You know, I get it. People have been understandably frustrated about high gas prices, the slow pace of the economic recovery, and gridlock in Washington. Approval of Congress is in the cellar and there are doubts about the ability of our government to put us on the right track. But our government can still work, even when it comes to climate change. We’ve got to put in effort to get there, but we can deliver. Don’t believe me? Well, let me give you an example from our new book, Cooler Smarter. Read More
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My Car’s Carbon Emissions are How Big?!?!?
April 17th, 2012
So, you want to cut your carbon emissions and maybe even save some money? Well, start with what you drive and how you drive it. When it comes to the largest contribution you make to climate change, the culprits are most likely parked in your driveway. That’s one of the key findings in a new book, Cooler Smarter: Practical Steps for Low-Carbon Living, that I helped write with a team of researchers at UCS. Read More
Global Warming: Do Individual Choices Matter?
April 13th, 2012
It is getting hotter out there and you CAN do something about it. That’s the thesis of a new book I helped write with a team of researchers at UCS who set out to determine the most effective steps each of us can take to combat global warming. Read More
GM Drives Away From Climate Denial, Dumps Heartland Institute
March 30th, 2012
The big news today is that General Motors said they’ll no longer fund a group that regularly attacks climate science.
According to the Huffington Post, “The automaker told the Heartland Institute last week that it won’t be making further donations, spokesman Greg Martin said.” Read More
Protect Yourself from High Gas Prices
March 23rd, 2012
As I drove my son to daycare this morning, I saw that my local gas station sign read $3.90 per gallon for regular gasoline. That’s right about the national average, though many are already dealing with more than $4 per gallon. This is the new reality for the 240 million Americans who rely on cars and light trucks to go about their daily lives. Read More
The Day the Electric Car Died and What it Means for Today
February 27th, 2012
Ok, so electric cars are anything but dead—there are more than 30 models expected from automakers in the next few years—and you don’t have to look far to see the passion they provoke in their owners. But electric cars have had many a brush with death in a battle for the hearts and minds of American drivers that has gone on more than a century. Read More
Why Do You Love your Hybrid or Electric Car?
February 22nd, 2012
Love it or hate it, the car culture is a big part of the American identity. People just love talking about their cars, and I get to hear a lot of inspiring car stories because of what I do. Read More
Dear Climate Deniers, Meet California Scientists and Engineers with the Facts and Solutions to the Pollution
February 8th, 2012
A recent opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) from 16 scientists and engineers has gotten a lot of attention on our blog and elsewhere. The scientists and engineers basically urged candidates for public office to ignore the growing problem of climate change. But they are far from representative of the scientific and engineering communities. Read More
Car Companies Embrace a Different Kind of Climate Change, Oil Industry Threatens to Sue
February 3rd, 2012
When I think about climate change, the images that come quickly to mind are of melting polar ice caps, heat waves, droughts, and severe flooding. This kind of climate change, or global warming, is one of the biggest problems UCS is trying to help slow and ultimately stop. Read More
Iran Oil Threats, Yet Another Reason to Resolve to Cut Our Oil Use
January 9th, 2012
I’m off by a week, but…Happy New Year! I hope everyone resolved to buy a higher fuel economy or electric car or to find alternatives to driving all the time, because it looks like it could be yet another year of oil and gasoline price spikes, thanks yet again to Middle East security issues. Read More




