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Articles by Gar Lipow

Gar Lipow, a long-time environmental activist and journalist with a strong technical background, has spent years immersed in the subject of efficiency and renewable energy. His new book Solving the Climate Crisis will be published by Praeger Press in Spring 2012. Check out his online reference book compiling information on technology available today.

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  • Time to choose between a new cold war with Russia and a new cold war with Iran

    It seems that centrist Mark Kleiman thinks continued Iran bashing is a bad idea because it is time “to give a hard time to” Russia. This belated opponent of the […]

    Gar Lipow Politics

  • What if a public/private partnership tried to invent the stop sign today?

    What if there were no stop signs and a 21st century corporation tried to invent one under contract from a 21st century government department? Yep, there are downsides to public […]

    Gar Lipow Uncategorized

  • Unilateral drilling deal is bad politics

    Joe Romm seems to think Obama’s public support for drilling is smart politics, getting something for nothing. Romm is one of the smartest policy guys out there, but I think […]

    Gar Lipow Politics

  • How to stop horselaughs from crushing good ideas?

    In a recent post about buy back programs to get polluting junkers off the road, I think David's key point was this: "This is one of those silver bb's enviros need to learn how to market better. All small-bore solutions sound faintly silly in isolation ..."

    In fact any solution that is drastically new sounds faintly silly in isolation, or can be made to sound so if an empty-headed media does a one-sentence rephrase (omitting key facts or outright lying if necessary) followed by extended fits of giggles and horselaughs.

    For example, Obama made a quite reasonable case that keeping tires inflated properly would save more oil than all offshore drilling combined. The response from the Republican Party and media combined is Tire gauges? Haw, haw, haw!

    It would be interesting to hear from some market types on how to counteract this garbage. Because otherwise we can watch idiots giggle our future away: "What, you want to stuff my attic with some sort of fabric? Chortle ... You want to produce electricity by sticking blades on a tower in a windy spot? Heh, heh, heh ... You want to put up paths so people can ride bicycles like little kids? Ha, ha,ha."

    You tell me: Are we doomed to forever be South Park Nation, headed by President Beavis and Vice President Butthead? Or is there a way to be heard over the whinnying and braying?

    Gar Lipow Politics