All Environment
Earth's cooling came to sudden halt in 1900, study showsAn international study used tree rings and pollen to build the first聽record of global climate change, continent by continent, over 2,000 years.
ABB's 'blue jeans' strategy in solarABB $1 billion purchase of inverter maker Power-One signals its desire to cash in on the boom in solar-panel installations 鈥� without investing in solar panels themselves.
House aims to expand oil drilling in Gulf of MexicoMembers of the US House of Representatives last week proposed legislation that would open up more areas for oil drillers offshore, Graeber writes. Lawmakers say getting more work done in the Gulf of Mexico would ensure energy independence.
FocusOn Earth Day 2013, a planetary report card on global warmingPlanetary carbon dioxide concentrations are the highest they've been in the past 800,000 years, an ignominious milestone for Earth Day 2013. Still, the world is making some progress toward addressing global warming.
Earth Day 2013: 10 quotes about planet Earth Earth Day is April 22. There is no shortage of famous musings on what Carl Sagan once called our 'pale blue dot.' Here are 10 of our favorite things said about planet Earth.
FocusA way to curb global warming: Suck carbon emissions right out of the air?Most efforts to address carbon emissions focus on preventing them from entering the atmosphere in the first place. But how to get rid of CO2 already there? Start-ups are developing prototype air-capture systems.- How to join climate team
The many empty meanings of 'energy security'We have talked about the concept of 鈥榚nergy security鈥� so much that it no longer means anything, Holland writes. It is time to retire the term.
How much will replacing coal cost Los Angeles?Coal-based electricity is one of the least expensive, most reliable means of producing electricity, and it鈥檚 a central part of the American energy portfolio, Tracey writes. Not only that, coal has a long history of providing energy to Americans.
Nebraska hearing vitrifies Keystone XL pipeline debateThe Keystone XL pipeline debate comes to a head in Grand Island, Neb., as the State Department holds a public hearing on the Canada-Texas pipeline.聽If the passionate, opposing sides agree on anything, it's that the Keystone XL pipeline debate is about more than just a pipeline.
Climate change deniers strike out 鈥� even in energy-rich KansasStates, not Congress, are taking the lead on climate change laws 鈥� from a new cap-and-trade program in California to widespread adoption of renewable electricity standards. Moves to weaken those standards aren't gaining traction in state capitals. 聽 聽聽
How GE is boosting its oil and gas portfolioGE's acquisition of a Lufkin聽significantly boosts GE鈥檚 oil and gas portfolio, which was worth $15.2 billion of its total $147 billion in revenues for 2012, Alic writes. Over the past three years, GE鈥檚 oil and gas segment has realized annual growth of 16 percent due to an ambitious acquisition drive.聽
Has clean energy hit a plateau?Clean energy growth worldwide has stalled despite significant gains in electric聽vehicles聽and renewable power, and financing has slowed, according to separate studies released Wednesday. Is increased government funding the answer for clean energy, or should private business play a bigger part?聽
Why the 2012 US drought keeps growingDrought conditions now cover nearly two-thirds of the continental US, according to a new report. The South and West are particularly vulnerable to drought in years ahead, scientists say.
A global fracking revolution? Curb your enthusiasm.While China, Saudi Arabia, and other nations are pushing to replicate America's shale boom, they face huge logistical obstacles. Some nations may find the investment is just too big.聽
Keystone XL pipeline: Could Congress bypass Obama to get it built?The Keystone XL pipeline's fate hangs in the air, with some in Congress hoping to move forward without approval from the Obama Administration. New legislation for the Keystone XL pipeline proposes to do just that, but faces significant obstacles.
Antarctic ice tells conflicting story about climate change's role in big meltTwo different areas of Antarctica tell two very different stories about how climate change might be affecting ice melt. The data appear to confirm that climate change impacts can be very local.- Antarctic ice tells conflicting story about climate change's role in big meltTwo different areas of Antarctica tell two very different stories about how climate change might be affecting ice melt. The data appear to confirm that climate change impacts can be very local.
In Germany, a building that aims to run on algaeThe world鈥檚 first ever algae-powered building is being built and tested in Hamburg, Germany, Kennedy writes.聽With the outer facades covered in glass panelled bioreactors the building can produce its own energy.
How oil exporters reach financial collapseHigh oil prices are good for oil exporters while low oil prices are good for oil importers, Tverberg writes. The result is聽a price tug of war between oil importers and oil exporters.