All Environment
Halliburton manager is sentenced in Gulf oil spill trialHalliburton manager given one year of probation for destroying evidence from BP's 2010 Gulf oil spill. The Halliburton manager must also perform 100 hours of community service and pay a $1,000 fine.
Will California frack? Not without water.California sits atop the largest tight oil formation in the US, Cunningham writes, but the state's water crisis threatens to hamper oil and gas production and put an end to a Bakken-like bonanza.聽
UN warns on climate change, as emissions bounce backNations are falling behind in efforts to slow climate change, the UN warns in a draft report, and must dramatically reduce carbon emissions in the next 15 years. That is proving difficult as the world's major economies rebound from a global recession.
China's pollution: The desolation of smog?Beijing's mayor has come up with a series of measures 鈥� including banning all heavily polluting vehicles to punishing officials for lax enforcement 鈥撀爐o battle air pollution in China's capital.
Pregnant women, water don't mix in W.Va.Pregnant women told water is unsafe to drink in West Virginia after a chemical spill last week. Officials say pregnant women should not drink tap water, but the 'do not use' water order has been lifted for tens of thousands of customers.聽
Will Iraq turmoil halt oil growth?While western Iraq is in the hands of Al Qaeda, recent trends suggest there's no safe oil investment refuge even in the Kurdish north,聽Graeber writes.
California wildfire: why winter hasn't brought reliefCalifornia wildfire spread through the dry foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains Thursday.聽A wet winter reduces the risk of a California wildfire, but the whole state is experiencing historically dry conditions.
Why did consumer prices rise last month? Gas prices.Consumer prices rose 0.3 percent in December, largely due to an unexpected jump in gas prices and other energy costs. Gas prices could rise again in late January and put more upward pressure on the consumer price index.聽
Bristol Bay salmon: EPA warns of threat from miningBristol Bay salmon are threatened by mining in the Bristol Bay region, according to a new assessment by the US Environmental Protection Agency. A large-scale copper and gold mine could have devastating effects on Bristol Bay salmon and other wildlife, the EPA says.
As emissions rise, US coal steps up push for carbon captureAfter three years of decline, greenhouse-gas emissions are rising again, largely because of increased coal use. The best chance for the industry to erase its 'dirty coal' image is through carbon capture, which is making progress.
Blackie the hippo: Why was he put down?Blackie the hippo, a Nile hippopotamus believed to be the oldest in North America, was put down Monday at an Ohio zoo. Blackie the hippo was about 59 years old, while most hippos live to 30 or 40 years in the wild.
Cracks in Arctic ice sucking in toxic mercury, study findsAir currents above cracks in Arctic ice are drawing mercury, a neurotoxin, into the snow and ice, say researchers.
Possible Iran-Russia oil deal ruffles feathers in WashingtonA potential $1.5 billion oil-for-goods swap between Iran and Russia has prompted harsh responses from Washington, which says such a deal could trigger new US sanctions.
Clean energy investment down, but not outGlobal investment in clean energy and energy efficiency technologies dropped 12 percent in 2013, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. It marks the second consecutive year of declines in clean energy investment, but there are reasons to be optimistic about wind and solar energy.聽聽
Why electricity's future is in the produce aisleNot all kilowatt-hours of electricity are created equal, Bronski writes, but聽most customers consume them as if they are. That's changing as consumers demand more information about how, where, and when their electricity is generated.聽
Mass. governor proposes $50 million plan to brace for global warmingMassachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is pushing the state to strengthen its energy grid and sea walls against the potential effects of global warming. Many states are taking up such adaptation projects.
In 2014, world races to join shale energy boomThe shale genie is out of the bottle, Warren writes. US production in shale oil and gas offers lessons learned for countries desiring to exploit their own energy resources.聽
Fracking and water pollution: What's the connection?Complaints in key venues of the US oil and gas boom continue to suggest that drinking water is being contaminated by fracking for oil and gas, Peixe writes. The pollution complaints against fracking have been confirmed in a number of cases, but not across the board.
Iran nuclear deal: Don't believe the hype around oilAn Iran nuclear deal would ease economic sanctions on the Islamic nation in exchange for limits to its uranium enrichment program. Oil prices slipped Monday, on news of the Iran nuclear deal, set for Jan. 20, but the promise of new Iranian oil may be overhyped.聽
Fracking for an energy renaissance that will not comeThe hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling used to extract oil from shale deposits is聽supposed to glut the world with oil and drive down the price. The record so far is not compelling, Cobb writes, and talk of an American energy renaissance is聽essentially baseless.