The disastrous state subsidies for agrofuels piled on top of the federal ones.  Here’s a must-read story on Another pair of studies showing that ethanol–both corn AND switchgrass flavors–is WORSE for climate change than petroleum. In other words, Big Ag has persuaded us to pour gas on the climate fire. Spending millions to prop up [...]

I feel odd wishing people a “Happy New Year,” because it seems like such a trivial wish — like visiting soldiers about to be sent to the front and wishing them a pleasant train ride. We have stirred up some serious stuff with our obstinate refusal to accept and live within ecological limits, but — [...]

You can’t say you didn’t know any more. A UN official calls turning foodcrops into biofuels “a crime against humanity.” He may be overly optimistic about our future ability to turn other materials into biofuels, but at least he has the moral courage to demand that we stop starving people just to funnel money to [...]

The first thing to do when faced with a situation racing wildly out of control, such as a massive wildfire roaring down a canyon road toward you, is to evacuate. You can drop everything that isn’t alive and regroup later. My son Eric is the youth pastor of Malibu Presbyterian, the church that was one [...]

As with all addictions, when supply is threatened, we set about finding alternatives, and we become insistent that our need for those alternatives is paramount–so much so that we’re essentially willing to do anything to obtain them. Yet another savvy observer is trying to warn us that substitutes (hydrogen, biofuels, whatever) are not the solution, [...]

During our town`s bomb scare yesterday morning on one of our busiest days of the year — Astoria Regatta with its Grand Land Parade — there was a bit of a … traffic problem. Actually you might call it The Astoria Perfect Storm. Parade floats and their handlers effectively blocked one main route through town [...]

Oregon League of Conservation Voters has a blog where they have asked for your ideas for the next Legislative session — so dream big!   The only stupid ideas are the ones that no one ever expresses, because all the rest can spark something better, even if it’s not such a hot idea in itself. So [...]

Washington County Peak Oil — new relocalization group. Get involved.

A message from the freepress campaign, working to keep the series of tubes a place where anyone can communicate. Once again, all categories checked, because keeping the Internet open is important to every issue: Last week, a quarter-million people came out in force to tell the Federal Communications Commission to open the public airwaves to [...]

Dear George, Tell Your Story to the FCC Read Other Stories Phone and cable company lobbyists are attacking Internet freedom again in Washington. But people from every corner of the country are rising up to stop them. You can help by taking five minutes to save the Internet. The FCC needs to hear your story [...]