All signs on Capitol Hill point to a royally depressing Earth Day 2005 (that would be next Friday): inertia on global warming, revival of the industry-friendly energy bill, a widely reviled plan to address mercury pollution, the looming prospect of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. And though it's the 35th anniversary of the first Earth Day, D.C.-based environmental groups don't seem to have plans for splashy protests or pep rallies to mark the occasion. Matt Damon. Photo: PBS. Could it be that an infusion of star power from Hollywood is the best hope for pumping new life into …

Abandoned oil rigs host thriving ecosystems, stir debate Discovery of thriving ecosystems on some abandoned oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico is refueling a debate over what to do with old rigs once their oil-drilling life is over. Some conservationists have been advocating a "Rigs to Reefs" program whereby old platforms are tipped over, cut down below the water's surface, or towed away and sunk, creating artificial reefs for a variety of marine life below the surface. Others, like biologist Paul Sammarco, who's found abundant ecosystems on more than a dozen of the gulf's 4,000 still-standing rigs, are advocating …

Inspired, no doubt, by recent lively discussion in Ask Umbra and Gristmill on nuclear power (necessary evil or pure evil?), New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof has decided to join the fray with his simplistically titled (and conceived) "Nukes Are Green" column. He's of the James Lovelock school of thought, arguing that with climate change bearing down on us and renewables not yet up to full speed, nuclear is our only hope.Kristof makes a few pithy points: America's biggest power source is now coal, which kills about 25,000 people a year through soot in the air. To put it another …

Its contents are not available online (as far as I can tell), but the recent issue of Harper's Magazine contains a piece that makes it worth buying on the newsstand. It's called "Death of a Mountain," by Erik Reece. The subtitle is "radical strip mining and the leveling of Appalachia," and apparently Reece is at work on a book on the subject. (For a quick primer on mountaintop-removal mining, go here.) It is -- and I say this as someone who reads a lot of depressing stuff -- one of the most disheartening things I've ever come across. It is …

Battle between coal and renewables plays out in Nevada A drama in the small Nevada town of Gerlach is a harbinger of things to come for communities around the U.S. On one side is Sempra Energy, which wants to build a coal-fired power plant that would generate enough energy for 1.5 million households and pipe it west to California and up to the Pacific Northwest. On the other side is a somewhat motley coalition of renewable-energy advocates with a proposal for a collection of wind, solar, and geothermal installations that would do the same for 1.2 million households. The transmission …

Oil strategists plan for geopolitical drama as demand increases It's a small world after all -- with an even smaller oil supply. That's what U.S. energy experts, oil companies, and national-security planners are concluding as they try to project America's and the world's oil demand versus declining supplies in coming years. Military planners in particular, aware of the interconnectedness of, if not all things, at least oil markets, intend to spend millions on oil-price-stabilization projects in emerging oil regions like the Caspian Sea and West Africa. One project, to cost $100 million over the next decade, is the Caspian Guard …

Duke Energy CEO has climate-change conversion, proposes carbon tax In a letter to shareholders last week, Duke Energy Corp. CEO Paul Anderson announced his company's decision to lobby for a tax on carbon-dioxide emissions -- a move that shocked shareholders and has some greens scratching their heads. Anderson said in a speech yesterday that he realized the tax would mean bigger bills and higher gas prices, but argued that it's important for industry to take the lead on reducing fossil-fuel consumption. "By helping shape public policy, we can advance the interests of our investors and customers," he wrote in a …

Oil and gas drillers set their sights on U.S. coastal areas A federal moratorium on oil and gas drilling off U.S. coasts has been in place for 24 years, but there are signs -- the debate over drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge being just one -- that it may be in danger. The oil and gas industry has been heavily lobbying state governments, where they believe the decisions on coastal drilling will ultimately be made. Virginia's general assembly passed a bill last month urging the state's congressional delegation to seek an exemption from the federal ban. And Sen. …

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani -- whose name is often bandied about as a possible 2008 GOP presidential contender -- added a splash of deep red to his moderate-Republican profile when he announced last week his decision to join a Texas-based law firm known for representing heavy-hitting energy companies. Rudy Giuliani. Photo: NYC.gov. Enron, ChevronTexaco, Pacific Gas & Electric, Dynegy, and Southern Company are among the many powerhouses on the client roster of Bracewell & Giuliani -- formerly Bracewell & Patterson. Having negotiated billions of dollars in transactions for fossil-fuel and power-generation facilities, and having defended some of …

Pombo questioned on wind-power conflict of interest Ah, they grow up so fast! You can tell that wind energy has joined the ranks of mature industries -- it's now got its very own scandal over accusations of improper influence peddling. Aides to Rep. Richard Pombo (R-Calif.), it seems, sent a letter to Interior Department officials pressuring them to suspend environmental regulations that govern the wind industry and threaten to reduce income from the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area, in which Pombo's parents have a significant financial stake. What a coinkydink! The regulations seek to reduce the number of birds sliced …