China

How Congress is turning America into China

Reading news from Washington D.C., while spending a week in China, it seems to me that some members of Congress are backing policies that would make America much more like China — without any of the economic benefits. The House voted last week 249 to 169 to curtail the EPA’s ability to reduce air pollution […]

Terry Tamminen Uncategorized

Critical List: EPA’s greenhouse report comes in for criticism; motorcycles are gross

The EPA and its inspector general disagree over what qualifies as a "scientific assessment." The EPA has concluded that greenhouse gases are dangerous; the IG now says that the assessment didn’t go through sufficient peer review. This is actually about the review of the relevant “technical support document,” not about the scientific findings, but tell that to Republicans.

The DOE gave a $737 million loan guarantee to a solar-tower project in Nevada, which had better the hell not fail now.

Motorcycles are more fuel efficient, but their tailpipe emissions contain nasty stuff.

Sarah Laskow Buildings

Critical List: Solar installations increasing; giant snails invade Miami

The number of non-residential solar panel installations is growing.

Disasters connected to weather or climate made more than 30 million people in Asia refugees last year, the Asian Development Bank reports.

Oil industry consultant Daniel Yergin wrote a new book about energy. It'll probably annoy you.

A professor in Canada made a machine that could suck carbon out of the air.

Sarah Laskow Science

Solyndra was collateral damage in a trade war with China

Solar-panel installations are booming in the U.S. even as domestic solar companies are struggling, thanks to China's policy of shoveling money into its solar industry.

RL Miller Technology

Protesters in China attack solar panel plant over pollution

Solar power may be the clean energy solution we're all waiting for, but only as long as it's constructed in an environmentally responsible manner. Five hundred protesters in China besieged a solar-panel manufacturing plant in the city of Haining, after it dumped massive amounts of fluoride into a nearby river, killing fish and livestock.

Christopher Mims Technology

Critical List: Protesting a Chinese solar plant’s pollution; Solyndra will never go away

Solar power isn’t all rainbows and puppies. In China, protesters have spent the past few days outside a solar panel plant, which they say polluted a nearby river.

A U.S. wind turbine company is suing a Chinese company for paying an employee of American Superconducter more than $1 million to steal wind turbine technology.

China's also put $15 billion into Alberta's tar sands in the past year and a half.

We're going to keep hearing about Solyndra all next year.

Sarah Laskow Technology

America and oil: declining together?

Oil fueled the United States' rise as a global superpower. Now, as oil declines as a major source of energy, is it bringing the U.S. down with it?

Michael T. Klare Energy

Critical List: 24 hours later, climate change still a reality; EPA will miss GHG deadline

Al Gore said some stuff.

Texans return to their burnt-out homes. If these droughts keep up, it won’t be too long before the state gets on board with Gore.

The EPA won't make a deadline for regulating greenhouse gas emissions.

Here's what an imaginary, perfectly green Obama would do on environmental issues. Democrats should run this guy in 2012!