All Environment
Physicist nominated as Energy secretary. Are there enough scientists in Washington?President Obama's selection of nuclear physicist Ernest Moniz as Energy secretary highlights a void in Washington. The nation's capital lacks scientists in key decisionmaking positions and in Congress.
Does Keystone XL report let Obama off the hook on climate pledge?The State Department report on the Keystone XL pipeline does not oppose it on environmental grounds. Critics say this allows Obama to back away from his pledge to combat climate change.
Wholesale power: bankruptcies and lessonsThe possible bankruptcy of Energy Future Holdings shows how tough it is to make profits in wholesale power 鈥� or finance new coal plants. The fracking revolution is reshaping the energy landscape.
Thailand to end ivory trade?Thailand's prime minister pledges to put an end to her nation's ivory trade. But she sets no timeline for ending the ivory trade, which is helping boost illegal poaching in Africa.聽
US oil production: Don't believe the hypeOil production is headed back up, but it will peak below the 1970 high in the US or even the secondary high notched in 1985, federal estimates say. It can's solve worldwide oil depletion.
Why gas prices go up in the springGas prices always seem to 'spring forward' in the spring. Here's what's behind the seasonal rise in gas prices.
State Department has no major objections to Keystone XL pipelineThe Keystone XL pipeline cleared another hurdle towards approval late Friday as the US Department of State raised no major objections in its latest environmental review.聽The lengthy report says Canadian tar sands are likely to be developed, regardless of whether the US approves the Keystone XL pipeline.
Japan should invest in European shale gasShale gas is already having an impact as Japan looks to import suddenly plentiful natural gas from the US. Natural gas from shale should force Europe to recalibrate its own energy future. 聽
Demand weak, but gas prices heading to $4, anywayGas prices are moving higher, apparently because of price moves for Brent crude and limited refining capacity. Will Wall Street fall as gas prices rise toward $4 a gallon?
Canada minister 'cautiously optimistic' US will approve Keystone XLCanadian Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver said Thursday he does not expect the US to veto the proposed Keystone XL pipeline from the Alberta oil sands to Texas.
Water: the big issue for frackingWater鈥檚 just too important for the fracking business not to handle wisely, Stuebi writes.聽
EPA must weigh impacts of regulations, business group saysThe Business Roundtable's recommendations to the EPA underscore the need to take聽action to protect the environment while not harming American jobs and consumers, Tracey writes.
Using oil to get off of oilGovernments should encourage domestic drilling to meet our energy needs in the short-term, Rapier writes, while using the royalties and tax revenues to fund programs that reduce dependence on oil.
Oil, gas salaries rise amid slumping economyOil and gas wages and benefits saw an overall increase in 2012, according to a recent study.聽Base salaries across the entire oil and gas industry rose by 8.5 percent in 2012, Alic writes.- Wait 鈥� what is 'fracking'? An energy vocabulary quiz.
The energy world is replete with buzzwords: "fracking," "tar sands," and "the grid." But what do they really mean? Test your energy literacy with the Monitor's energy vocabulary quiz.
Why globalization is energy intensive and wreaks havoc on oil pricesGlobalization uses up finite resources like oil and coal more quickly, Tverberg writes. It also increases carbon dioxide emissions and acts to聽increase聽world oil prices, she adds.
Exclusive: Cyberattack leaves natural gas pipelines vulnerable to sabotageA government report says a cyberattack against 23 natural gas pipeline operators stole crucial information that could compromise security. Experts strongly suspect China's military.
How high oil prices hurt wages and limit economic growthWages don鈥檛 rise at the same time as oil prices rise, Tverberg writes. The result is a mismatch between what citizens can afford, and the cost to manufacture and transport products.
Is the Keystone XL pipeline worth it?The Keystone XL pipeline gains new endorsements as environmental opposition grows. Putting ecological implications aside for a moment, is the Keystone XL pipeline, and the tar sands production that goes with it, a good financial investment?
BP drilling operations face scrutiny in Gulf oil spill trialTwo former BP executives testified Wednesday about the effect of cost-cutting measures on BP's drilling operations before the 2010 oil well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. It marks聽the third day of the Gulf oil spill trial designed to figure out how much BP and other companies are to blame for the spill.