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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 […]
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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 […]
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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, […]
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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 … […]
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![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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Greens poised to win on Keystone, refuse to act like it
Cheer up! We’re winning!Like everyone else, I have no idea how this fight over the payroll tax bill is going to play out. Things looked resolved on Saturday when the Senate voted 89 to 10 for a compromise bill. House majority leader John Boehner said it was a “good deal.” But then, as usual, the […]
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Pipe dreams: Boehner insists pipeline can be approved by deadline
Cross-posted from Climate Progress. Congressional Republicans are sticking to their attempt to force a rushed decision on the controversial Keystone XL tar-sands pipeline. Speaking on Meet the Press yesterday, House Speaker John Boehner called the need for more environmental review “nonsense,” claiming “all the studies have been done.” As part of a package to extend the […]
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Germans turn nuclear power plant into Disneyland
The "nuclear renaissance" is here, only it looks like a whirling swingset ascending the interior of a massive cooling tower at what used to be a 327-megawatt fast breeder reactor in Germany. Business is so good at the park — 600,000 visitors a year — that its owner is working on a "winter annex" inside […]
