Kiera Butler

Senior Editor

Kiera answers your green questions every week in her Econundrums column. She was a hypochondriac even before she started researching germ warfare.

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Kiera has written about the environment, arts and culture, and more for Columbia Journalism Review, Orion, Audubon, OnEarth, Plenty, and the Utne Reader. She lives in Berkeley and recently planted 30 onions in her backyard.

Copenhagen's Grand Finale

—By Kiera Butler

| Thu Dec. 17, 2009 7:09 PM PST

Friday is the last day of the Copenhagen climate talks, and the success of the conference could all come down to one tiny number: half a degree Celsius. While 102 countries have called for a limit on temperature rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius, the most powerful nations refuse to back down from a 2 degree target. But when a leaked document revealed that proposed emissions target weren't even in the ballpark of limiting warming to 2 degrees, all that squabbling over half a degree seemed a little silly. So is it possible that Bill McKibben and his team over at 350.org were right all along?

Amidst all the fuss, noted climate change denialist James Inhofe graced the Bella Center with his presence on Thursday. The former chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committeee had previously planned to bring an entire "Truth Squad" of GOP lawmakers to the climate summit. But in the end all he brought was himself and a gaggle of press handlers who told each reporter in the room that the senator was in town and later delivered a printed copy of his talking points.

Follow the last crucial hours of the Copenhagen talks here.

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How Are Things in Copenhagen?

—By Kiera Butler

| Wed Dec. 16, 2009 11:55 PM PST

Over at the Blue Marble blog, MoJo and our collaborators are deep into the second week of climate talks in Copenhagen. And things are getting messy. While the US hasn't exactly been a climate hero, our friendly neighbors to the north have emerged as climate's enemy #1: Canada has negotiated so hard for soft emissions targets that the Yes Men pranksters targeted them earlier this week. And it's about to get worse: On Tuesday, leaked documents from the Harper administration indicated that the nation is considering even weaker emission reduction targets for fossil fuel industries.

Meanwhile, the world's poorest nations have been fighting for a binding treaty. Will it happen? A recent Gallup poll found that 55 percent of Americans support signing such a treaty, while thirty-eight percent give it a thumbs down. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger isn't about to let all the uncertainty get to him. In fact, he thinks the conference has been a resounding success.

Plus: Comedian Eugene Mirman skulks around the Bella Center, makes new friends, and even makes a local apologize for the loud dance music played in all the restaurants in Copenhagen.

Read more breaking news from Copenhagen here.

Watch: Scwarzenegger, Gore, and Klein on Copenhagen

—By Kiera Butler

| Wed Dec. 16, 2009 3:51 PM PST

New footage from Fora TV. First up, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says the conference is "already a success" and recommends holding another one (in California, natch):

Meanwhile, former vice president Al Gore raises the possibility that the North Pole could be ice free during summer within five years:

And journalist and author Naomi Klein announces the winner of the Angry Mermaid award for especially awful anti-climate lobbying. Congrats, Monsanto:

Snail Pie Cures Malnutrition

—By Kiera Butler

| Mon Dec. 14, 2009 6:49 PM PST

[We interrupt our Copenhagen coverage to bring you some important news about snail pie.]

Snails are different things to different peope. To some, they are garden pests. To children with allergies, they are pets. (I had one as a kid. Her name was Evita.) Still others like to eat them with butter and garlic in fancy French restaurants. And now, a Nigerian nutritionist proposes snails take on another role: nutritious pie filling for hungry Nigerians. Snails, the researcher notes, are cheap and abundant in Nigeria and many other developing nations, and they're a good source of protein, iron, and a bunch of vitamins.

Plus, they're toothsome:

Udofia and her research team baked pies of both varieties and asked young mothers and their children to try the tasty meal. Most of them preferred the taste and texture of the pies baked with the snail Archachatina marginata to those made with beef. The kids and their mothers judged the snail pies to have a better appearance, texture, and flavour.

Econundrum: 10 Greener Gift Ideas

—By Kiera Butler

| Mon Dec. 14, 2009 1:58 PM PST

[We interrupt our Copenhagen coverage for this week's Econundrum:]

This year, my Christmas shopping goal was simple: No gadgets. But I’m beginning to think an electronics-free Christmas might be harder to achieve than I thought: According to Amazon’s weekly list of top-selling Christmas gifts, grown-ups are going crazy for Kindles, while kids are clamoring for something called Chuck My Talking Truck (“Not only does Chuck have over 40 spoken phrases and sounds, he also drives to you when called and shakes his bumper and dump bed while chatting and ‘working.’”) Creepy.

Doubting my ability to resist booty-shaking dump trucks, I decided to prevail upon the MoJo hive brain. Courtesy of our smart, thrifty, and eco-minded staff, here are ten greener alternatives to Amazon’s top ten gifts. (If the idea of buying more stuff doesn’t appeal, sit tight till next week: DIY gift ideas are on their way.)

1. Instead of: Baby Einstein Takealong Tunes
Try: Animal Dolls are huggable plush toys based on kids’ drawings. Made of organic materials, 100 percent compostable. Completely free of “high quality and enjoyable classical melodies.” ($24.99 at animaldolls.com)

2. Instead of: Hoover Vacuum Cleaner
Try: A National Parks Pass. No lint in the great outdoors! ($80 at nps.gov/fees_passes)

3. Instead of: Bakugan 7 in 1 Maxus Dragonoid Figurines
Try: Anyu, the organic cotton ice pixie who hails from a polar ice cap. And you know what evil forces are at work up there. Just imagine the dramatic play possibilities. ($22.46 at greenfeet.com)

4. Instead of: Givenchy PLAY Eau de Toilette
Try: A pretty Japanese Furoshiki. Wear it, giftwrap with it, or carry your lunch in it. ($9-$34 at furoshiki.com)

5. Instead of: Amazon Kindle
Try: Something retro: A used book. Bonus points for a childhood favorite, or a cool one that’s gone out of print. (prices vary; try your local bookstore or powells.com)

6. Instead of: Lego Ultimate Building Set
Try: BPA-free tea set made from recycled milk jugs. ($25 at potterybarnkids.com)

7. Instead of: Bare Escentuals Make-up
Try: Something frivolous: Mercy Corp's Women’s Leadership kits. “Give women the resources to turn their ideas and energy into successful small businesses.” ($50 at mercycorps.org/mercykits)

8. Instead of: Levi’s Jeans
Try: Recycled shirt from Stella Neptune. I like this one, which features a jaunty skull wearing a slightly askew crown. ($68 at stellaneptune.com)

9. Instead of: Crocs
Try: Acorn Eco-Wrap Slippers, made of earth friendly fibers, including hemp, wool and yak. ($25.74 at sierratradingpost.com)

10. Instead of: Playskool’s Chuck My Talking Truck
Try: Recycling truck from Green Toys, Inc. Made in the USA from recycled milk jugs; shipped responsibly. Never too early to learn proper sorting. ($21.95 at greenfeet.com)