EU

Scientists create world’s healthiest airline meal

Oh, those scientists — they’re always trying to ruin hackish comedians’ most reliable material. You plan a whole routine about how airline food is shitty, and they go and make it good. In the United Kingdom, a team of scientists have made an airline meal that meets all 222 possible E.U.-endorsed health claims. (Making prepackaged, […]

Critical List: Spain’s done with clean energy; coal country locals defend Big Coal

European Union greenhouse gas emissions rose 2.4 percent in 2010. Spain’s done with clean energy — the government is shutting off aid to renewable energy companies. People living in coal country are still willing to defend Big Coal against natural gas. Stockholm syndrome? (Or maybe they just got $50 and a T-shirt.)

Critical List: Gas prices could drop; Poland blocks E.U. carbon reforms

Gas prices could be heading down. Poland, which depends on coal-fired power, keeps vetoing European Union plans to crack down on carbon emissions. Climate scientists predicted the spread of mountain pine beetles, which due to warming temperatures are decimating tree populations in the American West. Andrew Steer, who was working at the World Bank as […]

Critical List: EU bans Iranian oil; snowy owls descend from Arctic

The European Union won’t be importing any more oil from Iran. President Obama’s going to lay out an energy agenda on Tuesday at the State of the Union. Thousands of snowy owls are descending from the Arctic to fly over places like Kansas and Missouri (and to deliver messages from Arctic Circle-based wizards, of course). […]

The European Union bans battery cages for hens

In the European Union, hens can no longer be kept in tiny battery cages that pack them so tightly they could not walk or flap their wings. The EU voted to ban the cages in 1999 but gave the poultry industry 12 years to implement the switch-over. As of 2012, the use of battery cages […]

Critical List: Canadian minister hates tar-sands opposition; airlines charge for free carbon permits

Canada's natural resources minister is not happy that all of you with your "radical ideological agenda" think Canada's turning into a creepy petrostate.

Japan is releasing those three whaling activists who boarded a Japanese whaling vessel.

Carbon emissions are delaying the next ice age.

Critical List: Patagonia becomes a Benefit Corporation; oil industry threatens Obama

Patagonia has become a Benefit Corporation, which means it can prioritize goals other than profit.

The oil industry is sending a message to Obama: Approve the Keystone XL pipeline, or face the political music in 2012.

It is possible to avoid earthquakes when disposing of fracking wastewater. It's just really, really expensive.

The U.S. isn't the only country leery of the EU's carbon trading airline scheme: China's protesting, too.

Critical List: E.U. court OKs airline carbon emission scheme; climate change kills frankincense

The E.U.'s version of the Supreme Court decided that it's totally cool for the E.U. to require flights originating elsewhere to participate in its carbon-emissions trading plans. Later today, the EPA will announce new regulations for power plants that limit mercury and other emissions. Climate change: also killing Christmas. Okay, just the production of frankincense, […]

Critical List: Rina heads to Cancun; French wildflowers are disappearing

Hurricane Rina is heading towards Cancun. The U.S. wants to start trade wars all over the place. First, the solar industry goes toe to toe with China, and now the House of Representatives is mixing it up by trying to exempt U.S. airlines from the EU emissions scheme. Multinational energy companies who want to exploit […]