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West Virginia’s new coal-to-gasoline plant will produce dirtiest fuel known to humanity

Well hello there, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin! The last time we checked in with you, you were literally putting a bullet into climate change legislation. And today you're celebrating the opening of a new plant that will turn coal into gasoline, which is pretty much the single worst possible technology we could pursue if […]

Solar breakthrough could lead to 90 percent efficient panels … someday

A researcher at the University of Missouri is making some eyebrow-raising claims, including that a new technology he has developed could lead to solar panels that convert 90 percent of the sun's energy to electricity. If he's even a little bit right, this would be more than amazing; it would be earth-shattering. So he's probably […]

Another danger of non-organic farming: Exploding watermelons

People opt for organically-farmed food for all different reasons, but here's one of the more compelling ones we've seen: Agricultural chemicals can make watermelons explode.  Chinese watermelon crops just had an unfortunate run-in with the growth accelerator forchlorfenuron, which makes plants' cells divide faster to pump up growth rates. Supposedly forchlorfenuron can bump up harvest […]

Critical List: Senate wimps out on oil subsidies bill; solar storms loom

The Senate voted down a bill that would have ended tax subsidies for the five biggest oil companies. The bill had little to no chance of passing the House and becoming law, but the Senate wussed out on taking a stand even on a bill crafted only to score political points. In Maryland, "renewable energy" […]

Senate Republicans filibuster to protect oil-industry subsidies — after getting gusher of oil money

Cross-posted from Think Progress. On Tuesday night, Republicans in the Senate filibustered the majority’s attempt to repeal $21 billion in subsidies for the big five oil companies — the same companies that made over $30 billion in profits in just the first three months of 2011. While three out of four Americans believe ExxonMobil and […]

No nukes, no problem? Germany’s race for a renewable future

Germany plans to phase out all of its entire nuclear power within 11 years.Photo: Andy RudorferCross-posted from RenewableEnergyWorld.com. This post was coauthored by Wilson Rickerson, CEO of Meister Consultants Group, who leads the company’s international energy and climate work. During the last several years, there has been talk of a global “renaissance of nuclear energy.” […]

Six irrational ideas about oil and gas prices debunked

Let’s give these cuckoo ideas a reality check.Photo: Jeremy BrooksCross-posted from New Deal 2.0. It’s not pretty when several irrational ideas collide. On May 12, the Senate conducted a hearing to discuss the removal of a $2 billion per year tax break for the top five oil companies. The New York Times called the testimony […]

Ending Big Oil’s tax holiday

Will Congress finally end government handouts for Big Oil?Cross-posted from the Center for American Progress. The Senate plans to vote tonight on the Close Big Oil Tax Loopholes Act — legislation that would eliminate $21 billion of tax loopholes over the next decade for the five largest oil companies. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Bob […]

Say Earthalujah! Reverend Billy preaches the green gospel

The Reverend wants you to believe the Earth can be saved! Amen.Photo: Brennan CavanaughThe Reverend preaches: “It’s not easy for Americans to slow down their consumption. No, it ain’t! We’ve got to help each other out. Give each other the power. Yes we do! To back away from the product. To turn. To escape the […]

United Kingdom adopts ambitious climate change target

Cross-posted from the World Resources Institute. The post was written by Jennifer Morgan, director of WRI’s Climate and Energy Program. Today, the government of the United Kingdom took a significant step to shift to a low-carbon economy, providing clear signals to investors that the U.K. wants to host large-scale clean energy projects moving forward. The […]