Follow-up on refrigeration: the history of the idea of food “freshness”
My colleague Jonathan Zasloff's recent post on refrigeration reminded me of a fascinating book published last year: Fresh, by Susanne Freidberg. This book -- authored by a college classmate of mine who teaches geography at Dartmouth -- chronicles the evolution of the culturally-constructed concept of "freshness" in 19th and 20th-century America, and the development of modern food storage technology, through the lens of six common household food products. Among other...
CONTINUE READINGEPA proposes fuel economy letter grade labels for cars
New labels proposed by the federal government would give new cars letter grades reflecting their fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions. Electric cars and plug-in hybrids are expected to get the highest grades. The rule isn't final yet; the public can comment and make suggestions on the label design. Most of us are familiar with the fuel economy labels that our federal government requires for all new cars. These labels estimate the miles a car owner can expec...
CONTINUE READINGThe Not-So-Skeptical Environmentalist
Bjorn Lomborg (a/k/a the "Skeptical Environmentalist") has apparently had a change of heart regarding climate change. According to the Guardian: The world's most high-profile climate change sceptic is to declare that global warming is "undoubtedly one of the chief concerns facing the world today" and "a challenge humanity must confront", in an apparent U-turn that will give a huge boost to the embattled environmental lobby. Bjørn Lomborg, the self-styled "s...
CONTINUE READINGGumby and the Mad Hatter Meet US Energy Policy
As Dan notes, the Coast Guard is reporting the explosion of a nonoperating oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The last I heard, there were no fatalities, and several workers there were able to escape using flotation clothing, better known as "Gumby Suits." Obviously, had the oil rig been functional, there is a strong probability (although not certainty) that there would have been another devastating oil leak. Of course, this makes the prospects of US clean energy legi...
CONTINUE READINGBreaking News: Oil Rig Explosion
The Washington Post reports that a non-producing rig in 2500 feet of water has exploded off the Louisiana Coast. More details at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/02/AR2010090202590.html?wpisrc=nl_natlalert...
CONTINUE READINGOn the Lack of a Refrigerator
So my family just moved into a new house the other day, but the refrigerator won't arrive from the factory for another few days. This condition has vast environmental implications. Really. My headache for the past few days has been: how to store food? Even I have the basic competence to prepare a meal without refrigerated products, but how does one keep the food around overnight and later? What do I pack for my 6-year-old daughter's lunch for the next day? (An...
CONTINUE READINGScaling Up Clean Energy
Science has a special issue on the problem of taking clean energy to scale. News stories highlight some of the challenges associated with making this energy transition, Perspectives take an in-depth look at how researchers hope to scale up biofuels development, and a Review discusses a two-stage approach for expanding nuclear power generation. Compared to other technology sectors, the distinctive feature of renewable energy is this need to ramp up to scale. Soft...
CONTINUE READINGJump-Starting Clean Tech
A new report illuminates the role of the stimulus package in energizing Clean Tech. Three of the four areas discussed in the report fall into this category; the fourth relates to medical research. 1. Modernizing transportation, including advanced vehicle technology and high-speed rail. Among other things, this includes $2 billion in advanced battery and electric drive component manufacturing and $2.4 billion in loans to support three of the world’s first electric ca...
CONTINUE READINGClimate Change and El Nino
From dot.earth: Federal researchers have published work concluding that a particular variant of the periodic El Niño warmups of the tropical Pacific Ocean is becoming more frequent and stronger. The pattern appears to fit what is expected from human-driven warming of the global climate, said the researchers . . . The 2009-2010 El Nino event was the strongest on record. The researchers also said that the trend did not fit with the record of natural variability in th...
CONTINUE READINGCalifornia Clearing House on Scientific Review Panel
The California Report correspondent Amy Standen recently recounted the dismissal (or failure to reappoint, depending on your perspective) of a group of scientists from CalEPA’s Scientific Review Panel. Little explanation for the action were given, although Standen notes that John Froines, a professor in the UCLA School of Public Health, also chaired a committee that recently took state regulators to task regarding plans to register methyl iodide as a pesticide. Pac...
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