All Environment
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
Fukushima radiation in Canadian waters is not a threat, scientists sayA plume of radioactive cesium from Fukushima has reached waters off British Columbia and is expected off the US coast this year. But the concentrations are much too low to be a hazard, scientists say.
Volcanoes, trade winds may be behind 'pause' in global warmingA 12-year pause in global warming, after 20 years of rapidly rising surface temperatures, has scientists probing for the reason. Volcanic eruptions and undersea heat storage are emerging as likely explanations.
Why the US Army is spending billions on clean energyThe US Army has made some impressive commitments to renewable energy, Daly writes, in an effort to procure reliable and locally generated energy sources.
How Detroit made gas-fueled cars smarterAutomakers have found new ways to save energy, such as the Ford聽F-150's new aluminum body and聽Chrysler's nine-speed cars.
In North Carolina coal ash spill case, feds eye Southern regulatorsFederal authorities are investigating whether the relationship between Duke Energy and politically-connected state regulators in North Carolina contributed to a massive coal ash spill into the Dan River.
Will methane burn down natural gas's 'bridge' to the future?Natural gas is cleaner than coal, but only if the industry can control its methane releases. A new report says it's doing OK, but methane releases are underestimated.聽
Keystone XL pipeline hits another snag. Will it ever be built?The Keystone XL pipeline suffered a legal setback Wednesday when a聽state court voided the Nebraska governor's approval of the project. After more than five years of review, the fate of the Keystone XL pipeline still hangs in the balance. 聽
North America summit: Can 'Three Amigos' be friends on energy?The 'Three Amigos' at Wednesday's North American Leaders Summit Meeting will have a lot to talk about when it comes to energy. The region is in the middle of an oil and gas boom, and analysts say better cooperation between the three NAFTA countries on energy could help grow their economies.聽
New nuclear plant gets $6.5 billion federal loan. Nuclear comeback?A new nuclear project in eastern Georgia 鈥� one of a handful of nuclear projects to be built in recent decades 鈥� will receive $6.5 billion in federal loan guarantees, the Energy Department announced Wednesday. It's a boost for a nuclear industry that has suffered amid high-profile disasters and a weak economy.聽聽
Clean energy offers boost for remote island nationsMany islands are blessed with large amounts of sun, wind, and water, making renewable energy a promising solution, Guevara-Stone writes. One small island off the coast of Africa has embraced these resources, most notably through an innovative hybrid hydro-wind system.
Global warming: Ice loss makes Arctic itself a bigger climate changerAs the Arctic region loses ice cover to global warming, it is itself becoming a stronger contributor to warming than climate models had predicted it would, a new study finds.
How safe is the grid from cyberattacks?The next major attack against the energy sector may be by a state actor, Graeber writes, and it may come from a computer.
Iran nuclear talks: Will rising oil output hurt negotiations?Nuclear negotiations got underway between six world powers and Iran Tuesday, after reports show that Iran increased oil exports by 100,000 barrels per day in January. The interim nuclear deal with the United States and its western allies has breathed some life into Iran鈥檚 oil sector, Cunningham writes.
Obama tightens truck fuel standards. Why efficiency matters.President Obama announced Tuesday plans for tightening the fuel-efficiency standards of medium- and heavy-duty trucks by 2016. Amid high-profile energy issues like clean-energy subsidies and the Keystone XL pipeline, Obama has quietly made efficiency a cornerstone of his 'all-of-the-above' energy policy.聽