Climate Energy
All Stories
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Economists: Every $1 of electricity from coal does $2 in damage to U.S.
We all knew coal is harmful -- we figured people just ignored that harm because of their profit margins. But according to the prestigious American Economic Review, harm from coal-fired electrical plants costs more than twice as much as the electricity they generate. All told, coal plants cause $53 billion in damage every year. And none of that even takes climate impacts into account.
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MythBusters weigh in on motorcycle emissions
You've probably heard that motorcycles are more fuel-efficient than cars, and therefore better for the environment. I mean, they're practically bikes, right? It sounds plausible, but how do you find out if it's really true? The same way you find out if ANYTHING is really true: Ask the MythBusters, obviously.
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Wind turbines: annoying, sure, but probably not actually unhealthy
There's no denying that wind turbines make noise. But claims that they cause actual health problems are, at best, conflated, says a new analysis.
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Public disservice: Pipeline hearings run by Keystone XL contractor
State Department public hearings on federal approval for the proposed Keystone XL tar-sands pipeline are being run by a contractor for TransCanada.
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Where the sun don’t shine: Solar Decathlon beams amid scandal and rain
The Department of Energy's annual eco-jamboree inspires fresh sun-powered designs on a budget.
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The crude reality of oil in Nigeria
The director of Sweet Crude talks about what it's like to spend time with people who know the true cost of oil. Her film is now out on DVD.
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Oil drilling wastes 100 million cubic feet of natural gas a day
Every day, oil companies burn 100 million cubic feet of natural gas -- not to power anything, but just because it's not oil and they don't need it. According to The New York Times, the North Dakota landscape is full of will-o-the-wisp plumes of fire where natural gas is burning off.
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More than 100 tar-sands activists politely arrested in polite Canadian protest
On Monday, at least 400 protestors stormed -- or, more accurately, walked gently up to and tapped on the shoulder -- the Canadian parliament building in Ottawa to protest the Keystone XL pipeline. Over 100 people were arrested, charged with trespassing, and barred from coming near the parliament building for a year. But everybody was REALLY, REALLY POLITE about it.
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'The Quest' questioned
A read of Daniel Yergin's new book, The Quest, reveals holes in his arguments, mostly centered around his discussion of peak oil.
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The myth of the free market
The oil, gas, and nuclear industries have enjoyed huge federal subsidies for a century, all of which have far outpaced investment in renewable energy.
