All Environment
California wildfire: why winter hasn't brought reliefCalifornia wildfire spread through the dry foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains Thursday.聽A wet winter reduces the risk of a California wildfire, but the whole state is experiencing historically dry conditions.
Why did consumer prices rise last month? Gas prices.Consumer prices rose 0.3 percent in December, largely due to an unexpected jump in gas prices and other energy costs. Gas prices could rise again in late January and put more upward pressure on the consumer price index.聽
Bristol Bay salmon: EPA warns of threat from miningBristol Bay salmon are threatened by mining in the Bristol Bay region, according to a new assessment by the US Environmental Protection Agency. A large-scale copper and gold mine could have devastating effects on Bristol Bay salmon and other wildlife, the EPA says.
As emissions rise, US coal steps up push for carbon captureAfter three years of decline, greenhouse-gas emissions are rising again, largely because of increased coal use. The best chance for the industry to erase its 'dirty coal' image is through carbon capture, which is making progress.
Blackie the hippo: Why was he put down?Blackie the hippo, a Nile hippopotamus believed to be the oldest in North America, was put down Monday at an Ohio zoo. Blackie the hippo was about 59 years old, while most hippos live to 30 or 40 years in the wild.
Cracks in Arctic ice sucking in toxic mercury, study findsAir currents above cracks in Arctic ice are drawing mercury, a neurotoxin, into the snow and ice, say researchers.
Possible Iran-Russia oil deal ruffles feathers in WashingtonA potential $1.5 billion oil-for-goods swap between Iran and Russia has prompted harsh responses from Washington, which says such a deal could trigger new US sanctions.
Clean energy investment down, but not outGlobal investment in clean energy and energy efficiency technologies dropped 12 percent in 2013, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. It marks the second consecutive year of declines in clean energy investment, but there are reasons to be optimistic about wind and solar energy.聽聽
Why electricity's future is in the produce aisleNot all kilowatt-hours of electricity are created equal, Bronski writes, but聽most customers consume them as if they are. That's changing as consumers demand more information about how, where, and when their electricity is generated.聽
Mass. governor proposes $50 million plan to brace for global warmingMassachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is pushing the state to strengthen its energy grid and sea walls against the potential effects of global warming. Many states are taking up such adaptation projects.
In 2014, world races to join shale energy boomThe shale genie is out of the bottle, Warren writes. US production in shale oil and gas offers lessons learned for countries desiring to exploit their own energy resources.聽
Fracking and water pollution: What's the connection?Complaints in key venues of the US oil and gas boom continue to suggest that drinking water is being contaminated by fracking for oil and gas, Peixe writes. The pollution complaints against fracking have been confirmed in a number of cases, but not across the board.
Iran nuclear deal: Don't believe the hype around oilAn Iran nuclear deal would ease economic sanctions on the Islamic nation in exchange for limits to its uranium enrichment program. Oil prices slipped Monday, on news of the Iran nuclear deal, set for Jan. 20, but the promise of new Iranian oil may be overhyped.聽
Fracking for an energy renaissance that will not comeThe hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling used to extract oil from shale deposits is聽supposed to glut the world with oil and drive down the price. The record so far is not compelling, Cobb writes, and talk of an American energy renaissance is聽essentially baseless.
King Coal is dead. Long live King Coal!Cheap natural gas and environmental regulations have threatened King Coal's US reign in recent years, but could 2014 be the year coal stages a comeback?
Rhino permit: Can you protect a species by selling permits to hunt it?The Dallas Safari Club sold a permit to hunt an endangered African black rhino for $350,000. Though the money will go toward protecting the species and the rhino designated for the hunt is old, wildlife and animal rights groups say the event sends the wrong message.
Energy disruption: Will fracking end Big Oil?The US shale gas and oil revolution has shown that hydrocarbons are almost everywhere, Grealy writes, and we no longer need to go to the ends of the earth or spend or spend a ton of capital to find them. The new energy paradigm is a world where the most attractive projects are those closest to markets.
West Virginia chemical spill: Does it threaten clean water gains?Rivers and streams are becoming cleaner thanks to industry advances and government regulation. But this week's chemical spill in West Virginia shows that threats to the environment and public water supplies remain.
Top 10 reasons 2013 was a good year for clean energyClean energy developments helped bring us closer to a clean, prosperous, and secure energy future in 2013,聽Guevara-Stone writes. Here's the Rocky Mountain Institute's pick for top 10 clean energy developments of 2013.
West Virginia chemical spill: What's 4-methylcyclohexane methanol?A West Virginia chemical spill, which has cut off water to hundreds of thousands of citizens across nine counties in the state, is used in the coal industry. The compound involved in the chemical spill into West Virginia's Elk River聽鈥撀�4-methylcyclohexane methanol 鈥� is used to clean coal.
