Link herd

This seems grossly unfair, but I'm sick again. I don't usually get sick often, but the last month has been dreadful. I think I've caught everything coming down the pike -- and living with a little blonde petri dish, that's a lot. But enough of that. Here we go on our first new and improved, now-with-more-optimism-and-less-death-and-destruction link herd.

First up, don't miss Mothers for Alaska, whose author left a comment here the other day. Just last night Mr. T observed that perhaps nothing will be done about the climate crisis until people start feeling the effects of it close to home. If you think about it, it makes sense that the effects of global climate change should be felt more immediately closer to the earth's poles. Reading this blog, I was struck by the fact that it's happening now. Fortunately, Mothers for Alaska is chock full of information and activism.

Lookee! A car that runs on compressed air!

For those of us with cars that don't run on air, here's a neat article on "hypermilers." These folks are obsessed with squeezing out as many miles per gallon as possible, and its really cool to see how they do it. They even have competitions. Turns out that backing out of parking spaces is a big gas-sink. There are lots of other interesting tips for making the most of your petroleum use. Just, ahem, use the safe ones.

From Grist, how to talk to a climate skeptic. Also just a good source for the science.

Manual lawnmowers are making a comeback. Guess what? I have one. I love it. My Portland yard isn't very big, and it gives me a quick little upper-body workout. Plus, it's fun and there are no smelly gas fumes.