All Environment
Cover StoryGermany's aggressive push for a clean-energy futureGermany has a bold plan for a clean-energy future. A majority of the public is on board even though they're paying a steep price 鈥� but industry is balking. 聽
Concentrated solar power: Did it miss its chance?The world's largest concentrated solar power plant is now up and running, but the technology is losing out to cheaper photo-voltaic solar power.
Will more US natural gas to Europe help 'keep Putin in check'? Doubtful.Republicans say faster approval of LNG export terminals could help check the influence of other suppliers, like Russia, and allow Europe to take a tougher diplomatic stance on Ukraine. Energy analysts say that would take years.
Why Russia needs to sell natural gas more than EU needs to buy itRussia has a track record of using its natural gas supplies as a political weapon, Cunningham writes, but聽this time around the EU appears to be in better shape.
Caddo Lake: The open-mouthed dinosaur-era paddlefish is welcome back!At Caddo Lake, in Texas, the聽paddlefish will return聽decades after it was almost completely wiped out. The fish will be closely tracked by scientists, researchers, and students as part of a broad collaboration聽attempting to revitalize a long-damaged ecosystem by changing the water releases from a nearby dam.
Why redwood burl poaching is so destructiveA road through the Redwood National and State Parks in northern California is closed at night due to a rise in redwood burl poaching. Without the burls, redwoods may not be able to reproduce.
Chevron wins in court, avoiding $9 billion rainforest fineChevron doesn't have to pay Ecuadorean judgment because lawyers obtained it by corrupt means, a New York federal judge rules. Chevron had been sued for environmental damage to the rainforest from oil operations.聽
Court rejects BP claim that Gulf oil spill settlement is unfairBP argues that people are fraudulently claiming business losses related to the Gulf oil spill under the settlement reached last year. But a federal appeals court has backed the claimants.
Ukraine crisis: Could US energy save Ukraine?Ukraine's dependence on Russia for natural gas has long created friction between the two countries. The US could offer Ukraine and Europe an alternative supply, but exporting oil and gas has proved technically and politically difficult in a country scarred by energy shortages of its own.聽
Oil prices: Ukraine crisis jolts energy marketsOil prices spiked Monday on an unfolding crisis in Ukraine, while Russian stocks took a beating. Heightening tensions between Ukraine and Russia is reverberating through energy markets, making for volatile oil prices.- Snake eating crocodile: Watch this epic fight to the finishSnake eating crocodile: A water python took on a freshwater crocodile in a 4-5 hour battle in Australia. The snake won, eating the entire crocodile whole.
Ukraine crisis: Would Putin shut off gas again?Ukraine crisis escalates as Russian and Ukrainian troops mobilize for a possible war in Crimea. The US and EU threaten sanctions as Russia uses its natural gas dominance as leverage over Ukraine and the West.聽聽
EPA's new auto emissions regs 'a big deal,' industry saysThe EPA finalized new emissions standards Monday that will affect automakers and oil refineries. The auto industry is on board, but the oil industry is against the move.
Yellowstone bison OK'd to start new herds outside parkYellowstone bison are among the last pure-bred bands of wild bison in the US. A USDA study concludes the 4,000 bison in Yellowstone national park deemed free of cattle disease could be used to start new bison herds elsewhere.
Radiation leak in N.M. exposes 13 workers: what's known so farThe radiation leak, at an underground nuclear-waste storage site in southeastern New Mexico, was detected Feb. 14. An investigation team has been proceeding with tests.
IEA chief: Only a decade left in US shale oil boomA surge in US oil and natural gas production has lifted hopes about North American energy security, but that growth will plateau and will be difficult to replicate elsewhere, says Maria van der Hoeven, chief executive of the International Energy Agency, in an interview with the Monitor.
Is the future of clean energy in the janitor's closet?Most of us think of ammonia as a pungent household cleaning agent that disinfects and deodorizes, Cobb writes, but ammonia can also be used as a carbon-free, relatively safe form of fuel.聽
Could natural gas transform Afghanistan?Despite the risks, Afghanistan is drawing in energy investors, Graeber writes.聽Without the proper safeguards in place, however, oil and gas extraction in Afghanistan could lead to more conflict in the country.
Offshore wind farms can protect against hurricanesNew research suggests offshore wind turbines can absorb significant energy from hurricanes, reducing winds, waves, and storm surge. A bank of wind turbines strategically placed off the coast could have reduced hurricane Sandy flooding by up to a third and the winds of Katrina by up to 92 miles per hour.
Tesla Motors (TSLA) gigafactory: the automaker as energy companyTesla Motors gigafactory will produce more lithium-ion batteries per year by 2020 than all that were built globally last year, according to the company. The $5 billion plan for a Tesla Motors gigafactory is a big bet on an evolving energy technology that is vital to the carmaker's future.聽聽
