All donations TRIPLED!

A message from   

Only a few days left

Support climate news that leads to action. Help Grist raise $100,000 by December 31. All donations TRIPLED.

Support climate news that leads to action. Help Grist raise $100,000 by December 31. All donations TRIPLED.

Donate now Not Now

Climate Energy

All Stories

  • Lesson from Japan: We don’t need nuclear power to solve the climate crisis

    Anyone watching the aftermath of the earthquake in Japan can see: The human and ecological costs of nuclear power far outweigh those of any renewable energy.Cross-posted from New Deal 2.0. On March 14, an editorial in The New York Times stated, “This page has endorsed nuclear power as one tool to head off global warming. We […]

    Jon Rynn Energy

  • Sorry, but the U.S. isn’t about to wean itself off of nuclear

    The reality is, the United States doesn’t have the option to walk away from nuclear power, which supplies almost 9% of the nation’s energy and about 20% of its electricity. […] Nuclear energy’s drawbacks are glaring at the moment, but it’s worth remembering that no major source of energy the United States is using comes […]

    Christopher Mims Energy

  • Is your area solar-ready? Check out this gorgeous map

    Chart: National Renewable Energy Laboratory The places you would go to get some sun aren’t necessarily the places with the most potential for solar energy. The Southwest is a giant hotspot; Florida and Hawaii are only okay. Check out this map to find the solar potential where you live. Read more: “Good Sun,” Xcel Energy

    Jess Zimmerman Energy

  • Cost, not Japan crisis, should scrub nuclear power

    Please ignore this image.Photo: GlobovisionThe plumes of smoke rising from Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor create a visceral reaction. But the crisis should not persuade Americans to abandon nuclear power.  Instead, Americans should abandon nuclear power for its prohibitive and uncompetitive costs. The wildly escalting costs of nuclear plants under construction in the U.S. are […]

    John Farrell Energy

  • If President Obama calls it safe, watch out

    Pondering whether “safe” means what he thought it meant.Photo: The White HousePresident Barack Obama is a good fellow at work in a difficult era, to say the least. So this post is not intended to be a slam on the president. Still, it is a good idea for Obama to be much more cautious when […]

    Keith Schneider Energy

  • Polluters have the tech they need to reduce toxic mercury and make Americans healthier

    Listen up, polluters.Photo: sara b.Yesterday, EPA released plans for its long-awaited “utility MACT” rule, which would regulate toxic air pollutants like mercury. I want to address one contested point in particular — the availability of technology to reduce mercury emissions — but first some scene setting. The benefits of making Americans healthier From a health […]

    David Roberts Energy

  • German sustainable energy lobby steps up to fill the nuclear hole

    Can we replace fossil fuels without going nuclear? One German company says so. Unlike nuclear power, coal doesn’t have to wait for failed safety features to pollute the groundwater, pollute the air, and make people sick for miles around. So getting off fossil fuels is a priority — but now a lot of people are […]

    Jess Zimmerman Energy

  • Regional cap-and-trade saves jobs and money

    This post originally appeared at Sightline’s Daily Score blog. I’m not big on parroting press releases, but I’m going to make an exception for Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the Northeast’s carbon cap-and-trade program. RGGI is quietly demonstrating that carbon markets can work wonderfully. So it’s too bad no one seems to be paying attention any longer. […]

    Eric de Place Energy

  • Wind power surges forward around the globe

    Scotland expects renewables to meet all of its electricity needs by 2025.Photo: Kari GibsonFor many years, a small handful of countries dominated growth in wind power, but this is changing as the industry goes global, with more than 70 countries now developing wind resources. Between 2000 and 2010, world wind electric generating capacity increased at […]

    Lester Brown Energy

  • Behavior change: we’re already doing it [VIDEO]

    Last week, my enormous head and I did a video interview with the energy-focused cable news show EnergyNow! (which incidentally just got a national distribution deal through Bloomberg TV). The topic was behavior change. They’ve split the video in two. Here’s the first bit: And the second bit: As always, I find my performance on […]

    David Roberts Energy