Climate Climate & Energy
All Stories
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To Everything, Tern, Tern, Tern
Buzzards Bay wind farm faces tough obstacles Amidst the hype over the Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound, developer Jay Cashman unveiled a proposal to erect up to 120 wind turbines in nearby Buzzards Bay. But a recent report by Massachusetts Secretary of Environmental Affairs Stephen Pritchard concludes that Cashman’s project would violate state law […]
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Damned If … OK, Just Damned
CFC alternatives contribute to global warming When signatories to the 1989 Montreal Protocol phased out ozone-depleting, heat-trapping chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in foams and refrigerants, most replaced them with more-ozone-friendly-but-still-heat-trapping hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Too bad: HCFCs and HFCs will add the equivalent of 2 billion to 3 billion tons of CO2 to the atmosphere by […]
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Yes, Virginia, There Is Global Warming
Va. governor asks climate skeptic to avoid state climatologist title Patrick Michaels is a noted skeptic about global warming, cited frequently in the mainstream press and funded amply by fossil-fuel interests. He goes by the title of “Virginia state climatologist.” That makes the commonwealth of Virginia uncomfortable, apparently, and it seems determined to distance itself […]
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Hey Man, Nice DOT
More Alaska drilling proposed as DOT considers new pipeline regulations Spurred by oil giant BP’s many Alaska leaks, the Department of Transportation will soon propose tighter rules for minor petroleum pipelines. BP’s North Slope lines were exempt from certain federal regulations because they operated at low pressure in a rural area, and weren’t near commercially […]
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IMBY
Residential wind systems gain popularity It’s somewhat ironic, considering all the NIMBY opposition to wind farms, that more and more consumers are seeking out wind power for, well, their back yards. Three-bladed turbines are popping up at personal abodes across the country, with the potential to save consumers 30 to 90 percent on their electric […]
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Spill ‘er Up!
Oil spills from Japanese and Philippine tankers It’s been an oil-spillarific few days. A Japanese tanker, en route from Jordan, collided yesterday with a distressed cargo ship and spilled about 1.4 million gallons of crude into the eastern Indian Ocean. The ship’s owner claims the spill has been contained and there’s no need to clean […]
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How’s That Mars Exploration Going?
News flash: as world warms, weather gets worse As the globe warms, the risk of more frequent and severe forest fires, droughts, and floods rises. So says, well, the entire scientific community, forever. But a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is being billed as the most comprehensive look yet […]
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Tim Flannery on Big Picture TV
I don't know how they do it, but Big Picture TV has added author and Australian scientist Tim Flannery to their impressive list of talking heads. Tim Flannery wrote The Weather Makers: How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means For Life on Earth which was reviewed by Grist back in March.In this four-part series, Flannery chats about the carbon debt, action for solutions, the end of denial, and taxing carbon.
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Party at Jim’s House!
Idaho governor says no to coal, yes to whoopin’ it up Exhibiting the flair and confidence only a short-timer can afford, Idaho Gov. Jim Risch (R) has announced that the state don’t need no stinkin’ coal. Risch, who took office when Dirk Kempthorne resigned in May to head the Interior Department, will step down when […]
