All Environment
Snowstorm brings early winter to MichiganSnowstorm drops up to 6 inches in northern parts of Michigan Tuesday. The pre-winter snowstorm caused accidents and was a factor in at least one fatal crash.
Oil is tearing Libya apartOne of Africa's leading oil states is tearing apart at the seams defined largely along the divisions suppressed during Moammar聽Gadhafi's autocracy, Graeber writes. With 48 billion barrels of proven oil reserves at stake, what's next for Libya may have less to do with political reform than it does with who controls the oil spigots.
US energy future is a risk management problemThe practiced confidence of oil and gas industry executives, captive Wall Street analysts and fake think tank academics has convinced the public that there is nothing to worry about when it comes to America's energy future, Cobb writes.聽But, the realities of our energy situation suggest that we should have little confidence in such pronouncements, especially given their self-interested nature.聽
Veterans Day 2013: Why energy jobs are good fit for vetsThe job skill parallels between the military and the civilian energy industry allow veterans to translate their experience into a rewarding career with great opportunities for advancement, Rencheck writes. Our military veterans have the training and leadership skills necessary to tackle the needs of a society with a growing demand for energy.
What's causing Nigeria's oil spills?Hundreds of oil spills reported in Nigeria every year are ruining the environment and putting human lives at risk. A new report from Amnesty International says spills in the Niger Delta are the result of pipeline corrosion, maintenance issues, equipment failure, sabotage and theft.
China smog: Can energy efficiency stop 'airmageddon'?China is facing pollution challenges today similar to what Los Angeles faced during the 1980s, a problem that energy efficiency helped mitigate. In China,聽combining cleaner heating fuels with better-insulated buildings is one concrete measure that would support cleaner skies in northern China and beyond, Stranger writes.
Nuclear fuel: How to store it safelyThe technical aspects for safe and effective used nuclear fuel management are well understood, Franch writes.聽We know in astounding detail the characteristics of used nuclear fuel, and how to design systems and protections to assure proper containment and safeguards.聽
Will Shell return to the Arctic to drill for oil?Shell has not decided whether it will proceed with Arctic exploration operations next year, Cunningham writes, but the oil major wants to keep its options open.聽Shell鈥檚 Arctic campaign, closely watched by the oil industry around the world, has thus far been tormented by setbacks and controversy.
Clean energy in big business: How to make it happenMajor companies more than ever before are driving the transition to renewable energy, but that effort is not without hurdles. Seif and Baker offer lessons learned from overcoming the challenges of making big business go green.
Senators raise alarm over Asian carp invasion in Great LakesNew research finds evidence that Asian carp may already have made it through to the Great Lakes. Midwest senators want a quicker, more comprehensive response from the Army Corps of Engineers.
'Pandora's Promise': why greens are warming to nuclear power'Pandora's Promise,' a documentary on environmentalists' shifting attitude toward nuclear power, airs on CNN tonight at 9 p.m. ET.聽Even if you are skeptical about nuclear energy, Adams writes, you owe it to yourself to consider the point of view put forth in 'Pandora's Promise.'
Solar power sings 'I love rock 'n' roll,' study findsPop and rock music boosted the efficiency of solar cells used to produce electricity by 40 percent, according to a study by scientists in London. Rock on, solar power. 聽聽
Tesla fire: 3rd Model S crashes, burns. Tesla Motors (TSLA) stock follows suit.Tesla Motors (TSLA) had avoided major battery complications until this fall, when three Model S cars crashed and their batteries caught fire. Tesla Motors officials are scrambling to assure investors and the public that these Tesla fires are not spontaneous eruptions that have plagued other battery-powered vehicles.聽
Should the US export oil?The US should lift its limitations on oil exports, according to a growing chorus of those in the oil and gas industry. But exporting US oil will be a tough case to make to politicians and consumers, who still see high prices at the gas pump and worry about the environmental consequences of more drilling.
Fuel cell technology: has its moment finally arrived?Fuel cells were left by the wayside as solar power and wind power grew in popularity. But now it seems as though fuel cells are beginning to establish themselves in niches that show promise for the future, Kennedy writes.
Climate change: Global emissions hit record high, UN saysCarbon dioxide pollution levels in Earth's atmosphere hit a record high in 2012, according a UN report released Wednesday. The concentration of carbon dioxide, a primary contributor to global warming, is far beyond the level some scientists and environmental groups say is the upper limit for a safe level.
Election day 2013: Fossil fuels take hits from Virginia to Washington StateFrom Virginia to Colorado to Washington, voters on election day 2013 threw their weight behind politicians and policies that limited the use of coal, oil, or natural gas.聽Bans on fracking, coal exports, and tar sands were on the ballot in a handful of states, and in most cases, the election day 2013 results did not favor fossil fuels.
Tesla Motors (TSLA) hits sales record. Investors hit sell button.Tesla Motors' (TSLA) third-quarter sales numbers came in under most analysts' expectations late Tuesday, and the electric carmaker's stock price plunged, triggering a 'circuit breaker' on the Nasdaq. But the fundamentals of Tesla Motors appear to remain strong, and the California-based company has plans for expansion.
Virginia governor's race: EPA supporter narrowly beats 'war on coal' messengerVoters in Virginia narrowly elected Democrat聽Terry McAuliffe聽for governor over Republican聽Ken Cuccinelli II, who differed among other things on the future of the state's coal industry. Mr. McAuliffe supported new EPA regulations on power plants that will make it difficult for new coal plants to be bought.聽
How 'smart' street lights save energyAn intelligent streetlight system, designed by Dutch Delft University of Technology, uses motion sensing technology that automatically dim streetlights when no pedestrians or vehicles are in the vicinity, Kennedy writes, and the idea is ready to go commercial.
