Latest Articles

The last Keystone pipeline had a record number of leaks

The Huffington Post has posted one of those giant infographics on the subject of Keystone I, the last TransCanada pipeline in the U.S. and progenitor to the proposed Keystone XL tar-sands pipeline. It's crazy big, beacuse apparently infographics these days are more like abridged children's books, but here's the take-home message: Keystone I had more […]

Why the hell does Michele Bachmann want to drill for oil in the Everglades?

Michele Bachman wants to drill for oil "whether that is in the Everglades or whether that is in the Eastern Gulf region or whether that is in North Dakota." Even Republicans think this is kind of nuts, because even Republicans are willing to agree that the Everglades has some nice stuff that it'd be darn shame to ruin forever. But for Bachmann, it's a "wonderful treasure trove of energy that God has given us in this country."

If you're thinking, oil in the Gulf … ok; oil in North Dakota … sure, I read that New Yorker article; but … is there even oil the Everglades?? … well, we're with you. A federally employed geologist told a local Florida TV station that "there is no known evidence that there is a significant hydrocarbon deposit beneath the Everglades." 

But the Associated Press reports that there is one tract of privately owned land where oil was found in 1943. 

Peak coal in China means the country's desperate for renewables

China's economic miracle is under severe threat from up to 30 GW in power shortages -- that's more than twice the output of the Three Gorges Dam. Coal plants are shutting down as the cost of fuel outpaces the government-controlled price of electricity. Domestic shortages have driven the price of fuel up 75 percent since 2007, but the Chinese government limits electricity price increases to only 15 percent.

U.S. Navy's wave-power buoy plays chicken with Irene, wins

So last week Irene was all like, "HERE I AM! I'm going to rock you like myself!" And off the coast of Jersey (where else?) the U.S. Navy's PowerBuoy was like "bring it!"

Critical List: Federally backed solar company closes; London drops carbon offset plan for Olympics

Solyndra, a solar company that had received more than $500 million in federally backed loan guarantees, is shutting down.

Vermont's still reeling from Irene.

Oklahoma lawmakers are looking for ways to block the Keystone XL pipeline locally.

The organizers of the 2012 London Olympics are dropping their plan to offset the Games' carbon emissions. Weak.

Bikers, beware the door zone

Careless drivers swinging their doors open into the bike lane pose a common danger to cyclists. But some cities, like San Francisco, are looking for solutions.

Is planet-cooling balloon full of hot air?

A stadium-sized balloon tied down by a giant garden house could mimic the cooling effect of volcanoes, say British researchers.

'Solar home rule' could power the D.C. economy

Citizens of Washington, D.C. could generate jobs and keep more electricity dollars at home with rooftop solar power.

Chilean sea bass test yields fishy results

Recent DNA testing revealed that so-called sustainable Chilean sea bass samples were not, in fact, what they were advertised to be.

Secretary of Energy is a Keystone XL booster

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu hasn't said definitively whether he supports the Keystone XL pipeline. But he's heavily implied that he's a fan, laying out the project's potential benefits in an interview with energyNOW!. "It's not perfect," said Chu of the pipeline, which would increase greenhouse-gas emissions and quite probably leak to boot. But he […]