As I sit down to write this, there are fireworks going off down the street. People are yelling and screaming, hooting and hollering. Car horns are honking. I live about 5 miles as the crow flies from South Philly, and the Phillies just won the World Series in the most important rain delayed baseball game [...]
The Environmental Impact of the Most Important Rain Delayed Baseball Game Ever
October 30, 2008 by 10 Comments
All Aboard Intercity Rail Transport, Amtrak Reconnecting Communities
October 29, 2008 by 4 Comments
My family and I awoke, greeted by a spectacular show of autumn colors while our Capitol Limited Amtrak train coasted alongside a meandering river somewhere outside Martinsburg, West Virginia. We headed to the glass enclosed lounge car to join a convivial community of train travelers, snapping photos of quaint mountain towns and even a wind [...]
Earth Policy Institute: The Flawed Economics of Nuclear Power
October 29, 2008 by 3 Comments
By Lester R. Brown Over the last few years the nuclear industry has used concerns about climate change to argue for a nuclear revival. Although industry representatives may have convinced some political leaders that this is a good idea, there is little evidence of private capital investing in nuclear plants in competitive electricity markets. The [...]
Starbucks to Double Its Purchase of Fair Trade Coffee in 2009
October 29, 2008 by 10 Comments
Earlier this month, Starbucks took a beating by environmentalists when it was reported that the coffee chain was wasting up to 6 million gallons of water daily. Just a few weeks later, the are making environmental news again, but this time for something positive they are doing. Yesterday, TransFair USA and the Fairtrade Labelling Organiations [...]
Bright Lights and Big Bangs: The Chemical Composition of Fireworks
October 27, 2008 by 2 Comments
Part 2: Do Fireworks Pose Significant Environmental Danger? Pittsburgh, PA. A place known for its peoples’ good ol’ blue collar fervor, our enthusiasm for everything from our football team (STEELERS!!) to our beer (Iron City) to our hoagies (Primanti’s, brother!). We are thus naturally inclined to encourage bombastic public demonstrations of our affection–in this case, [...]
