All Environment
National Plug In Day: Electric car fans push pedal to metalNational Plug In Day celebrated the electric car in 60 cities over the weekend. Declared all but dead a short while ago, the electric car market is beginning to thrive. But can electric cars ever gain a meaningful foothold in the gas-dependent US auto industry?聽
CBO: Electric car subsidies ineffectual on fuel efficiencyA new report by the US Congressional Budget Office found that tax credits and other initiatives will not significantly impact the overall fuel-efficiency of cars on American roads, according to Consumer Energy Report.
Cover StoryHow rising food prices are impacting the worldHigh grain costs, caused by severe drought, are hitting dinner tables from Guatemala to China. But the world has learned valuable lessons since the food shocks of 2008. Will it be enough to prevent social unrest?
Expiring tax credits threaten wind industry jobsThousands of wind industry jobs are at risk if government tax credits are not renewed, according to Consumer Energy Report.
Senate to EU: US airlines won't pay carbon taxSenate unanimously passes bill to shield US airlines from European Union law on carbon emissions. The EU has been enforcing carbon emissions trading rules since January.聽
EU limits use of biofuelsThe European Union announced new laws aimed at limiting crop-based biofuels to only 5 percent of transport fuel used in the region, according to Consumer Energy Report.
Oil companies return to the Gulf of MexicoTwo years after the BP oil spill, drilling in the US Gulf of Mexico is growing again. It may soon reach the levels that it was at before the spill, according to OilPrice.com.
Natural gas gets sea legs in first floating plantRoyal Dutch Shell has placed an order for the first ever floating liquified natural gas plant, according to OilPrice.com.
While Arctic melts, Antarctic ice hits record. Is warming debunked?Antarctic ice expansion doesn't disprove warming, scientists say. Warming has long been expected to hit Arctic ice first.
Fuel efficiency could jump 50 percent by 2040Two studies from the International Energy Agency show that the fuel efficiency of consumer vehicles could be increased by 50 percent by the year 2040 if the necessary technologies and policies are implemented in a timely manner, according to Consumer Energy Report.
Three Mile Island nuclear plant shuts down unexpectedlyThree Mile Island plant, scene of the worst nuclear power accident in the US, shut down automatically after failure of a coolant pump. Officials say the Three Mile Island shutdown poses no threat.
Going for the record: Can anything stop 2012 from being warmest ever?For super-warm 2012 to end up as an average year in the lower 48 states would require an astonishing, and record-breaking, cold snap over the final four months. That's not in the forecast.
Oil prices drop back to realityOil prices fall 7 percent since Friday. The drop in oil prices was overdue, analysts say.
Gas prices: Why are they so high?Drivers in North America are now competing with the rest of the world for cheap American crude oil,聽Schaefer writes. The result? High gas prices.
Offshore oil reserves could boost weak Irish economyA reservoir of oil just 45 miles off the Irish coast is estimated to contain more than a billion barrels.聽The potential extraction of this oil has come at a perfect time for Ireland鈥檚 struggling economy, Burgess writes.聽
Canada's ambassador bets on Keystone pipeline's futureIn a speech at Johns Hopkins University, Canada鈥檚 ambassador to the United States bet on the US approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, according to Consumer Energy Report. If approved,聽the Keystone XL pipeline would pump oil from Alberta鈥檚 oil sands to Gulf Coast refineries in Texas.
Recession and jobs: Is energy the driver?Economic and job growth are closely tied to energy consumption. While jobs can grow faster than energy use when efficiency kicks in, the cost may be lower wages.聽
Greening the airways: How Airbus plans to make the airline industry sustainableA new report by Airbus聽looks at how aircraft can be more sustainable, and how ground operations can save on energy, according to OilPrice.com.
Qatar 鈥� rich and dangerous 鈥� eyes SyriaFaced with a glutted market for its liquefied natural gas, Qatar eyes development of Syrian gas fields as a huge opportunity, if Assad can be forced from power.聽
Japan plans to abandon nuclear powerJapan's prime minister has set plans into motion to eliminate the country's need for nuclear energy by the end of the 2030s.