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  • Photos don’t lie: See the dramatic expansion of Canadian tar sands

    Cross-posted from Climate Progress. Extraction of Alberta’s energy-intensive tar sands has expanded steadily in recent years, with about 232 square miles now exposed by mining operations. Tar-sands production is expected to double over the next decade, which could mean the destruction of 740,000 acres of boreal forest and a 30-percent increase in carbon emissions from […]

    Stephen Lacey Energy

  • As Keystone XL victory looms, a ‘top enviro’ games out how to lose

    Some guys just don’t know how to win gracefully.Over at Rolling Stone, Jeff Goodell has a piece gaming out scenarios for the Keystone XL pipeline. It’s worth a read. Just to briefly recap: There was a cut in payroll taxes. It was set to expire at the end of the year, thus raising taxes on […]

    David Roberts Energy

  • 2012 will probably best record-setting 2011 for gas prices

    This year broke all previous records for amount spent by the average American household on gasoline — us car-having suckers spent $4,155! As Jonathan Fahey pointed out in the Associated Press, in an unusually informative and clear-eyed look at the pedestrian impact of the planet's slow-motion oil crunch: "That is 8.4 percent of what the […]

    Christopher Mims Energy

  • White planes are more fuel-efficient than flashy planes

    The vast majority of people flying home this week in a post-holiday haze will ride in a white plane. After a long history of dolling planes up to stand out, airline executives are opting for white designs, both because it's cheaper and because it's more fuel-efficient (read: cheaper). White paint wears more slowly, so fewer […]

    Sarah Laskow Energy

  • Vermont’s ‘energy secession’ goal: 90 percent renewables by 2050

    Renewable energy could become a standard part of Vermont’s idyllic image.Photo: Sterling CollegeCross-posted from Climate Progress. Vermont is known for its lush Green Mountains, idyllic farm landscapes, and progressive politics. What many people may not realize is that Vermont has a pretty active secessionist movement too. Vermont isn’t likely to secede from the U.S. But […]

    Stephen Lacey Energy

  • Rick Perry right about something

    When a town hall attendee asked Rick Perry about groundwater pollution from hydrofracking, he sneered at the idea, saying that it would have had widespread press coverage if it were true: Perry: I am truly offended that the American public would be hoodwinked by stories that do not scientifically hold up. If that was true, […]

    Jess Zimmerman Energy

  • BP spends $20 billion on oil but can’t afford solar

    BP gave being green a try, guys, really! They had a solar panel business going, but they had to kick it to the curb, because they just couldn't afford it. Times are tough, you know? Heck, the company only has $20 billion to spend on oil and gas every year. They have to pinch … […]

    Jess Zimmerman Energy
  • Listen pup: The new EPA mercury regulations are a Big Deal.
    Listen pup: The new EPA mercury regulations are a Big Deal.

    New EPA mercury rules are a bona fide Big Deal

    Wednesday, at long last, the EPA unveiled its new rule covering mercury and other toxic emissions from coal- and oil-fired power plants. Anyone who pays attention to green news will have spent the last two years hearing a torrent of stories about EPA rules and the political fights over them. It can get tedious. After […]

    David Roberts Energy

  • The Royal Family goes hydroelectric

    It's not easy greening the Queen. Several attempts to set up alternative energy sources for Windsor Castle have failed due to lack of funding. But today a British company is completing the installation of a $2.7 million hydroelectric installation that will power the royal residence plus 300 homes.  The Telegraph reports that "the Queen was […]

    Jess Zimmerman Energy

  • Canadian fakin’: Officials admit lack of evidence for cleaner tar sands

    Tar sands: Getting cleaner all the time. Promise.Photo: NWFblogsCross-posted from Climate Progress. Canada was once seen as a progressive leader on environmental issues. Today, the country is becoming an international pariah when it comes to climate change — facing fierce criticism from environmental groups and world leaders over its decision to pull out of the […]

    Stephen Lacey Energy