The New Economy

The New ECOnomy

Global warming. Foreign oil. Bank meltdowns. Here’s how to tackle them all at once.

Illustration by Yarek Waszul


As a public service, Mother Jones, which is a nonprofit magazine, will release the full contents of this issue online over the next several weeks. If you’d like your Mother Jones sooner—and you want to support independent investigative journalism—please subscribe now.

DEPARTMENTS

OUTFRONT
Bush’s bureaucrats burrow in; Monica Goodling’s search for “good Americans”; is the oil shortage a scam?; Rudolph the stranded reindeer; can the water whisperer end drought forever?; sneaky ways to block the vote; why tax shelters are cozier than ever; how green is your team?

EXHIBIT
Germ warfare

Fighting bacteria only makes them mad.

WITNESS
After Math

When public health researcher Les Roberts set out to count Iraq’s dead, the last thing he expected was a math war.

PRACTICAL VALUES
O Say Can You Buy?

I bought American for a week and all I got was this lousy tank top.

MEDIA JONES
Michael Agger on the new Thoreauvians; Buffy creator Joss Whedon thinks feminism is hot; gaming global warming; plus more book(Al’ America, The Narcotic Farm, Remix), film(Boogie Man), and music(Make the Road by Walking, Heart On, Dirt Don’t Hurt, Does You Inspire You) reviews

P.S.
American holidays

FEATURES

the challenge

Can We Save the Planet and Rescue the Economy at the Same Time?Can We Save the Planet and Rescue the Economy at the Same Time?

We put a man on the moon, didn’t we?


The Seven Deadly DeficitsThe Seven Deadly Deficits

What the Bush years really cost us


turning point

The Most Important Number on EarthThe Most Important Number on Earth

Is it too late to escape the greenhouse danger zone?


PLUS:  Cutting CO2 for fun and profit


lose carbon now

Diet for a Warm PlanetDiet for a Warm Planet

Watch your extra carbon melt away!


Burning QuestionsBurning Questions

Taking the guesswork out of going green


PLUS:  Ecogeek deathmatch: Ed Begley Jr. vs. Bill Nye


industrial revolution

The Truth About Green JobsThe Truth About Green Jobs

When are they coming? Who gets them? Are they really outsourcing-proof?


What About the Dirty JobsWhat About the Dirty Jobs?

Stop condescending to the brown-collar crowd.


Losing FocusLosing Focus

How Ford went into the ditch


The Science ProjectThe Science Project

What’s holding up the breakthroughs


Out of the WoodsOut of the Woods

Lumberjacks and tree sitters, together at last


Big Green BrotherBig Green Brother

Wal-Mart pushes clean living. Yes, Wal-Mart.


PLUS:  T. Boone Pickens’ hot air on wind energy


capitol improvements

Earth to WashingtonEarth to Washington

Why DC doesn’t get it


Let's Go EuropeLet’s Go Europe

Brussels’ greener government: Could it happen here?


The Great PersuaderThe Great Persuader

Can Obama walk his talk?


PLUS:  Cleaning up the House


unwell

Gas drilling in western Colorado makes the water foul and the locals angry.