Food for Thought
“Our destruction of nature is not just bad stewardship, or stupid economics, or a betrayal of family responsibility; it is the most horrid blasphemy. It is flinging God's gifts into His face, as if they were of no worth beyond that assigned to them by our destruction of them.”
Wendell Berry
Tag Archives: energy
Turning pollution into fuel
To ease into the groove of the revived Natural Patriot, I’m starting with the easy stuff: some of the arguably noteworthy developments that transpired during the touch-and-go months of social-networking coma. First up: the latest on our algal biofuel project, … Continue reading
Transportation: Toward a better place
Among the thorniest problems of transforming global society into a sustainable one is that of transportation. For general power needs of homes and industry, the technology already exists to generate electricity from renewable sources like wind and solar, albeit not … Continue reading
How to solve global warming
It’s familiar dilemma: after you’ve changed out your old incandescent light bulbs, got serious about recycling, started eating local farm produce, switched to reusable shopping bags, maybe even bought a Prius, one comes to the uncomfortable question: How are we … Continue reading
The promise of biofuels: a lot of hot air?
I suppose we should have known it was all too good to be true. What could be wrong with using plants for fuel? They take carbon out of the air, so burning them up in the tank just puts it … Continue reading
Biofuels and sustainability: the pros weigh in
The Ecological Society of America, the Nation’s leading body of professional ecological scientists (of which I am a proud member), has released a position statement on biofuels sustainability. The full text is here. Because these are highly important issues and … Continue reading
Posted in Biodiversity, Politics, Sustainability
Tagged climate, economics, energy, restoration
3 Comments
Can we afford to save the world?
The environmental problems the world faces are daunting. One often hears that the economic costs involved in resource conservation, reforestation, transition to a new energy regime, and so forth are so high that solving them is simply too expensive. But this … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Sustainability
Tagged climate, economics, energy, food, happiness, health, natural capital, population, restoration
1 Comment
Lee Iacocca: plug-in hybrids are the future
It’s official. American cars are no longer king. This past quarter, for the first time in history, a foreign auto maker — Toyota — has surpassed General Motors in sales. The legendary former Chrysler Chairman, Lee Iacocca, brought Chrysler back … Continue reading
Green is also the color of money
How can we save the world from environmental destruction? If you are a traditional (yes, I mean liberal) enviro-type, your first reaction will very likely involve demonstrating against some evil corporation and/or demanding that the government pass this or that … Continue reading
A favorable climate for action
Of all the multifarious challenges facing the global environment, the changing climate is the granddaddy of ‘em all, the one ring to rule them all, the one ring to bind them. Until recently, the political prospects of doing something about … Continue reading
Amber waves of . . . automotive fuel?
You can have your biodiversity and eat it—and burn it—too. That’s the message from a recent study of natural biofuel production by a team of ecologists and economists from the University of Minnesota (see summary from NPR). Wild living organisms … Continue reading
