All Environment
Can anyone break Russia's hold on Europe's gas?Europeans want cheaper natural gas to jumpstart an economy crippled by high energy costs. The trouble is, alternatives to Russian gas are plenty in theory, but few in reality.
Listing white rhinos as endangered could save all rhinos, conservationists sayThe US Fish and Wildlife Service has named southern white rhinoceros an endangered species protected under the Endangered Species Act, a move that the organization says could help protect the other four highly endangered species of rhinos.
Move over Keystone XL. There's a new pipeline in town.With the fate of the Keystone XL pipeline up in the air, the company behind the controversial pipeline is pushing forward with a separate pipeline to refineries in Canada.
New LNG export approval: an export opening for Marcellus gasThe US approves a fourth facility to export liquefied natural gas: Dominion Energy's Cove Point terminal in Maryland. Via pipeline, Cove Point offers Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale producers direct access for LNG exports.
Massive molasses spill prompts shark-attack warningMassive molasses spill: A brown plume of sweet, sticky liquid was spotted seeping into Honolulu Harbor and Keehi Lagoon on Monday after a ship hauling molasses to the West Coast pulled out to sea.
Will Europe go shopping for oil in the Caspian Sea?While the realignment of the energy map could bring short-term birth pangs to the European economy, Graeber writes, by the time the eurozone is in full swing, producers from the Caspian Sea may have taken Russia's place as the exporter of choice.
Can DOE build a better electric car battery?Last week, the Department of Energy's ARPA-E program announced funding for a new program aimed at rethinking electric car batteries. The program recognizes that significant breakthroughs in battery chemistry and vehicle architecture are crucial for electric cars to compete with internal combustion vehicles, Nicholson writes.
Eagles, wind farms don't mix. New study shows toll on birds.The toll on eagles from wind farms is documented in a new study from government biologists. The wind industry said it was working with the government and conservation groups to find ways to reduce eagle fatalities related to wind farms.
- Massive molasses spill kills fish, crabs, eels off Hawaii
Some 233,000 gallons of molasses leaked into Honolulu harbor, killing hundreds of fish. Officials are warning people to stay out of the water because the dead marine life will attract sharks.
Why running the AC in California's scorching valleys may get a bit cheaperResponding to consumer complaints of an unfair rate system, California lawmakers are close to passing a bill that would bring electricity rates in hot inland areas closer to those at the cool coast.
Arctic ice continues to thin, and thin, European satellite revealsThe thickness of the Arctic’s ice was whittled to a new recorded low this winter, according to data from the European Space Agency’s CyroSat mission.
Strike on Syria would cause oil prices to ... drop?The prevailing opinion is that any American intervention in Syria will send the price of crude oil skyward, Johnston writes. But, some claim that the opposite will happen.
Solar panels: firefighters' clean-energy foeWith rooftop solar panels proliferating across the country, officials say they impede firefighting. The solar industry is working with fire departments and utilities to find ways to make solar panels less of an obstacle.
Can Mount Fuji survive tourists?With more than 300,000 hikers every year, Japanese officials worry about the preservation of Mount Fuji, which was recently designated as an UNESCO World Heritage site.
- Hurricane Humberto: First hurricane of 2013 season
Hurricane Humberto gathered strength in the Atlantic Ocean near the coast of Africa. Hurricane Humberto winds are expected to hit 85 m.p.h. before the storm starts to weaken.
Syria: The energy crossroads that never wasBashar al-Assad once envisioned Syria as a future hub of oil transport in the region – a 'four seas strategy' to connect the region's major oil players to European markets. After two and a half years of civil war, that plan appears all but lost.
'50 dirtiest' US power plants emit more greenhouse gases than South KoreaA new study by an environmental group suggests that reining in a handful of America's coal-fired power plants would have a major impact on greenhouse gas emissions.
Tidal power: Energy's wave of the future?While marine and hydrokinetic energy may be quite literally the wave of the future, its moment may be beyond the current horizon, Graeber writes. That said, it's predictable, it's easy to get to, and some of the world's most densely populated areas are coastal communities, which means it's cheap to connect to the grid.
Oil worries extend beyond Libya and SyriaConversations surrounding last week's oil markets centered on Libyan production issues and the possibility that U.S. military strikes on Syria may have broader implications for crude oil, Graeber writes.
Our energy future: 'They'll think of something'Concerns over future supplies of oil and gas are often met with a 'They'll-think-of-something' mentality, Cobb writes. But the only sensible response to the looming possibility of depleted resources is to begin reducing our energy use now in earnest.
