All Environment
Can this coal plant stop climate change?A Canadian utility opened the doors on the world's first commercial-scale coal plant to capture and store its carbon emissions. If the project and others like it are successful, carbon capture and storage technology could play a major role in fighting climate change.
Can coal-heavy India become a 'renewable superpower'?
Scientists invent first rechargeable solar batteryThe rechargeable solar battery could make solar power more affordable, allowing the renewable energy source to be deployed more widely. The rechargeable solar battery was invented at Ohio State University.
Gas platform fire forces evacuation in AlaskaA gas platform fire offshore in Alaska's Cook Inlet broke out early morning Thursday, forcing four workers to evacuate. No one was injured and environmental risk from the gas platform fire is considered minimal.
New technology puts the power in 'power walking'Scientists have found a way to harness the energy of everyday walking. It isn't enough to power a car, but it could one day power watch batteries or even a cell phone.- Persistent beaver vs. road crew: beaver 3, road crew 0A persistent beaver has confounded a road crew in Washington trying to clear its dam under a bridge. Crews have removed a beaver dam three times since August and each time the persistent beaver rebuilds it.
Police help homing pigeon that can't find homeA lost pigeon took refuge at a New Hampshire police station, after cloudy weather affected its ability to navigate. The lost pigeon was waiting for sunny weather, Wednesday night, resting in a box and eating popcorn.聽
As US debates oil train safety, local rules gather steamThe US Department of Transportation is crafting new safety rules for oil train cars, hoping to lower the risk of disaster after several high-profile accidents. But in the meantime, states and cities are mulling action of their own 鈥� from making oil less volatile, to slapping fees on oil cars that run through cities.
Ukraine crisis: Slovakia says Russian gas supply cut in halfRussian gas supplies to Slovakia dropped by 50 percent in the past day, according to Slovakia's government. The report has raised concerns over a potential disruption of gas flows to Europe as winter approaches. Already, Ukraine is preparing for a winter without crucial heating gas, as it tries to negotiate a temporary deal with Russia and the EU.
Solar power: World's No. 1 electricity source by 2050?Solar power could make up more than a quarter of the world's electricity supply by mid-century, according to a new report by the International Energy Agency. That would make solar power the world's largest source of electricity, providing more than聽fossil fuels, wind, hydro, and nuclear.
California bans plastic bags: what you need to know California bans plastic bags in what is the nation's first statewide ban. Here are six things to know about the landmark legislation:
35,000 walrus in Alaska: Why they came ashore35,000 walrus in Alaska sought refuge onshore, without the usual sea ice to rest on, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.聽The gathering of 35,000 walrus in Alaska is a phenomenon that has accompanied the loss of summer sea ice as the climate has warmed.
$1 billion recreation spending fueled by sagebrush, study says$1 billion in recreation spending helped boost economies in 11 Western states and helped efforts to protect greater sage-grouse habitat last year, according to a study commissioned by Pew Charitable Trusts. The $1 billion in recreation spending came mostly from hunters, campers, fishermen, and others.
Gas prices: Why they'll keep fallingDespite turmoil across the globe, average US gas prices continue to plummet. As supplies continue to rise and demand stays flat, gas prices could stay low for some time.
The world's biggest energy hogs aren't who you think they areYou might expect the US and Canada to be home to some of the biggest energy consumers in the world, but Iceland and Luxembourg? Oilprice.com calculated the top 10 countries with the highest energy use per person and the results may surprise.
Half of global wildlife populations declined since 1970, says WWFThe worst decline was among populations of freshwater species, which fell by 76 percent over the four decades to 2010, while marine and terrestrial numbers both fell by 39 percent.
Was Climate Week successful? [Recharge]Climate Week had no shortage of speeches, pledges, and marches, but left little in the way of concrete global action on climate change. Catch up on the highlights from the march, the UN Climate Summit, and the rest of last week's events with a special Recharge on Climate Week.
How solar power is changing your utility bill (and your utility)The rise of solar power has created an ongoing debate about so-called 'net energy metering,' where customers can offset their utility bill with rooftop solar power 鈥� upsetting some utilities in the process. Lehrman and Bronski聽write that the debate distracts from聽a much bigger opportunity to unleash innovation and investment in distributed energy resources in ways that are better for everyone.
Ukraine crisis: Can a gas deal save Russia's economy?The EU is optimistic it can close a deal between Russia and Ukraine that will bring gas flows back to Ukraine in time for winter. But even if tensions in the Ukraine crisis ease, Russia still has a lot of work to do to stabilize its economy amid Western sanctions.
Mt. St Helens: Is it ready to erupt again?Mt. St. Helens awoke from an 18-year slumber roughly 10 years ago. Now, scientists are saying it looks like Mt. St. Helens 'is getting ready to erupt again and it can happen in the order of years to decades.'
