Carbon Neutral Myth: Offset Indulgences for your Climate Sins" (long PDF), a report from Carbon Trade Watch by Kevin Smith, is a new critique of the idea of carbon neutrality.

The press release says:

Carbon offsets are the modern day indulgences, sold to an increasingly carbon-conscious public to absolve their climate sins. Scratch the surface, however, and a disturbing picture emerges, where creative accountancy and elaborate shell games cover up the impossibility of verifying genuine climate-change benefits, and where communities in the South often have little choice as offset projects are inflicted on them.

The report also deals in more depth with an issue Grist has covered in passing -- the energy-saving CFL bulbs Climate Care paid for in the South African urban township of Guguletu.

What parents can do

Ever since I wrote a piece on Ann Cooper, the “renegade lunch lady” bent on returning real food to school cafeterias, I’ve been meaning to follow up on what parents […]

Is it really all that rosy?

Lately, most of what you hear about green building is pretty rosy; the industry is booming, everyone's on board, and green building has gone mainstream. By and large, I tend to agree that things are looking nice. But there are three different trends(?) in green building that caught my attention recently. I think the push and pull from these activities could lead to a not-so-pleasant dustup among industry, green building advocates, and public policymakers down the line.

Grist interviews Vilsack; Vilsack quits presidential race

Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (D) has added another "former" to his list of titles by withdrawing from the 2008 presidential race. But before he folded, citing financial concerns, Grist's Amanda Griscom Little interviewed Vilsack -- a vocal opponent of the Iraq war -- about his surprisingly aggressive energy plan [PDF], ethanol's future, and more.

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Other Democratic candidates, Sens. Obama and Clinton in particular, seem to be putting emphasis on energy and the environment as well. How do you think your record compares to theirs?

As governor of Iowa I was able to actually grow a renewable fuel industry in my state. We've dramatically increased ethanol production, dramatically increased wind production, through a creative use of strategies. I don't think any other candidate can actually point to that accomplishment.

What motivated you to come out with such a comprehensive energy proposal so early in the game?

Primarily the fact that energy security is the most important domestic issue facing the United States.  We've been talking about this challenge for decades, and it's time we get very serious about it.

This is a strategy not just to meet our energy needs in a way that's environmentally sound, but also to ensure that we never send young men and women to war over oil as we have in the past and we appear to be doing right now in Iraq.

Win a compost bin designed and autographed by celeb-types

Youth-focused group Global Inheritance has teamed up with hip-hoppers The Roots to get composting into schools across the U.S. As part of the Feed Your Roots campaign, elementary, middle, and […]

She’s not into it

A couple weeks ago, Daily Grist noted Richard Branson’s $25 million prize, offered for some kind of widget that will take CO2 out of the atmosphere. I didn’t have much […]

Vilsack is out

Vilsack, we hardly knew ye. A long shot, yes. But those energy policies … so dreamy.

It’s all the buzz in Europe

Global warming and Chinese pottery to blame!

A dairy giant does the right thing

Erstwhile Gristmiller Sam Fromartz, true to form as an ex-reporter, has breaking news on his personal blog. Sam reports that Dean Foods, the dominant U.S. dairy supplier (you can find […]

McCain:

I’m not Bush! Update [2007-2-22 17:8:54 by David Roberts]: Hilarious. Check out ThinkProgress to see how the right-wing blogs have responded to McCain’s criticism of Bush on climate change. He’s […]