All Environment
Trade deficit down on US energy boom. Time to export oil?The US trade deficit fell to a four-year low in November, aided by growing US energy production. Some say lifting decades-old restrictions on oil and gas exports would close the gap further, but skeptics say more exports undermine energy security.
7 things you think you know about energyThere are many, many things that the public and policymakers know for sure about energy that just ain't so, Cobb writes. Here are seven alternative takes on conventional energy wisdom for 2014.
C-Max Solar Energi: Ford goes off-grid with new solar carFord's C-Max Solar Energi concept car uses rooftop solar panels and a large concentrating lens to run on the power of the sun alone. It won't be cruising down your street anytime soon, but the Ford C-Max Solar Energi hints at an automotive future powered directly by renewable energy.
La Niña slowing Antarctic melt, suggests studyThe lower sea-surface temperatures brought by La Niña could be slowing the rate at which one of Antarctica's largest glaciers is melting, say researchers.
Volcanic eruptions hit western IndonesiaVolcanic eruptions from Mt. Sinabung spewed lava and gas in western Indonesia. On Tuesday alone, there were nine volcanic eruptions, although no casualties were reported.
Fukushima radiation cleanup: Send in the homeless?Fukushima radiation fallout in northern Japan requires a $35 billion cleanup that's behind schedule and lacks workers. Police say Japanese gangsters rounded up homeless men to clean up Fukushima radiation and paid them less than minimum wage.
Wind's tax credit winds down, but debate at full forceSubsidies for wind energy end at midnight Dec. 31, but Democrats are pushing for renewal of wind's production tax credit for 2014. Opponents say the subsidies are costly and inefficient.
In visit to Saudi Arabia, Hollande highlights defense and energyFrench President Francois Hollande arrived for a visit to Saudi Arabia Sunday, with an entourage of high profile defense and energy executives. The two countries share similar foreign policy goals, and could strike a deal over nuclear energy.
- In visit to Saudi Arabia, Hollande highlights defense and energy
French President Francois Hollande arrived for a visit to Saudi Arabia Sunday, with an entourage of high profile defense and energy executives. The two countries share similar foreign policy goals, and could strike a deal over nuclear energy.
Predictions for 2014: Energy is anything but conventionalWith dramatic new sources of both supply and demand emerging across the globe, energy is poised to get even more unconventional in 2014. What's next for oil, gas, and renewables?
How is global warming affecting precipitation? New satellite to help explain.Set to launch in February, the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite will, among other things, gather data that can help with efforts to monitor the effects of global warming on precipitation.
Will Russia frack for oil?Shale oil is poised to go international, Grealy writes. It’s already happening in Argentina, Australia and China, but the big prize is in Russia’s Bazhenov shale in Western Siberia.
Turning coal into gas: A solution for China's smog?It’s not hard to imagine China’s planners viewing synthetic natural gas as a promising avenue for addressing severe local air pollution, Styles writes, but the increase in carbon dioxide emissions from converting coal to synthetic natural gas could be substantial.
Fracking debate: light on oil, heavy on gasProtests against fracking tend to focus on natural gas, even though the potential for oil from fracking is significant. Would talking about oil change the debate?
Reservoir found under Greenland's snow. What it means for shrinking glaciers.The water in the huge reservoir remains liquid year-round, and researchers say it could help them estimate how Greenland's rapidly melting ice sheet will respond to global warming.
Paying for solar power isn't what it used to beMany consumers still can’t afford the steep sticker price of home solar, even if it offers the promise of low-cost, clean renewable energy in the long term. But innovative third-party financing is changing how solar panels are bought and sold.
Mexico embraces shale. Has Europe missed the boat?Mexico’s energy reform will unfortunately only isolate Europe further from the shale oil and gas revolution taking place in North America, Grealy writes. Funds desperately needed for the European energy sector will flow to governments that are truly serious about shale.
South Sudan violence undermines hope for oil wealthSouth Sudan is rich in oil, but infrastructure challenges and rising violence could undermine economic hopes for a troubled region, Graeber writes. The country gained independence in 2011, but border issues, ethnic fighting and disputes over oil have led to violence in South Sudan.
Natural gas production surges in PennsylvaniaAs natural gas production soars at the Marcellus Shale, Pennsylvania may be the second-biggest gas-producing US state by the end of the year, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
Pennsylvania court strikes down zoning limits on gas drillingThe Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Thursday struck down portions of a law that stripped some of the powers municipalities have to decide where the booming natural gas industry can operate.
