Climate Energy
All Stories
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Economists say coal is incredibly costly
An analysis compares the "gross external damages" of six major pollutants with their value added to the economy, and coal comes out the biggest loser.
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Big Oil's mountain of cash
Oil companies cling to tax breaks while hoarding tens of billions.
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Germany's phaseout reveals the true costs of nuclear power
Bad news for nuclear advocates: Nuclear power turns out even more expensive than we thought.
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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.
