All Environment
Russia in weak position for new gas deal with ChinaThe new natural gas deal between China and Russia is lopsided in China's favor. Western sanctions, plunging oil prices, and a plummeting currency all put Russia at a bargaining disadvantage vis-脿-vis China.
Progress WatchSurprise US-China climate deal sets aggressive targetsUnder the deal signed Nov. 12, the US would cut emissions twice as fast as President Obama's earlier target. China, for the first time, set an emissions target, saying they would peak by about 2030, if not earlier.
McConnell promises La. GOP Senate candidate spot on Energy committeeKentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, expected to become majority leader in January, says Republican candidate Bill Cassidy, who faces Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu in a runoff next month, will promote energy jobs in Louisiana.
Early signs of a pullback in US oil drillingWatch out, US shale boom: Plummeting oil prices are challenging the economics of expensive shale drilling. Low oil prices make shale drilling less profitable, and some oil companies are paring back spending and drilling plans as a result.聽
Points of ProgressFish in American waters are experiencing population reboundsNearly two dozen species of Pacific groundfish, including snapper, Dover sole, and dogfish, and Atlantic haddock, among others, are all making a comeback. The rebounds can be attributed to the passing of the聽Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the US management system.
Oil sands companies under pressure following wildlife deathsMore than a hundred birds died in Alberta oil sands waste ponds last week, raising questions about whether oil companies in Canada are doing enough to protect wildlife.聽
Republicans capture Senate; Report warns of climate change; Cheap oil creates price showdown [Recharge]Republicans won the Senate in last week's midterm elections, setting the stage for pro-oil and gas legislation and a fight over Obama's clean power plan. The International Panel on Climate Change released a report describing "severe, widespread, and irreversible impacts" of climate change. Tumbling oil prices threaten Saudi Arabia's profits and the US's shale boom.
Midterm election results: Good news for Keystone XL pipelineRepublicans captured the Senate in Tuesday's elections, setting the stage for the GOP to push major energy issues 鈥� including approval of the Keystone XL pipeline. And with support from moderate Senate Democrats, Keystone likely has the support to make it through Congress.
Slow climate change or end energy poverty? Let's do both.The goal of curbing global greenhouse gas emissions can sometimes appear at odds with efforts to expand electricity access to the 1.3 billion around the world without it. But it is feasible to make progress on both fronts, write Goolman and Nicholson, so long as policymakers aim high.聽
The case against US oil abundanceThe swift decline in oil prices has the media buzzing about an oil supply glut, Cobb writes.聽But can oil 鈥� which now trades at eight times its price during 1998's glut 鈥� be said to be experiencing an oil glut now?
Hyundai, Kia fine: It's more than just $100 millionAutomakers Hyundai and Kia underestimated the mileage for more than 1 million of its vehicles, landing their parent company a $100 million fine. But the Hyundai Motor Group will also have to give up greenhouse gas credits valued at more than $200 million.
GOP wins Senate control, boosting energy sharesRepublicans won Senate control in Tuesday's midterm elections, leading many to believe that will mean faster action on pipelines and trade agreements. News of Republicans gaining Senate control sent energy shares higher on Wednesday.
Greens spent millions on midterm elections and lost. Or did they?Environmental groups dropped tens of millions to influence the midterm elections. And while they didn't keep the Senate blue, green groups hope they've made inroads with the GOP, and have elevated the profile of climate change and clean energy in American politics.
Baby hippo: LA zoo gets rare surpriseBaby hippo born at LA zoo comes as a bit of a surprise, although staffers had noticed the mother hippos had gained weight. The baby hippo born at the LA zoo is the first in 26 years.
Oil price tumbles on Saudi price cut. Big Oil feels a pinch.Oil prices keep dropping and oil companies in the US and abroad are beginning to adjust their plans for a bear market. A fall in oil prices is a relief for US drivers, but it is very bad news for domestic producers that rely on high prices to keep oil flowing.
Elections 2014: Would a GOP win open up Arctic drilling?If Republicans win the US Senate in Tuesday's midterm elections, it's likely the party will move to open up Arctic drilling for oil. The controversial issue has come back in this year's midterm elections in Alaska.聽
Elections 2014: 5 races that will shape US energy Energy is an outsize issue in many of the closest midterm elections. From coal in Kentucky to oil in Louisiana, these five races will influence the future of US energy and environmental policy.
Hyundai, Kia gas mileage penalty totals $100 millionCarmakers Hyundai and Kia are fined $100 million for overstating gas mileage figures on window stickers for 1.2 million vehicles. The Hyundai Kia gas mileage penalty is the first under new聽rules aimed at limiting the amount of heat-trapping gases cars are allowed to emit.
Despite campaign rhetoric, coal country readies for low-carbon futureFrom Georgia to Wyoming, regulators in coal-dependent states are cutting emissions to meet EPA's Clean Power Plan. The plan calls for emissions cuts of 30 percent, although states have considerable flexibility to reach that goal.聽
Is Obama lowering gas prices to win votes?In short: No, President Obama is not manipulating gas prices, Rapier writes. And yet, speculation of executive tinkering with gas markets always comes into play when elections roll around. Here's the real reason gas prices tend to fall during election seasons.
