All Environment
Lake Michigan spill at BP refinery affected half-mile of lakeLake Michigan spill:聽The聽spill聽reported Monday afternoon by BP appears to have been contained by company crew members who deployed absorbent booms around the聽spill聽site.
What if Europe stopped buying Russian gas tomorrow?With plenty of natural gas in storage, and new options for buying it from other sources, Europe could go without Russian gas for the rest of the year, Grealy writes. Brussels might even benefit from going on the energy offensive by cutting off a dominant source of Russia's revenue.聽
Obama warns of energy sanctions if Russia escalates Ukraine crisisPresident Obama and European leaders warned Tuesday of broader economic sanctions on sectors like energy, finance, and arms sales should Russia escalate a delicate situation in Ukraine. Heightened warnings suggest Western leaders are more willing to counter Russia's 'natural gas weapon' with a weapon of their own.
US approves more LNG exports as Europe looks to curb Russian gasThe US Energy Department conditionally approved its seventh liquefied natural gas export terminal Monday. The authorization comes as President Obama visits Europe to discuss European energy security and the continent's response to Russia's Crimea annexation.聽
2013 was the fourth, sixth or seventh hottest year on record, say scientistsAccording to a report published by World Meteorological Organization (WMO), 2013 was the sixth warmest on record. But NASA and NOAA differ in their rankings.
Galveston oil spill: Does oil boom mean more spills?Galveston oil spill released heavy sticky oil into Galveston Bay Saturday, shutting down a major shipping route and creating a large oil slick. The safety record of oil tankers has improved dramatically over recent decades. Does聽Galveston oil spill highlight risks of increased tanker traffic?
Galveston oil spill backs up Gulf of Mexico trafficGalveston oil spill:聽Crews cleaned and attempted to contain an oil spill in Galveston Bay Sunday. It's unclear exactly how much oil was spilled from a barge carrying nearly a million gallons Saturday.
U.N. climate change report details 'abrupt or drastic changes' worldwideA report by the a U.N. panel on climate change due this week details potential damage to nature, world economic growth, and food supplies. The report is meant to guide U.N. policies in the run-up to a 2015 summit on global warming and greenhouse gas emissions.
With Crimea annexation, Putin expands oil and gas empireRussian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill Friday officially incorporating Crimea as part of Russia. Moscow's Crimea annexation is a double whammy against Ukrainian energy security 鈥� blocking Kiev's access to Black Sea oil and gas while extending Mr. Putin's energy dominance in Europe.聽
BP returns to Gulf of Mexico nearly 4 years after banOil supermajor BP took its first step Wednesday toward returning to offshore oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico after a drilling moratorium put in place following the 2010 BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Four years after that tragedy, officials say the region聽is still a centerpiece of the US energy portfolio.
More US sanctions on Russia over Crimea. Why energy is largely untouched.In the latest round of sanctions against Russia for its annexation of Crimea, President Obama blocked an additional 20 prominent Russians from visiting or doing business with the US. But Thursday's list largely avoids targeting a major source of Russia's revenue and influence: energy.
Russia annexes Crimea. Could it boost Ukraine's energy outlook?Russia's intervention in Crimea could provide more impetus to invest in Ukraine's shale gas resources, according to Robert Bensh, a Kiev-based energy expert with 13 years of experience in Ukraine's energy industry. The Crimea annexation should make energy independence a higher priority for Ukraine.
How solar energy empowers women, youth in rural NicaraguaSabana Grande, a small northern Nicaraguan town has leveraged solar power to transform a community once ravaged by war, Guevara-Stone writes.聽
Crimea makes Iran nuclear talks a bit awkwardIran nuclear talks find Russia and the West ostensibly on the same side, Cunningham writes. But Russia鈥檚 annexation of Crimea and the retaliatory steps taken by the US and the European Union to isolate Russia will certainly influence the negotiations over Iran's nuclear program.
Biden warns Russia about more sanctions, but not US 'energy weapon'Crimean and Russian leaders signed an agreement Tuesday, annexing the Ukrainian peninsula as part of Russia. Meanwhile, Vice President Joe Biden promoted European energy security in Poland and Lithuania, but stopped short of aggressive US oil and gas intervention as a way to counter Russia. 聽 聽
New York pipeline blast shakes up an industryNew York City's fatal pipeline blast focuses new attention on the aging pipeline infrastructure, some of it more than a century old. With the natural gas industry needing at least 29,000 more miles of pipeline to meet new demand, can the system expand and become safer at the same time? 聽- Smog insurance? One response to Beijing's pollutionSmog insurance: A state-owned Chinese insurance company will pay Beijing residents 1,500 yuan ($240) if they are hospitalized due to smog. If the official smog index reaches 300 for five consecutive days, it will pay out $48.
Warmest winter on record worsens California droughtWarmer winters make for less snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. When the snow melts into the state's rivers, it provides water throughout the summer, when the state typically experiences little rain.
Can Crimea survive without Ukraine's power?Crimeans voted overwhelmingly to secede from Ukraine in a controversial referendum Sunday, but the peninsula is largely dependent on Ukraine for its power and natural gas. Moscow might be willing to change that, if it means access to the Black Sea's significant oil and gas resources.
Is Canada the next energy superpower?Canada is on the verge of becoming an energy superpower, according to its natural resources minister.聽The Canadian government is already signing trade deals and building pipelines that could help it beat the US in a race to energy hegemony, Graeber writes.
