All Environment
Renewables disrupt utilities. That's a good thing.Rather than lament renewable energy's disruption of the traditional utility business model, Lovins writes,聽we should help progressive utilities and disruptive upstarts shape a new electricity system powered increasingly by clean, distributed renewables.
Most ocean havens for fish aren't. Researchers ID ways to do better.A comprehensive look at 87 marine-protected areas, set up to protect fish populations, finds that more than half the time the ocean havens make no difference. But researchers identify five factors that seem key to improvement.
Nuclear repository fire contained in New MexicoNuclear repository fire in New Mexico has been snuffed out, according to local officials, after a fire broke out at the facility Wednesday morning. The nuclear repository is used to store low-grade nuclear waste, including plutonium-contaminated clothing and tools.聽
In California drought, a message to consumers: Water is powerConsumers are being told to save water now so they'll have electricity later. California gets 15 percent of its electricity from hydropower, and drought has brought water levels to dangerous lows.
Frost quakes cause strange sounds, light flashes in frigid MidwestFrost quakes, technically known as cryoseism, have been reported in Missouri and across Midwestern states. Swings in temperature lead to frost quakes, which happens when moisture in the ground suddenly freezes and expands.
Snow, ice leaves 400,000 still without power. Can the grid handle winter?Hundreds of thousands remained in the dark Thursday after a winter storm brought a mix of snow, ice, and freezing rain to the Northeast United States. The recent spate of cold weather and winter storms has weighed heavily on the nation's energy infrastructure.
Winter storms send natural gas prices to 4-year highWinter storms in the Northeast United States sent natural gas prices Wednesday to a high not see since early 2010.聽An unusually cold January complete with multiple snow storms has the region burning through more natural gas than expected.
How to use less fossil fuel at homePutting solar panels on your roof will only take you so far. The trick is finding ways to use more of the electricity in your home and send less of it to the grid where you will likely be charged per kilowatt-hour for your share of upkeep.
Is this the beginning of the end of coal?Coal may be poised for a comeback in 2014 as natural gas prices rise and extreme cold push up electricity demand. But new EPA regulations and investor trepidation point to a structural decline for coal, Cunningham writes, not a cyclical one.
Winter storm hits Northeast as emergency energy aid runs lowAfter dumping聽snow, sleet, and freezing rain on Midwestern states Tuesday, the latest winter storm is bringing another blast of cold to the Eastern Seaboard.聽The recent string of winter storms has sapped the home energy assistance funds used to aid low-income households with utility payments.
California drought: Why Jerry Brown doesn't want US House to helpCalifornia Gov. Jerry Brown opposes a US House bill, set for a vote Wednesday, that would send more water to the state's parched farmland, at the expense of endangered fish and other interests.
Minnow endangered no more? How the Oregon chub bounced back.Minnow endangered: The Oregon chub, a tiny minnow that lives only in the backwaters of Oregon's聽Willamette Valley, is set to become the first fish ever taken off the US government's list of endangered species.
Why Europe won't buy Canadian oilCanada says it wants to expand its oil export market, Graeber writes, but overseas obstacles and national trade policies could keep much of its crude oil out of Europe.
Nissan Leaf sales slip on icy weatherNissan Leaf and Chevy Volt sales slid in January, rounding out a bad start to 2014 for electric cars. Bitter cold was mostly to blame for a lack of interest in Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, and just about every other car on the market.
The Lone Star State's clean-energy leaderDenton, Texas is known for its festivals and eclectic music scene, Guevara-Stone writes, but the bustling community 30 miles northwest of Dallas聽is also a leader in clean energy, boasting more wind power per capita than any other city in the nation.
Shareable economy: Sharing cars means saving energyAs we develop a renewable-energy economy powered by clean-energy technologies, we must in the meantime find ways to cut down on resource consumption, Cobb writes. Car sharing and other elements of the 'shareable economy' can help. 聽
Keystone XL environmental report: Is it 'game over' for pipeline foes?The State Dept.'s Keystone XL report found that the pipeline is unlikely to significantly add to global carbon emissions. But foes say the project still may not be in the 'national interest.'
Drug trafficking in Central America wreaking havoc on forests, study findsDrug traffickers are targeting vast stretches of rainforest 聽for clandestine landing strips and roads to carry on the drug trade, study finds
Keystone XL pipeline study puts ball in Obama's courtThe US State Department released its final environmental report on Keystone XL, triggering a 90-day deadline for President Obama to make a final decision on the controversial oil pipeline. Over five years of debate, Keystone XL has become a flash point in US energy.聽
Chevron follows Shell, Exxon Mobil profit slide. Is Big Oil in trouble?Oil and gas multinationals record billions in profits,聽but a shifting energy landscape has taken its toll. Shell and Exxon Mobil posted disappointing earnings, further evidence the US oil boom isn't boosting the usual suspects.聽