All Environment
Daylight saving time ends: Does it save energy?Daylight saving time ends Sunday in most states. But does daylight saving time actually save energy?
Pacific states push for price on carbon. Is it effective?Three western states have joined British Columbia in a regional scheme to put a price on carbon and implement other emissions-reducing policies.聽If successful, it could be a model for other regions, but questions remain over the efficacy of taxing carbon.
Morocco in spotlight amid Libya oil disruptionsOil companies operating in the once-mighty Libya are reviewing their commitments more than two years after the revolution there.聽Further west, however, sits Morocco, where some oil companies are eagerly laying the groundwork for what could be a major oil and gas bonanza.
With storms like Sandy, it's the flooding, not the wind, that gets youFlooding from surges in storms like like Sandy, which struck the US East Coast a year ago, causes more fatalities than wind or rain. Yet the official hurricane category system fails to convey the threat of flooding, say researchers.
Are Asian carp reproducing in the Great Lakes?In troubling news for those who depend on Midwest fisheries, scientists say they have documented spawning among an Asian carp species within the Great Lakes watershed.
How global warming could boost green energy in an unexpected wayGlobal warming is expected to make water scarcer in some places, which could mean nuclear and coal power plants, which need a lot of water, could lose out to green energy, a study suggests.
A superstorm Sandy legacy: Gas pumps that work when power is outNew York will become the first state to store gasoline for use during emergencies, and it also now requires certain gas stations to have backup electricity. One year after superstorm Sandy, New Jersey, too, is moving to ensure that service stations are always powered up.
Why tight oil won't make US energy secureThe US is relying less and less on foreign suppliers to meet its energy needs, but US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz says lauding those gains may be misguided in the drive for energy security.
How a weird weather pattern could predict heat wavesA peculiar atmospheric pattern tends to occur up to 15 to 20 days before a heat wave in the United States, researchers say. 聽
Arctic temperatures reach 44,000-year high, scientists sayNew research shows that average summer temperatures in the Canadian Arctic are the highest in at least 44,000 years.
Oil prices fall below $100. Still good for US economy?Strong inventories have pushed US oil prices down into double digits, after three months above the $100 range. It's a lift for the US economy, even though the suddenly booming US energy industry will take a small hit.聽
Pakistan looks to Iran to help keep the lights onPakistan may be caught in the middle of a tug-of-war between Iran and Washington, Graeber writes. But given the bilateral interests on the Asian side, it's Washington that may be the odd man out.
Americans taken from oil ship near Nigeria. Why pirates are moving west.Two US citizens were kidnapped from an oil supply vessel off the coast of Nigeria. The incident highlights piracy's shift westward from East Africa 鈥� tighter security and the promise of new oil have made the continent's western coast an increasing target for pirate attacks.- False widow spiders force school in Britain to closeFalse widow spiders, often confused with black widow spiders, have forced the closure of a school in Britain a week before Halloween.聽No one has been bitten by the false widow spiders, according to the school, but local health authorities have advised it to close for the day to deal with the infestation.
Global climate investment hits plateauGlobal climate financing hit $349 billion in 2012, just shy of the 2011 total, according to a new report. But the pause may be just a blip on the screen.
Can Africa dodge 'curse' of new oil wealth?Technology and geology are converging to unlock billions of barrels of oil across much of Africa in the coming decade. Can Africa avoid a 'resource curse' and leverage its mineral wealth to fuel economic development?
Will Europe pass on a shale gas revolution?Europe appears to be hesitant to tap its shale natural gas resources on concerns over fracking, a controversial drilling technique, and continued emissions of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels.- Bob Barker spends $1 million for elephants' road tripBob Barker paid for three African elephants to be moved to a sanctuary in California. Bob Barker hosted "The Price Is Right" for 35 years and has long been an animal-rights advocate.
- Alligator snapping turtle discovered in OregonAlligator snapping turtle, native to the Southeast but an invasive species in Oregon, was discovered by the聽Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife last week.聽The alligator snapping turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in North America and can grow up to 250 pounds.聽
Train vs. pipeline: What's the safest way to transport oil?The public debate about the trade-offs between rail and pipeline transportation is relatively new, Johnston writes, but most evidence thus far has found聽that pipelines are safer but have a higher leak-rate than rail.聽
