Articles by Sarah Laskow

Koch Industries fights anti-terrorism regulations

Here's another bit of info to include in your "man, the Koch brothers are eeeevil" file. In environmental circles, the Koch family is best known for its funding of climate deniers, but Koch Industries also owns 56 facilities that use petrochemicals. The government is a teensy bit worried about the attraction these facilities could hold for terrorists, but the company has spent its time and money lobbying against stricter safeguards for chemical facilities. Hey, regulations are regulations, whether they protect against pollution or terrorism, and all regulations are for liberal weenies!

iWatch News found that 4.8 million people live within risky distance of these plants, and that:

Critical List: Conflicts connected to climate; some green collar jobs are also white collar jobs

Conflicts across the world can be connected to climate phenomena like El Niño.

Mitt Romney: so wimpy on climate issues, it hurts.

Some green jobs require an MBA.

Drivers are still cutting down on miles, even though gas prices are creeping downward.

The trucks of the future will have skirts, tails, and fins

This month, the White House announced the first-ever fuel efficiency standards for heavy trucks — heavy pick-ups, work vans and trucks (think the Frito-Lay delivery guy), and tractor-trailers. The people who make these behemoths have never had to think about fuel economy before, but now they do. And there's lots of room for improvement.

Sandstorms of coal ash blanket Moapa River reservation

The Moapa River Indian Reservation is right next to the Reid Gardner Power Station and its coal ash storage ponds. Winds blow the coal ash -- a waste product that contains arsenic, lead, and mercury -- over the reservation. Residents stay indoors, because it's a like a sandstorm and they can taste the ash in their months. Even so, they have health issues like asthma and thyroid dysfunction, conditions that have been linked to coal ash.