Greetings, earthlings. Did you get all greened up yesterday? I thought so. Now it’s time to sit like a lump in your chair, and catch up on your reading.
First, the bad news. Looks like Wal-Mart is one step closer to plunking a retail monstrosity down on an irreplaceable historical site. (Not that I’m taking sides or anything.) It’s not all over yet; Orange County planners still have to weigh in. Just say no to rampant consumption of plastic-wrapped doohickeys.
Now, the good news. There is a ray of light in the PATH power line debate, another development brouhaha from parts north. I especially like the sentence in this story about how electricity demand is on the wane. Now that‘s worth a holiday.
Moving right along to the funny pages. Check out this amusing take on the internal politics of green houses, wherein certain people are highly committed to their own tiny footprints while certain other people to whom they are related are sneaking nasty processed food into the communal fridge. Any of this ring true for you? Actually, though it is worth a chuckle, it raises a serious issue: How many changes can we ask ourselves to make, and how many can we force on our spouses and children?
And then we have an editorial from Grist’s Daniel Akst, part of a larger package on Grist.org about the meaning of Earth Day. Akst isn’t buying it. If you’re after a more positive spin on the holiday, read Rick Bass’s piece instead, or better yet, Mike Cermak’s intriguing critique of the whiteness of the enviro movement.
That’s it for now. If you’ve got a green read, post it in the comments!