All Environment
Valiant effort to save blue whale stranded on Nicaragua beachNicaraguan residents and tourists worked throughout the day Friday to rescue a 60-foot blue whale stuck on a beach.聽
South Africa tests shark fence: An electronic 'punch' in the noseA 100-meter-long cable was installed on Friday in a small bay in Cape Town that seeks to exploit the sharks' super-sensitive nose. Think underwater electronic dog fence.聽
Are US and China climate goals realistic?US President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping announced commitments this week aimed at stemming climate-warming carbon emissions. But observers wonder if those goals are realistic, and if they're ambitious enough to make a difference.
Oil supplies may not keep up with demand, IEA saysOil prices may be low now, but don't bank on cheap prices forever. The International Energy Agency's latest report indicates that demand will rebound significantly, and the supply side will have difficulty keeping up.
Keystone XL: Can a pipeline rescue Democrats鈥� Louisiana Senate seat?Running behind her opponent in a Dec. 6 runoff, Sen. Mary Landrieu pushed Wednesday to hold a vote on the Keystone XL pipeline. But the controversial project won't net her many votes and, anyway, low oil prices make Keystone XL less feasible to build.
US-China climate deal: Can Obama make good on his promise?President Obama made a sweeping pledge to slash carbon emissions by 2025, but his tenure as president ends in two years. Will the impact of the landmark agreement endure beyond his presidency?
Russia in weak position for new gas deal with ChinaThe new natural gas deal between China and Russia is lopsided in China's favor. Western sanctions, plunging oil prices, and a plummeting currency all put Russia at a bargaining disadvantage vis-脿-vis China.
Progress WatchSurprise US-China climate deal sets aggressive targetsUnder the deal signed Nov. 12, the US would cut emissions twice as fast as President Obama's earlier target. China, for the first time, set an emissions target, saying they would peak by about 2030, if not earlier.
McConnell promises La. GOP Senate candidate spot on Energy committeeKentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, expected to become majority leader in January, says Republican candidate Bill Cassidy, who faces Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu in a runoff next month, will promote energy jobs in Louisiana.
Early signs of a pullback in US oil drillingWatch out, US shale boom: Plummeting oil prices are challenging the economics of expensive shale drilling. Low oil prices make shale drilling less profitable, and some oil companies are paring back spending and drilling plans as a result.聽
Points of ProgressFish in American waters are experiencing population reboundsNearly two dozen species of Pacific groundfish, including snapper, Dover sole, and dogfish, and Atlantic haddock, among others, are all making a comeback. The rebounds can be attributed to the passing of the聽Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the US management system.
Oil sands companies under pressure following wildlife deathsMore than a hundred birds died in Alberta oil sands waste ponds last week, raising questions about whether oil companies in Canada are doing enough to protect wildlife.聽
Republicans capture Senate; Report warns of climate change; Cheap oil creates price showdown [Recharge]Republicans won the Senate in last week's midterm elections, setting the stage for pro-oil and gas legislation and a fight over Obama's clean power plan. The International Panel on Climate Change released a report describing "severe, widespread, and irreversible impacts" of climate change. Tumbling oil prices threaten Saudi Arabia's profits and the US's shale boom.
Midterm election results: Good news for Keystone XL pipelineRepublicans captured the Senate in Tuesday's elections, setting the stage for the GOP to push major energy issues 鈥� including approval of the Keystone XL pipeline. And with support from moderate Senate Democrats, Keystone likely has the support to make it through Congress.
Slow climate change or end energy poverty? Let's do both.The goal of curbing global greenhouse gas emissions can sometimes appear at odds with efforts to expand electricity access to the 1.3 billion around the world without it. But it is feasible to make progress on both fronts, write Goolman and Nicholson, so long as policymakers aim high.聽
The case against US oil abundanceThe swift decline in oil prices has the media buzzing about an oil supply glut, Cobb writes.聽But can oil 鈥� which now trades at eight times its price during 1998's glut 鈥� be said to be experiencing an oil glut now?
Hyundai, Kia fine: It's more than just $100 millionAutomakers Hyundai and Kia underestimated the mileage for more than 1 million of its vehicles, landing their parent company a $100 million fine. But the Hyundai Motor Group will also have to give up greenhouse gas credits valued at more than $200 million.
GOP wins Senate control, boosting energy sharesRepublicans won Senate control in Tuesday's midterm elections, leading many to believe that will mean faster action on pipelines and trade agreements. News of Republicans gaining Senate control sent energy shares higher on Wednesday.
Greens spent millions on midterm elections and lost. Or did they?Environmental groups dropped tens of millions to influence the midterm elections. And while they didn't keep the Senate blue, green groups hope they've made inroads with the GOP, and have elevated the profile of climate change and clean energy in American politics.
Baby hippo: LA zoo gets rare surpriseBaby hippo born at LA zoo comes as a bit of a surprise, although staffers had noticed the mother hippos had gained weight. The baby hippo born at the LA zoo is the first in 26 years.