The 4 most interesting things I read today about the environment

During any given day, I skim dozens of articles and blogs. The ones that really interest me, I stop and read all the way through. They aren't necessarily the most momentous stories. Often, I don't agree with them. Sometimes, I'm just intrigued because they're quirky. Every few days, at the end of my workday, I'm going to pass along a few of these.

A Monitor editorial: Sticker shock in acting on global warming. A Monitor editorial that looks at balancing taking action on climate change with the costs, which few seem to agree on. No, this isn't nepotism. I'm not one of those people who turn to the editorials first (or even third), but I read every word of this one.

Let's try taxing drivers by the mile, Seattle official says. Surely we could have seen this one coming. I can smile because I walk to work. (I also don't live in Seattle, of course.)

New label to show how environmentally friendly your porridge is. In Britain (where oatmeal is called porridge), an eco-label on food is going to tell consumers the carbon footprint of producing and cooking a product. (For the porridge, the carbon footprint is more if you cook it in the microwave rather than on the stovetop.)

Belgian city plans 'veggie' days. Ghent is going meatless one day a week (at least, schoolkids and bureaucrats are), although no one says just how they're going to enforce it.