Politics

My first brush with Obama’s Pennsylvania problem came during a visit to the dentist. As a light-skinned black man, I sometimes pass undetected “behind enemy lines.” Such was the case at the dentist’s office last fall when the oral hygienist—a young, white gal from small-town Western Pennsylvania with the ironic first name of Hillary—stated firmly…

Yeah, you love meat. In countless cultures, both in the U.S. and abroad, eating meat is aspirational—a sign of the good life. But as more of the earth’s residents choose to eat meat, we imperil the planet. Getting beef, lamb and chicken on your plate uses and pollutes billions of gallons of water in the…

Green jobs are all the rage, and the hottest sectors are in manufacturing and the skilled building trades. Roadwork, plumbing and pipe fitting, sheet metal working, carpentry, auto parts manufacturing and solar panel installation are all traditional areas of employment that are suddenly finding green applications. Recovery Act funding has put extra money behind green…

When it comes to saving money on home heating and electric bills, our parents have said it all: Turn off the lights! Turn off that tap! Put on a sweater! Go outside!  These are all great starting points, but to really go green—and save green—you can do much more. Efficiency is the single easiest way…

Is your house full of holes? Homes and businesses built decades ago are now, more likely than not, producing drafty nights and oven-like days. The reason? Air is constantly escaping from poorly designed windows or poorly insulated roofs. And if your home fits that description, modern weatherization could save you hundreds of dollars over time.…

You may think that riding a bicycle is only for reckless teens and hard-core city couriers, but, to go green, many Americans are remembering the virtues of going on pedal patrol. Bicycle commuting is way up across the country, from New York City to Portland, Oregon. Bike lanes are being laid down in towns and…

President Obama recently announced a plan to develop and improve high-speed rail service between major American cities. The investment could transform the U.S. transportation system in the same way that the introduction of light rail changed local driving habits, reducing the number of individual vehicle miles traveled by 5 to 30 percent annually. In addition…

It’s hard to overstate the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling. In a world where space is limited and human population isn’t shrinking, cutting down on the amount of trash we produce—from the Styrofoam you litter to that cell phone you junk—is key. Much of our waste is destined for landfills, but could just as…

The last Democratic Presidential debate was both uplifting and depressing. The uplifting part of it came in the moments of real substance from Sens. Clinton and Obama. For my part, Obama was the steadier, clearer, and the more inspiring voice over the full arc of the evening. The depressing parts were many of the questions…

Any day now I expect George Stephanopoulos, Sean Hannity, Hillary Clinton and John McCain to pressure Barrack Obama to renounce my endorsement. Mind you, Obama woudn’t know me from the man in the moon since I ‘ve never actually met him. But that’s splitting hairs. I’ve watched him on TV: I want him to win,…