Energy News
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Mexico’s Bid for Energy Reform Stirs Passion on Oil Patrimony
October 2, 2013
Mexico’s president seeks to stem falling oil production by luring foreign money and technology. But the privatization drive faces nationalistic opposition.
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Climate Change Action Could Save 500,000 Lives Annually, Study Says
September 26, 2013
Global action to curb climate change could save 500,000 lives annually, far outweighing the projected cost of reducing fossil fuel emissions, a new study says.
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Colorado Flooding Imperils Oil and Gas Sites, Causes Spill
September 19, 2013
Nearly 1,900 oil and gas wells have been shut down in the wake of Colorado's floods, and officials are still trying to determine the extent of the damage.
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Boston Tops Ranking of Energy-Efficient U.S. Cities
September 17, 2013
A new ranking highlights Boston's achievements in conserving energy as the Senate debates a bipartisan energy efficiency bill.
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As Arctic Melts, a Race to Test Oil Spill Cleanup Technology
September 13, 2013
As ice melt opens the Arctic to exploration and shipping, researchers are testing drones, sensors, skimmers, and dispersants for tackling oil spills in icy waters.
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Panda Poop Might Help Turn Plants Into Fuel
September 10, 2013
Panda gut microbes, which break down bamboo, could help turn plant waste into economically viable biofuel, according to the results of a new study.
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For Natural Gas-Fueled Cars, Long Road Looms Ahead
September 4, 2013
Natural gas might mean savings at the fuel pump for U.S. motorists, but vehicle options and filling infrastructure lag. Also, the environmental benefits are unclear as the science evolves.
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Opinion: We Sued the Oil Industry So New Orleans Can Survive
August 29, 2013
Louisiana's coast has lost nearly 2,000 square miles of land, partly because of oil and gas development. Unless industry pays to fix the problem, New Orleans is vulnerable to another Katrina.
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As Coal Plants Shut Down, United Kingdom Faces a Power Crunch
August 29, 2013
The U.K. is shuttering its coal plants to meet emissions standards, but an absence of short-term replacement power could lead to a disconnect.
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Fukushima Leak's 'Level 3' Rating: What It Means
August 29, 2013
A leak of radioactive water at the Fukushima nuclear plant has been officially classified as a ‘serious incident.’
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Six Stealthy Energy Hogs: Are They Lurking in Your Home?
August 26, 2013
These six surprising energy hogs eat up more than their fair share of household power—and many homeowners don't realize their costs.
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Battles Escalate Over Community Efforts to Ban Fracking
August 23, 2013
Many towns are at the forefront of controversy over fracking, touching off court battles with bans and moratoriums that sometimes conflict with state policy.
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Latest Radioactive Leak at Fukushima: How Is It Different?
August 21, 2013
The latest leakage at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant comes from a different, more contaminated water source and raises new questions about TEPCO's ability to manage the crisis.
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Supercapacitors Amp Up as an Alternative to Batteries
August 21, 2013
Recent breakthroughs have made supercapacitors a more viable and potentially safer charging option, but batteries still have advantages in cost and size.
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Can an Ice Wall Stop Radioactive Water Leaks from Fukushima?
August 19, 2013
Efforts to contain an ever-growing volume of contaminated water at the crippled nuclear plant have failed. Experts say a frozen barrier might be the solution.
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Japan Solar Energy Soars, But Grid Needs to Catch Up
August 14, 2013
Japan’s solar energy market now leads the world, thanks to a new incentive policy, but an inadequate and disconnected grid stymies power flow across the island nation.
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Musk's Hyperloop Plan Draws Praise, Skepticism
August 13, 2013
Elon Musk has unveiled plans for a potentially revolutionary "fifth mode" of transportation.
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Fukushima's Radioactive Water Leak: What You Should Know
August 7, 2013
The operator of the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant has failed in an effort to control radioactive water leaking into the sea. What does it mean for people and the environment in Japan, and across the Pacific Ocean?
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Urban Ski Slope to Raise Profile of Europe's Waste-to-Energy Drive
August 1, 2013
The Amager Bakke incinerator project under construction in Copenhagen, Denmark, is the flashiest example of Europe's effort to deploy waste-to-energy technology to cut carbon emissions.
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Pictures: Oil Spill Sullies Popular Tourist Beach in Thailand
July 30, 2013
A pipeline leak sent thousands of gallons of oil pouring into the Gulf of Thailand, blackening the shores of a resort area and threatening wildlife.
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Fusion Energy Quest Faces Boundaries of Budget, Science
July 26, 2013
The idea of firing fusion power with lasers has hit major scientific and funding roadblocks. What does it mean for the effort to bring the energy of the stars to Earth?
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Desert Storm: Battle Brews Over Obama Renewable Energy Plan
July 25, 2013
President Obama's renewable energy drive would expand large-scale solar and wind projects on public lands. The plan is colliding with concerns over desert ecosystems.
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Mojave Mirrors: World's Largest Solar Energy Ready to Shine
July 25, 2013
Ivanpah, the world's largest solar thermal plant, is to begin generating power this summer. Challenges included relocating a population of endangered desert tortoises.
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California Keeps Its Energy Cool in Summer Scorcher
July 17, 2013
With nuclear power down, California kept the lights on through the July heat wave with natural gas, renewable energy, and conservation. Can the formula work elsewhere?
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Florida Blasts Away Old Power Plant to Make Way for New
July 16, 2013
Port Everglades Power Plant in Florida was demolished Tuesday, the latest smokestacks to disappear in the U.S. drive to shut old, inefficient electric stations.
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Climate Change Impact on Energy: Five Proposed Safeguards
July 11, 2013
A new report from the U.S. Department of Energy lists ways that the nation can reduce its energy infrastructure's vulnerability to climate change.
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Fracking Wastewater Disposal Linked to Remotely Triggered Quakes
July 11, 2013
Fault zones near wastewater injection sites are prime targets for earthquakes “dynamically triggered” from remote locations.
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Oil Train Crash Probe Raises Five Key Issues on Cause
July 11, 2013
After runaway oil tanker cars led to a deadly explosion and fire in Canada, several aspects of the train's handling are being questioned.
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IEA Report Offers Prescription to Ease Urban Transit Congestion
July 10, 2013
The world’s urban streets are crowded, and getting worse. In a new report that draws from encouraging real-world examples, the IEA offers ideas for increasing cities’ transit efficiency.
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Coal-Burning Shortens Lives in China, New Study Shows
July 8, 2013
A new study shows the deadly toll of air pollution from burning coal. China's social policy created a lingering north-south disparity in deaths from heart and lung disease.
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Oil Train Tragedy in Canada Spotlights Rising Crude Transport by Rail
July 8, 2013
The explosive train derailment that killed at least five people and left dozens missing in a Canadian lakeside town focused attention on North America's skyrocketing use of rail to transport its booming oil production.
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Solar Impulse's U.S. Mission Ends This Weekend
July 6, 2013
The solar-powered plane will complete the final leg of its coast-to-coast journey in New York City.
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Sand Rush: Fracking Boom Spurs Rush on Wisconsin Silica
July 3, 2013
It takes sand—loads of it—to open the cracks in shale rock that allow natural gas or oil to flow into hydraulic fracturing wells. To do the job, the industry is digging into the vast ancient silica reserves of Wisconsin.
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Too Much Wind Energy? Save It Underground in Volcanic Rock Reservoirs
July 1, 2013
A new study shows compressed air storage in porous geologic formations could help the Pacific Northwest manage its surplus of intermittent renewable energy.
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Beyond Ethanol: Drop-In Biofuels Squeeze Gasoline From Plants
June 26, 2013
The first commercial cellulosic biofuel plant aims to turn Mississippi wood chips into diesel fuel and gasoline that are chemically identical to petroleum products. Can homegrown "drop-in" biofuels transform transportation?
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Global Renewable Energy On Track to Soon Eclipse Natural Gas, Nuclear
June 26, 2013
Renewable power is increasingly cost-competitive and demand for them is growing globally.
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Obama Unveils Climate Change Strategy: End of Line for U.S. Coal Power
June 25, 2013
President Obama announced his long-awaited climate change policy: more clean energy, wasting less energy, and the first-ever limits on carbon pollution from coal plants.
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Five Reasons for Obama to Sell Climate Change as a Health Issue
June 24, 2013
In a speech to outline a new strategy for action on climate change, Obama will underscore the health impacts and other "social costs" of global warming.
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Electrofuels: Charged Microbes May "Poop Out" a Gasoline Alternative
June 17, 2013
Run current through genetically engineered microorganisms, and they produce gasoline substitute. Can U.S.-funded electrofuels research finish the drive from lab to market?
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Whisky a Go Go: Can Scotland’s Distillery Waste Boost Biofuels?
June 14, 2013
Scotland's whisky industry churns out a sobering amount of waste, but it may eventually feed a heady biofuels market if Celtic Renewables' plans succeed.
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What's Behind the New Warning on Global Carbon Emissions?
June 11, 2013
The world is on track to dangerous global warming, but some solutions could be implemented quickly, says International Energy Agency.
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First "Small Modular" Nuclear Reactors Planned for Tennessee
June 5, 2013
A U.S. government-supported project in Tennessee seeks to launch a new kind of nuclear plant—a "small modular reactor." Can downsizing address both cost and safety concerns?
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Five Surprising Facts About Energy Poverty
May 29, 2013
The countries that have made the most progress still have far to go to bring electricity and clean energy to their populations, a World Bank-led report details.
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Pictures: Oil Potential and Animal Habitat in the Monterey Shale
May 28, 2013
The Monterey shale formation offers a potential font of oil and gas for California, but new development poses a risk to rare wildlife such as the California condor.
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Monterey Shale Shakes Up California's Energy Future
May 27, 2013
In the valley that once lured gold seekers, oil prospectors are converging on the Monterey shale—a sharp new twist in California's path to cleaner energy.
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Pictures: Seven Energy-Smart Zoos and Aquariums
May 24, 2013
Keeping a diverse crowd of species comfortable comes with an elephant-sized energy bill for zoos and aquariums. These smart exhibits use technology, along with nature's own strategies, to cut demand.
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Tesla Motors' Success Gives Electric Car Market a Charge
May 22, 2013
Amid a decimated field of E.V. startups, Tesla Motors is riding high. But can its feats help take electric cars mainstream?
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Wind Energy’s Shadow: Turbines Drag Down Power Potential
May 16, 2013
Wind turbines rob each other of energy if installed too closely together. But the world's fastest-growing source of renewable power still has plenty of room for expansion.
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On Mount Everest, Seeking Biogas Energy in a Mountain of Waste
May 15, 2013
Work is under way on the world's highest-elevation biogas reactor, in an effort to transform a surplus of human waste on Mount Everest into a sustainable energy source.
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Climate Milestone: Earth's CO2 Level Passes 400 ppm
May 9, 2013
The last time the planet was such a greenhouse, our ancestors were climbing down from the trees—and sea level was tens of feet higher.
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Solar Impulse's U.S. Expedition Begins
May 3, 2013
Solar Impulse, a solar-powered aircraft able to fly overnight, embarks on a cross-country trip—without a single drop of fuel.
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Pictures: Bolivia Seeks Economic Energy in Vast Lithium Stores
May 2, 2013
In a flood-prone expanse high in the Andes, Bolivia holds the world’s largest lithium reserves. Can this crucial battery ingredient provide an economic charge?
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Pro-Environment Light Bulb Labeling Turns Off Conservative Buyers, Study Finds
April 30, 2013
Green labeling causes some consumers to shun energy-efficient light bulbs even when they know the choice could save them money, a new study finds.
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Sun Plus Nanotechnology: Can Solar Energy Get Bigger by Thinking Small
April 28, 2013
Nanotechnology could boost solar energy efficiency and cut costs. A slew of recent research is aimed at better capturing energy from the Earth's biggest power source.
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Reshaping Flight for Fuel Efficiency: Five Technologies on the Runway
April 23, 2013
The Boeing Dreamliner 787, poised to retake the skies soon, was one approach to more efficient flight. But aviation is looking to geared turbofan engines and radically new shapes and materials for deeper cuts in fuel consumption.
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Europe’s Carbon Market Crisis: Why Does it Matter?
April 18, 2013
In a blow for global efforts to mitigate climate change, the European Union’s eight-year-old carbon market is collapsing. Is this the death knell for cap and trade, or a useful lesson?
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To Stem Fall in Oil Output, Alaska Seeks to Slash Industry Taxes
April 9, 2013
Facing a decline in oil production that threatens the state’s massive pipeline network, Alaska hopes a $1 billion-a-year tax break will boost the industry.
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Oil Spill Spotlights Keystone XL Issue: Is Canadian Crude Worse?
April 4, 2013
An Arkansas pipeline spill is focusing new attention on a question that may be decisive in the Keystone XL debate: Is oil from Canada’s tar sands more damaging than conventional crude?
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Pictures: Arkansas Oil Spill Darkens Backyards, Driveways
April 1, 2013
The pipeline rupture forces an evacuation of homes in Arkansas and highlights questions about safety in the push to move tar sands oil from Canada south to U.S. refineries.
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Health Questions Key to New York Fracking Decision, But Answers Scarce
April 1, 2013
As debate rages in New York State over whether to allow fracking, researchers are attempting to shed light on its public health effects.
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Scientists Say Oil Industry Likely Caused Largest Oklahoma Earthquake
March 29, 2013
The injection of wastewater from oil and gas production deep into the ground has been known to cause quakes within months, but the 2011 temblor in Oklahoma occurred after nearly two decades.
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Pictures: Unlocking Icy Methane Hydrates, Largest Fossil Energy Store
March 27, 2013
In the first-ever offshore production of icebound methane hydrates, Japan has drawn new attention to a vast source of energy and potent greenhouse gas.
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The New Truck Stop: Filling Up With Natural Gas for the Long Haul
March 18, 2013
A truck stop network is now taking shape to spur the U.S. trucking industry to switch to low-priced natural gas fuel. But the environmental and economic calculations are complex.
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As U.S. Cleans Its Energy Mix, It Ships Coal Problems Abroad
March 15, 2013
U.S. coal exports hit a new record in 2012. The trend undercuts U.S. progress in cutting greenhouse gas emissions, as more carbon-intensive fuel is burned overseas.
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Keystone XL Pipeline Path Marks New Battle Line in Oklahoma
March 8, 2013
Opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline has united climate activists and property rights advocates in Oklahoma and Texas. Even if the oil industry wins this battle, has it lost the war of public opinion?
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Hugo Chavez Leaves Venezuela Rich in Oil, But Ailing
March 6, 2013
In his 14-year rule, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez consolidated power over oil resources deemed the largest in the world. In death, he leaves behind a weakened state that must grapple with how to manage its vast petroleum stores.
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Megadam Project Galvanizes Native Opposition in Malaysia
February 27, 2013
Malaysia’s ambitious hydropower plan would remake the rain forest state of Sarawak into an industrial haven. The project has ignited protest by indigenous tribes.
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U.S. Gas Price Spike: Blame the Long Road From Well to Pump
February 25, 2013
U.S. motorists face a rapid fuel price run-up, despite the nation’s surging oil production. Meanwhile, in the middle of the supply chain, refineries prosper.
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Obama Pledges U.S. Action on Climate, With or Without Congress
February 12, 2013
President Barack Obama urges Congress to pursue a “bipartisan, market-based solution” on climate change, but says he will act if lawmakers don’t.
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How Bold a Path on Climate Change in Obama’s State of the Union?
February 12, 2013
President Obama is expected to outline more aggressive action on climate change in his big speech, but political and economic realities will shape his plan.
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Super Bowl Blackout: Was It Caused by Relay Device, or Human Error?
February 8, 2013
New Orleans' power company blames a faulty relay device for the Super Bowl power outage, but the equipment's maker says incorrect settings triggered the failure.
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Mexico's Robust Wind Energy Prospects Ruffle Nearby Villages
February 7, 2013
The breezes of Oaxaca, Mexico, harbor vast amounts of energy, but large wind farm projects in the region have divided residents of the small villages in their path.
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What Caused the Super Bowl Blackout at the Superdome?
February 4, 2013
This Super Bowl’s post-game analysis will be like no other, as electricity and building systems experts probe the cause of the power outage that temporarily halted the Ravens-49ers game.
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Pictures: Super Bowl Caps Banner Season in NFL Green Drive
February 1, 2013
New Orleans will show off tree-planting, recycling, and climate change efforts as host of Super Bowl XLVII, part of the NFL's drive for greener stadiums and operations.
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Water Demand for Energy to Double by 2035
January 30, 2013
Water consumption for power and transportation will soar due to expanding coal power and biofuel production, the International Energy Agency says.
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Biochar Cookstoves Boost Health for People and Crops
January 29, 2013
Innovative nonprofits are taking clean cookstoves a step further by designing them to produce biochar, a byproduct with the potential to fortify soil and fight climate change.
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Attack at Algeria Gas Plant Heralds New Risks for Energy Development
January 18, 2013
The crisis at Algeria's In Amenas gas plant changes the stakes in a country previously seen as a relatively stable site for energy exploration.
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Bikes and Buses Propel Mexico City to Prize in Sustainable Transport
January 16, 2013
Transforming its traffic-clogged corridors by expanding alternatives for commuters, Mexico's capital wins notice for its success in reducing vehicle congestion.
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In Kulluk's Wake, Deeper Debate Roils on Arctic Drilling
January 11, 2013
The drive for the Arctic’s vast oil and natural gas stores could falter, but is not likely to end, with the grounding of Shell’s drilling rig, Kulluk.
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Pictures: Centralia Mine Fire, at 50, Still Burns With Meaning
January 8, 2013
The worst U.S. mine fire, in Centralia, Pennsylvania, passed its 50-year mark last year. As coal-powered development spreads globally, so does the risk of underground fire.
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Salt Power: Norway Project Gives Osmotic Energy a Shake
January 7, 2013
Ocean energy lurks not only in waves and tides, but also in saltiness. A Norway experiment seeks to harness renewable power in saltwater’s natural movement into fresh water.
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Pictures: Errant Shell Oil Rig Runs Aground Off Alaska
January 2, 2013
Crews have been trying to secure the drilling rig, which broke free of its tow lines in a storm and is carrying 150,000 gallons of fuel.
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Wireless Power May Cut the Cord for Plug-In Devices, Including Cars
December 28, 2012
WiTricity, a company based near Boston, envisions a future where everything from mobile phones to vehicles can be charged without wires.
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Pictures: Race Against Time to Build a New Tomb for Chernobyl
December 27, 2012
In an unprecedented engineering endeavor, workers are replacing the crumbling structure hastily erected to contain radiation at Chernobyl, site of the world's worst nuclear power disaster in 1986.
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Pictures: Eight Biggest Energy Stories of 2012
December 14, 2012
North American fossil-fuel production surged, while China grabbed for resources and India's power system teetered, in the top energy news stories of 2013.
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Pictures: Five Most Overlooked Energy Stories of 2012
December 14, 2012
Auto efficiency improved, fuel waste persisted, and worry grew over the water-energy-food nexus—just a few of the overlooked energy stories of 2012.
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Pictures: Five Most Hopeful Energy Stories of 2012
December 14, 2012
Innovations helped save energy in the developed world, and bring power-starved people online in developing nations-just a few of 2012's hopeful energy stories.
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Who’s Watching? Privacy Concerns Persist as Smart Meters Roll Out
December 12, 2012
The drive for a 21st-century electric grid faces privacy worries. What will happen to the detailed information on home energy use that utilities will be able to collect through smart meters?
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Waste Wattage: Cities Aim to Flush Heat Energy Out of Sewers
December 11, 2012
So much hot water goes down the drain that cities worldwide are recognizing sewer heat as an untapped resource that can help cut energy costs.
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U.K. Dash for Shale Gas a Test for Global Fracking
December 10, 2012
The United Kingdom, reliant on natural gas, moves toward lifting its hydraulic fracturing ban. But here and elsewhere around the globe, fracking faces challenges.
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Natural Gas Nation: EIA Sees U.S. Future Shaped by Fracking
December 7, 2012
The U.S. government energy outlook sees broad impact of new oil and gas abundance. Renewable energy captures a small future share without policy or technological change.
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High-Voltage DC Breakthrough Could Boost Renewable Energy
December 5, 2012
An advance in grid technology could give Thomas Edison’s favored mode of electricity delivery, DC, a chance to ramp up clean power today.
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Pictures: Bakken Shale Oil Boom Transforms North Dakota
November 30, 2012
In the booming North Dakota’s Bakken Shale region, producers aren’t waiting for pipelines. In a reprise of the industry’s pioneering days, they’re loading oil on railroads.
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Oil Train Revival: Booming North Dakota Relies on Rail to Deliver Its Crude
November 30, 2012
In the booming North Dakota’s Bakken Shale region, producers aren’t waiting for pipelines. In a reprise of the industry’s pioneering days, they’re loading oil on railroads.
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Car Sharing Widens the Lanes of Access for City Drivers
November 26, 2012
City dwellers are expanding their options for mobility with peer-to-peer car sharing. Can "accessing" replace "ownership" in the love affair with the automobile?
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Cuba's Oil Quest to Continue, Despite Deepwater Disappointment
November 19, 2012
In a drilling campaign profoundly hampered by the long-standing U.S. trade embargo, Cuba came up dry in its search for deepwater oil this year. But its quest for offshore energy will continue.
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California Tackles Climate Change, But Will Others Follow?
November 16, 2012
California launches its cap-and-trade market to curb carbon emissions. Advocates for climate change action hope the state’s approach will spread.
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Second Life for Old Electric-Car Batteries: Guardians of the Electric Grid
November 16, 2012
General Motors demonstrates that "spent" Chevy Volt batteries can be deployed in communities to deliver more reliable, cleaner power to buildings.
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U.S. to Overtake Saudi Arabia, Russia as World's Top Energy Producer
November 12, 2012
The United States, on track to overtake Saudia Arabia as the world's leading oil producer, moves closer to energy self-sufficiency, the International Energy Agency says.
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Renault Zoe, a Low-Price Electric Car, Wins Britain's Future Car Challenge
November 8, 2012
The Renault Zoe wins Britain’s Future Car Challenge, but a bigger test is in store. With its low base price, the mini-EV aims to supercharge the European electric car market.
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Can Hurricane Sandy Shed Light on Curbing Power Outages?
November 2, 2012
Nuclear plants held up, but overhead wires came down in Hurricane Sandy’s path. With millions still in darkness and cold, experts are calling for a smarter, more resilient electrical system.
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U.S. Nuclear Plants Brace for Hurricane Sandy Impact
October 29, 2012
As Hurricane Sandy approaches the East Coast, preparations are under way to safeguard Oyster Creek Generating Station, the oldest U.S. nuclear plant.
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U.S. Lab's "Titan" Named World's Fastest Supercomputer
October 29, 2012
The technology that animates video games enables a leap in science, as the U.S. government deploys Titan, the most powerful “hybrid” supercomputer yet.
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Why Are China and Japan Sparring Over Eight Tiny, Uninhabited Islands?
October 26, 2012
Potential energy wealth beneath the East China Sea's Senkaku Islands places them at the center of a tense territorial dispute between China and its neighbors.
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High Fuel Costs Spark Increased Use of Wood for Home Heating
October 22, 2012
High oil prices are causing more U.S. households to choose wood for home heating, according to a new government analysis, but only a fraction of those are using cleaner wood pellets.
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Battery Maker A123's Bankruptcy Underscores U.S. Hurdles for Clean Tech
October 17, 2012
The bankruptcy filing this week of U.S. government-backed battery maker A123 Systems demonstrates the challenges of developing clean energy technology in a still-evolving market.
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Britain's Isle of Wight Aims to Lead Island Green Energy Movement
October 10, 2012
In hope of spurring the use of clean energy on the world’s islands, a project aims to turn the Isle of Wight, off England’s southern coast, into a showcase for renewable self-sufficiency.
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Iraq Poised to Lead World Oil Supply Growth, but Obstacles Loom
October 9, 2012
Iraq could add more than any other nation to global oil supply, but it faces challenges that could roil world energy markets, says the International Energy Agency.
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Coal-Fired Australia, Buffeted by Climate Change, Enacts Carbon Tax
October 5, 2012
Australia launches a landmark cap-and-trade program, but the coal-dependent continent faces challenges in its bid to curb carbon emissions.
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Pictures: Eleven Electric Cars Charge Ahead, Amid Obstacles
September 28, 2012
From Tesla’s futuristic Model X to the pint-sized Smart Fortwo ED, the latest electric cars are turning heads, but face challenges in their bid to transform transportation.
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Pictures: Flying Wind Turbines Reach for High-Altitude Power
September 24, 2012
Airborne wind energy pioneers are trying to harness the potential of high-altitude breezes, which have enough force—a new study reckons—to power all of Earth’s energy needs.
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Pictures: Seven Ingredients for Better Electric Car Batteries
September 14, 2012
To build a battery strong and cheap enough to power an electric car revolution, researchers are delving into ingredients from carbon nanotubes to oxygen.
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In Uganda, Villages Reap Benefits of “Machine” Energy
September 14, 2012
The grueling processing of grain and gathering of firewood dominate life in Uganda’s Teso region. Engineers Without Borders is seeking to help power an improved harvest.
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Ice-Breaking: U.S. Oil Drilling Starts as Nations Mull Changed Arctic
September 10, 2012
Shell begins Arctic drilling. While some focus on spill risk, summit leaders consider the wider environmental impact of opening a new industrial frontier.
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Ocean Energy Teams Compete for $16 Million Scotland Prize
September 7, 2012
In the roiling waters off Scotland’s coast, companies are vying to prove technology to harness the energy of the sea.
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Drought Withers U.S. Corn Crop, Heats Debate on Ethanol
September 6, 2012
With the U.S. corn harvest shriveled by drought, pressure builds to suspend the national ethanol mandate. But it’s not easy to turn off the biofuel pumps.
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Venezuelan Refinery Under Scrutiny After Deadly Blaze
August 30, 2012
The fires are out at Venezuela’s Amuay facility four days after the deadliest refinery accident in 15 years. But questions about exactly what happened, and why, are only beginning.
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Isaac Drives Spike in U.S. Gas Prices Ahead of Labor Day Weekend
August 30, 2012
U.S. gasoline prices are getting worse before they will get better, spurred by domestic refinery woes and the recent Gulf Coast storm.
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Pictures: World’s Worst Power Outages
August 21, 2012
From weather events to human error, a range of snafus can wreak havoc for millions when they create the massive blackouts that have periodically struck regions around the world.
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Helix Collapse Fails to Crush Hope for Vertical Wind Turbines
August 20, 2012
The failure of "rooftop” wind energy's most trumpeted start-up underscores the technology’s challenges, but believers insist vertical turbines have their place.
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Pictures: Students Design Super-Efficient Cars in Eco-marathon
August 17, 2012
High school and university students from around the world competed in the race for maximum fuel efficiency, staged this year in the United States, Netherlands and Malaysia.
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Pictures: A Rare Look Inside Carmakers' Drive for 55 MPG
August 17, 2012
Automakers must dramatically improve fuel economy to meet new standards taking hold worldwide. They’ll do it with smarter systems, sleeker profiles, better materials, and a healthy dose of electric power.
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Record Heat, Drought Pose Problems for U.S. Electric Power
August 17, 2012
This summer’s scorching heat and record drought in the United States have pressured the water-dependent electricity system.
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Largest U.S. Coal Ash Pond to Close, But Future Rules Still Undecided
August 9, 2012
The shutdown of Pennsylvania’s “Little Blue” coal ash site is a landmark event, but a decision lags on U.S. regulation of one of its largest waste problems.
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China Drills Into Shale Gas, Targeting Huge Reserves Amid Challenges
August 8, 2012
China launches shale gas exploration, with ambitious goals that will require the right geology, plenty of water, and foreign know-how.
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Pictures: India Power Outage Darkens Cities, Stops Trains
July 31, 2012
One of history's worst blackouts darkened cities, delayed trains, and forced many to use backup generators for two days.
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India Power Outage Spotlights Energy Planning Failure
July 31, 2012
India's massive power outage raises questions about the nation's inability to map out its energy future. Protest and high costs have stymied coal and nuclear plans.
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Shell Scales Back 2012 Arctic Drilling Goals
July 27, 2012
Sea ice and regulatory issues trouble Shell’s plan to drill for oil in waters north of Alaska this summer, underscoring the challenges of the Arctic frontier.
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Pictures: London Leaps Hurdles in Green Olympic Games Bid
July 25, 2012
Organizers for the London Olympics have made significant strides toward more energy-efficient summer games, but some of their efforts didn't make it to the finish line.
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Coal Power Loses Its Luster in India as Costs Rise
July 24, 2012
India’s coal-fired power expansion plans are faltering, not over environmental concerns but due to new high costs. Some 50 projects face default.
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Sizing Up Wind Energy: Bigger Means Greener, Study Says
July 20, 2012
Larger wind turbines have a smaller carbon footprint, a European study finds. But practical limitations and local rules could place a ceiling on size.
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Nuclear Restart Generates Power, Protest in Japan
July 16, 2012
Japan's restart of one of its nuclear power plants rouses an unusual display of public discontent, but the energy-short nation faces no easy choices in the wake of Fukushima.
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Formula One Legend Murray Sets Course for Energy-Efficient Car Design
July 11, 2012
Gordon Murray designed some of the fastest, sleekest race cars in history. He’s now tackling a greater challenge: crafting lightweight, efficient autos for the masses.
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As Squeeze Tightens on Iran, Fuel Prices—for Now—Reflect Calm
July 10, 2012
Iran faces mounting pressure over its nuclear program at a time of bountiful oil supply and weak demand. But how long can low gas prices last?
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New Natural Gas Wealth Means Historic Change for Israel
July 3, 2012
Historically lacking in fossil-fuel resources, Israel now faces the challenge of managing its new huge natural gas discoveries in the Mediterranean Sea.
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Pictures: Eleven Nations With Large Fossil-Fuel Subsidies
June 18, 2012
Governments around the world spend billions of dollars each year to keep the price of fossil fuels low, burdening state finances and encouraging wasteful consumption.
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Cities Bet They Can Curb Traffic With Games of Chance
June 15, 2012
To tackle congestion, clogged urban centers are testing the lure of prizes to persuade motorists to change their driving habits.
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Low-Cost Solar Brightens Lives in the Developing World
June 6, 2012
Cheap, small-scale solar energy devices are helping to raise living standards throughout the world.
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Pictures: Solar Plane Completes First Intercontinental Flight
May 31, 2012
Fueled only by the sun glinting off its enormous wings, the Swiss experimental aircraft Solar Impulse achieves a historic intercontinental flight.
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International Agency Calls for Action on Natural Gas Safety
May 30, 2012
New environmental controls on natural gas "fracking" are both needed and affordable, the International Energy Agency says.
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Pictures: Cars That Fired Our Love-Hate Relationship With Fuel
May 24, 2012
Today’s global demand for more efficient cars follows two centuries of shifting attitudes toward fuel-guzzling vehicles, from Model T to Rambler, from Hummer to Prius.
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Amid Economic Concerns, Carbon Capture Faces a Hazy Future
May 22, 2012
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects around the world are hitting a wall due to high costs and a lack of climate policy.
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Tiles May Help Shrink Carbon Footprint by Harnessing Pedestrian Power
May 18, 2012
In areas with high foot traffic, installations of special flooring may prove that the answer to meeting energy demand lies right beneath our feet.
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Global Nuclear Retreat? Armenia, Others Aim to Keep Plants Alive
May 8, 2012
Armenia extends the life of its Soviet-style nuclear plant, despite seismic concerns. It’s one of a slew of decisions nations face on old reactors.
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British Columbia Rethinks Its Pioneering Carbon Tax
May 3, 2012
With none of its neighbors following British Columbia’s lead in taxing to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the Canadian province reviews the economic impact.
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Supercomputing Power Could Pave the Way to Energy-Efficient Engines
April 30, 2012
Scientists believe that Titan, a massive upgrade in supercomputing power that the U.S. government is set to deploy this year, will help crack the code on energy-efficient engines.
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Pictures: Ten New Studies Show Gulf Spill Impact
April 19, 2012
Bottlenose dolphins off Louisiana’s coast are severely ill, while deep-sea corals show signs of tissue damage—just two findings in a slew of studies two years after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
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Pictures: Nature Yields New Ideas for Energy and Efficiency
April 19, 2012
Drawing inspiration from schools of fish, termite mounds, and the photosynthesis of leaves, new technologies seek to produce cleaner, more efficient energy through biomimicry.
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Delhi Offers Cleaner Auto Rickshaws, but Residents Choose Cars
April 12, 2012
In India’s clogged cities, some view auto rickshaws—motorized three-wheelers—as a solution to pollution and congestion. But these “tuk tuks” struggle to compete with the allure of car ownership.
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Growing Food Demand Strains Energy, Water Supplies
April 6, 2012
In western India and around the world, agricultural growth is being stoked by unsustainable irrigation practices that sap aquifers and require huge amounts of energy.
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With Gas Prices High, U.S. Refinery Closures Hit Workers and Drivers
April 4, 2012
The economic pain of U.S. East Coast refinery closures may spread beyond job losses. Already high gas prices could climb still higher as summer approaches.
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Pictures: China's Rare-Earth Minerals Monopoly
April 3, 2012
China’s rare-earth mining has given it dominance in the market for materials that go into everything from smart phones to electric cars, but the industry has exacted a toll on the country’s landscape and people.
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While Rare-Earth Trade Dispute Heats Up, Scientists Seek Alternatives
March 30, 2012
While nations clash with China to ease its monopoly over the rare-earth minerals critical to energy technology, scientists hunt for other options.
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BP Oil Spill’s Sticky Remnants Wash Up Sporadically On Gulf Beaches
March 22, 2012
Tar balls from the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history continue to soil the Gulf Coast two years later, although at irregular intervals. Scientists say the tiny fragments hold clues for future understanding.
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Pictures: In Hungary, Burning Money for Fuel—Literally
March 21, 2012
Hungary is the only country to recycle its worn cash for fuel, recycling forints worth $1 billion (U.S.) each year into briquettes distributed to the poor.
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Natural Gas a Weak Weapon Against Climate Change, New Study Asserts
March 14, 2012
A new study argues that replacing all the world's coal power plants with natural gas would do little to slow global warming this century.
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Solar Energy Brings Food, Water, and Light to West Africa
March 13, 2012
For two arid villages in Benin, starvation seemed a greater problem than the lack of electricity. Solar drip irrigation tackled both issues at once.
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One Year After Fukushima, Japan Faces Shortages of Energy, Trust
March 8, 2012
By summer, no nuclear plants will be operating in Japan, where mistrust reverberates one year after the world’s second-worst nuclear accident, at Fukushima Daiichi.
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Pictures: Immense, Elusive Energy in the Forces of Nature
March 8, 2012
Japan’s Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, displayed the fearsome power in nature. Only a small fraction of Earth’s forces have been captured to fuel civilization.
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Pictures: A New Hub for Solar Tech Blooms in Japan
March 7, 2012
As Japan faces a nuclear-free future, at least in the short term, a new facility aims to develop solar technology that will create both energy and earnings at home.
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Nigeria's Rocky Effort to Wean Itself From Subsidized Fuel
March 7, 2012
Nigeria faces an uphill battle in removing fuel subsidies that kept gasoline cheap, but critically hampered the country's development.
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Estimates Clash for How Much Natural Gas in the United States
February 29, 2012
As U.S. policymakers contemplate a new era as the “Saudi Arabia of natural gas,” a new government analysis slashes estimates for unproved shale gas reserves.
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Pictures: Spanish Solar Energy
February 28, 2012
Spain’s solar energy boom of the past decade has waned, but the Iberian peninsula nurtured innovative technologies that may pave the way for future large-scale renewable energy.
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Concern Over Rare Rhino Rouses Clean Energy Drive in Malaysia
February 22, 2012
After a fight against a coal-fired power plant that threatened one of the last sanctuaries of the Sumatran rhino, a struggle for cleaner energy continues in east Malaysia.
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Uganda's Power Drive Stills Rapids at the Headwaters of the Nile
February 21, 2012
Uganda, where 90 percent of the people lack electricity, taps deeper into waterpower, by eliminating cascading rapids on the Victoria Nile.
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Pictures: A Rare Look Inside China's Energy Machine
February 14, 2012
A photographer gains an inside look at China’s massive power complex, and at efforts by the world’s largest energy consumer to spur cleaner future growth.
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Amid U.S.-China Energy Tension, "Clean Coal" Spurs Teamwork
February 13, 2012
China’s next president visits the White House amid tension on energy. But U.S.-China collaboration is emerging on projects to clean up coal.
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U.S. Oil Fields Stage "Great Revival," But No Easing Gas Prices
February 10, 2012
The shale boom centered in North Dakota lifts U.S. oil production, but the unexpected resurgence won’t lessen petroleum’s cost.
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Bubble Curtains: Can They Dampen Offshore Energy Sound for Whales?
February 7, 2012
Oil and wind power companies are testing a novel technology—air bubbles—to shield marine mammals from the sound of their offshore operations.
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Iran’s Undisputed Weapon: Power to Block the Strait of Hormuz
February 6, 2012
Although Iran’s ability to throw the global economy into chaos has long been recognized, there’s no ready alternative for moving oil out of the Strait of Hormuz.
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Green Moves: Medellin Cable Cars, San Francisco Parking Reform
January 25, 2012
Two cities renowned for hilly terrain and cable cars share in international prize for sustainable transport.
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Scavenging for Charcoal Fuel in the Rubbish of Manila
January 25, 2012
The plight of charcoal scavengers in the Philippines capital underscores why the United Nations declared 2012 the International Year of Sustainable Energy For All.
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Second Try: LanzaTech Grabs Failed Biofuel Refinery in Georgia Pine
January 19, 2012
A new chapter begins in the effort to brew advanced biofuel in the “Million Pines City” of Soperton, Georgia, with a startup's purchase of a failed U.S. government-backed biorefinery.
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Pictures: Animals That Blocked Keystone XL Pipeline Path
January 19, 2012
The U.S. government's rejection of the Keystone XL project is a reprieve for the many species that reside along the proposed route, in Nebraska's Sandhills region.
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Shale Gas: A Boon That Could Stunt Alternatives, Study Says
January 17, 2012
Abundant shale gas could muscle dirty coal out of the U.S. energy picture, but the new resource could also inhibit even cleaner technologies, new economic modeling suggests.
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Pictures: Most Hopeful Energy Developments of 2011
December 28, 2011
While 2011 was a year of nuclear disaster and grim prognostications regarding emissions and energy demand, several bright spots stood out as well, from strides in building efficiency to new green spaces.
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The Year’s Most Overlooked Energy Stories
December 27, 2011
As the disaster at Fukushima Daiichi took center stage, it was easy to miss many other important developments in the world of energy in 2011.
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Pictures: Satellite Views of Canada’s Oil Sands Over Time
December 22, 2011
The evolution of Canada’s oil sands industry over three decades is visible from space, as newly released NASA satellite images show its growing mark by the Athabasca River.
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Pictures: Cars Capture Solar Energy in Chilean Desert
December 20, 2011
The need for a wide, flat surface to harvest sunlight gives an otherworldly look to solar cars racing the Atacama Desert of Chile.
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Planting Wind Energy on Farms May Help Crops, Say Researchers
December 19, 2011
Wind energy may do more than improve farm income. When sited in agricultural fields, turbines’ churning of air may help crops to grow, new research indicates.
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Power Quest: Brazil Works to Wipe "Blackout" From the Lexicon
December 13, 2011
Facing domestic dismay over electricity service and new global attention as a world sporting event host, Brazil seeks energy solutions for a diverse nation.
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Pictures: A River People Awaits an Amazon Dam
December 12, 2011
The Kayapo people, whose lives and culture are intertwined with the Xingu River, face change as a massive dam project moves forward in Brazil’s Amazon.
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Pictures: Eight Ski Resorts That Give Green Energy a Lift
December 6, 2011
Ski resorts around the world, keenly aware of the climate change threat, are seeking greener ways to power their slopes.
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Beam It Down: A Drive to Launch Space-Based Solar
December 5, 2011
The first demonstration of long-awaited space-based solar power technology could come in the next decade, experts say. Likely early use: Disaster relief energy.
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Pictures: Top Energy Stories of 2011
December 1, 2011
It was a year of shattered faith in nuclear power, and in the West, eroding support for renewables. But the East's relentless growth shaped the world of energy in 2011.
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Chilean Wind Farm Faces Turbulence Over Whales
November 29, 2011
A wind farm project on the Chilean island of Chiloé raises concerns over risk to the endangered great blue whale.
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Pictures: Amazing Transportation Inventions
November 23, 2011
Jet packs, magnetic levitation, magic buses: Some amazing transportation ideas are truly fiction, while others could propel us in smart new ways.
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With U.S. Natural Gas Booming, a Move to Send It Overseas
November 17, 2011
Companies are making the first moves to parlay abundant U.S. natural gas into a global business, but many worry that U.S. consumers will be hurt.
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Pictures: Twelve Car-Free City Zones
November 15, 2011
Cities around the world find that car-free zones can cut pollution, while restoring human bustle and leisurely gait as the prime locomotion of downtown.
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Great Energy Challenge Grantees
November 11, 2011
Learn more about the energy-saving projects being funded as part of National Geographic's Great Energy Challenge program.
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With Record Heating Oil Prices Expected, Homes Dash to Gas
November 11, 2011
Natural gas abundance in the U.S. Northeast means it’s now far cheaper than oil for home heating. Residents are making the switch, but will prices stay low?
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Pictures: The Nuclear Cleanup Struggle at Fukushima
November 11, 2011
Radioactive decay, contaminated water, soil, and hot spots pose challenges for Japan eight months after the world's second-worst nuclear accident, at Fukushima.
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IEA Outlook: Time Running Out on Climate Change
November 9, 2011
The International Energy Agency’s new world outlook has a grim prognosis; the world has only five years to make changes needed to address climate change.
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Pictures: Animal Winners, Losers in Arctic Oil Fields
November 9, 2011
Some predators thrive, while their ground-nesting prey pay the price, in the Arctic landscape that has been reshaped by Alaska's Prudhoe Bay oil development.
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Permanent Daylight Saving Time? Might Boost Tourism, Efficiency
November 4, 2011
As much of the U.S. and Europe falls back an hour, supporters of permanent daylight saving tout energy saving—and more tourism.
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Nigeria’s Solar Projects Yield Both Failure and Success
November 2, 2011
Solar power offers hope to villages that lack electricity, but Nigeria’s experience shows that it won’t work without adequate investment and care.
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KPMG Captures Heat for Data Center Cooling
October 28, 2011
An innovative combined heat and power system at KPMG’s international headquarters in New Jersey could be a model for cutting data center energy waste.
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Two Rivers: The Chance to Export Power Divides Southeast Asia
October 25, 2011
To feed escalating energy demand in China and Thailand, neighboring Southeast Asian nations weigh massive hydroelectric projects that would alter vital rivers.
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Seeking a Pacific Northwest Gateway for U.S. Coal
October 20, 2011
A leading green energy community is now at the center of a push to move U.S. coal to energy-hungry Asian markets.
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Better Road Building Paves Way for Energy Savings
October 17, 2011
Greener road construction not only saves energy, it can improve the fuel economy of the cars and trucks that roll on paved surfaces worldwide.
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Illinois Team Wins Oil Spill Cleanup X CHALLENGE
October 11, 2011
With a more than threefold improvement in oil spill cleanup technology, Team Elastec of Carmi, Illinois, captures the $1 million top prize in the Wendy Schmidt Oil Cleanup X CHALLENGE.
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National Geographic 360º Energy Diet: Call for Participants
October 11, 2011
National Geographic 360º Energy Diet: Call for Participants
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Pictures: X PRIZE Contest Seeks a Better Oil Spill Cleanup Solution
October 6, 2011
Ten teams deployed new skimmer designs in the $1.4 million Wendy Schmidt Oil Cleanup X CHALLENGE. Will the contest yield better protection for shores and seas?
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Storage, Biofuel Lead $156 Million in Energy Research Grants
September 30, 2011
Seeking to push high-risk energy research, the U.S. government gives a boost to heat storage, rare earth metal, and biofuel technology projects.
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Shale Oil Boom Takes Hold on the Plains
September 28, 2011
Thanks to shale beneath the grasslands, the U.S. oil industry aims to boost production with the same "fracking" technique that has unlocked so much natural gas.
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Pictures: Solar Decathlon Students Race to Renew Home Energy
September 26, 2011
Twenty college teams are competing in the U.S. government’s fifth Solar Decathlon contest to design and build affordable, appealing, and livable homes that run on energy from the sun.
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Smarter Trucking Saves Fuel Over the Long Haul
September 23, 2011
As truck fleets and policy makers aim to curb big rig fuel consumption, the secret weapon is driver behavior.
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Pictures: The NFL Makes a Play for Renewable Energy
September 15, 2011
New green energy installations are unveiled at two NFL stadiums this month, but the effort also highlights the renewable industry’s difficulties.
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Smart Meters Take Bite Out of Electricity Theft
September 13, 2011
Electricity theft is not only dangerous, but it weakens power delivery systems around the world. Combating the problem takes technology and determination.
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Trading Oil for Natural Gas in the Truck Lane
September 2, 2011
Some U.S. companies are finding that the cost of switching to vehicles that run on alternative fuels is worth it over the long haul.
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Pictures: The Energy Drain of Recreational Drugs
August 29, 2011
Marijuana, cocaine and other controlled substances have a potent effect--not just on the human brain, but on the world's natural resources.
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Innu Nation Deal Trades Reparation for River Power
August 24, 2011
A deal to build new hydroelectric plants in Labrador includes redress for a native tribe that lost its land to a dam 40 years ago.
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Is Canadian Oil Bound for China Via Pipeline to Texas?
August 19, 2011
In a global economy, sending more Canadian oil to Texas could be a modern silk route, a "Tar Sands Road" to China, economist says.
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A Quest to Clean Up Canada's Oil Sands Carbon
August 18, 2011
The first large-scale effort to capture carbon dioxide emissions in the Canadian oil sands is moving closer to reality, but costs are high.
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Seeking a Safer Future for Electricity's Coal Ash Waste
August 15, 2011
New ideas are emerging for recycling fly ash. The question is how to encourage them, while protecting people and ecosystems from the hazards of one of society's largest waste streams.
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Out of Thin Air: The Quest to Capture Carbon Dioxide
August 11, 2011
A new report casts doubt on the viability of carbon dioxide "air capture," but entrepreneurial scientists are moving forward with technology to scrub the atmosphere.
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Carbon Recycling: Mining the Air for Fuel
August 10, 2011
We recycle bottles, cans, and newspapers—why not carbon dioxide? Start-up companies and researchers are working on technology to put carbon right back into gas tanks.
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Philips Wins L Prize, but the Race Is Still on for a Better Bulb
August 3, 2011
Philips captures the U.S. government's $10 million L Prize for its LED replacement for the 60-watt bulb, but efficient lighting must still win consumers' hearts.
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Pictures: In Search of Green Air-Conditioning
August 3, 2011
Air-conditioning has transformed summer living, but at tremendous energy cost. Ideas for greener cooling focus on making better use of the forces of nature.
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As Sun Storms Ramp Up, Electric Grid Braces for Impact
August 3, 2011
With the sun nearing the high point in its 11-year activity cycle, grid operators are seeking to protect a vulnerable power-delivery system.
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India Maps Out a Nuclear Power Future, Amid Opposition
July 22, 2011
India’s government sees nuclear power as essential for meeting its growing energy needs, but public mistrust runs deep.
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Pictures—Ten Oldest U.S. Nuclear Plants: Post-Japan Risks
July 19, 2011
As U.S. authorities weigh a safety overhaul, here’s a look at the risks unearthed at post-Fukushima inspections of the ten oldest U.S. nuclear reactors.
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War Game Exposes Grim Reality: Few Oil Crisis Options
July 14, 2011
Former U.S. government officials struggle to game out solutions in a mock oil crisis with its roots in today’s headlines.
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To Curb Driving, Cities Cut Down on Car Parking
July 13, 2011
Despite downtown business fears, some urban centers embrace “mini-parks.”
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Energy-Short Japan Eyes Renewable Future, Savings Now
July 7, 2011
The tsunami's damage and political fallout leave Japan striving to save power this summer as it charts a new energy course.
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How Gulf Spill Estimates Got It So Wrong
June 23, 2011
How much oil spilled into the Gulf last year? An engineer explains how he caused estimates to rise sharply practically overnight. Video.
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A Rain Forest Advocate Taps the Energy of the Sugar Palm
June 22, 2011
Scientist Willie Smits says it's possible to provide opportunity for villages and protect tropical forests while producing biofuel—if you use the right tree.
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Google Creates $280 Million Fund to Finance Solar Energy
June 14, 2011
Search giant Google creates the largest fund ever to finance solar energy in the United States, hoping to break down the cost barrier to cleaner electricity.
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Pictures: At Five Years Old, BTC Pipeline Moves Oil, Culture
June 8, 2011
Landlocked Azerbaijan forged a powerful connection to the West five years ago when its oil began flowing to Turkey through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline.
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Bike-Share Schemes Shift Into High Gear
June 7, 2011
Although they sometimes face an uphill climb to break even, bike-sharing programs glide into cities around the world.
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Is Motor Oil a Renewable Resource? Re-refiners Say Yes
June 1, 2011
Green motor oil technologies can save energy—either by recycling engine lubricants or supercharging them to improve fuel efficiency.
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Driving the Limit: Wealthy Nations Maxed Out on Travel?
May 25, 2011
In the world’s wealthiest nations, there are signs that oil consumption for travel may have hit a brick wall.
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As Jet Fuel Prices Soar, a Green Option Nears the Runway
May 20, 2011
The most eagerly anticipated biofuel for commercial flight could be certified this summer, offering hope for aviation to cut its petroleum dependence.
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Climate Scientist Fears His "Wedges" Made It Seem Too Easy
May 17, 2011
The co-creator of the widely cited "wedges" approach to a climate change solution now thinks he made the job seem too easy.
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As Vehicle Efficiency Evolves, So Do Fuel Taxes
May 12, 2011
The shift toward better fuel economy is causing governments around the world to reconsider long-standing systems for taxing road travel.
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Methane on Tap: Study Links Pollution to Gas Drilling
May 9, 2011
Natural gas can migrate into drinking water as far as one kilometer from a drilling site, researchers find.
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While Energy Policy Falters, Plastic Bag Laws Multiply
May 3, 2011
Although the industry debates environmental and energy benefits, bans and taxes to reduce plastic bag use have swept the world.
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While BP Eyes Return to the Gulf, Safeguards Debated
April 29, 2011
The U.S. government is issuing new deepwater drilling permits, ending a moratorium imposed after the spill in the Gulf of Mexico, even as it acknowledges the need for more changes to safety standards.
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Pictures: Cool Cars Designed by Students to Sip Fuel
April 29, 2011
Using everything from solar panels to plastic, students cobbled together some amazing, odd, super-high-mileage vehicles for the Shell Eco-marathon Americas in Houston. The grand-prize entry achieved 2,565 mpg.
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Pictures: "Liquidators" Endured Chernobyl, 25 Years Ago
April 26, 2011
Robots couldn’t handle the intense radiation at Chernobyl, so the dangerous nuclear cleanup job fell to the "liquidators"—a corps of soldiers, firefighters, miners, and volunteers.
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Pictures: Animals Inherit Mixed Legacy at Chernobyl
April 25, 2011
A quarter-century after the nuclear explosion at Chernobyl, the surrounding evacuated area has seen a resurgence of wildlife, but some species have weathered the disaster significantly better than others.
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Pictures: Building the Perfect Solar Car
April 22, 2011
On their journey to building a prize-winning solar prototype vehicle, a team of Drexel University students gained practical engineering experience, and had fun.
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China's Electric Car Drive: Impressive, But Not Enough
April 20, 2011
China's electric vehicle program is the world's most ambitious, but a new World Bank report raises questions on sustainability.
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The Next Prospects: Four Offshore Drilling Frontiers
April 20, 2011
The BP spill did nothing to halt the growth of oil demand or the drive for new resources. Here are four offshore frontiers where oil rigs are heading next.
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A Year After the Spill, "Unusual" Rise in Health Problems
April 20, 2011
Health issues that continue to plague Gulf Coast communities may be connected to the Gulf oil spill, experts say.
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Migrating Birds Escaped Worst of Gulf Oil Spill
April 20, 2011
Though predictions of mass bird die-offs in the Gulf never materialized, crude is still oozing into some bird habitats, experts say.
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Why Did Huge Oil Plumes Form After the Gulf Spill?
April 20, 2011
Scientists may have figured out how huge plumes of Gulf oil spread underwater instead of rising to the surface as slicks.
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Drexel Students Take On the Solar Car Challenge
April 19, 2011
Drexel University students knew that solar energy would increase the costs and risks of their bid for a fuel-efficient car design prize. They decided to go for it.
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Odd Animal Deaths, Deformities Linked to Gulf Oil Spill?
April 19, 2011
Strangely deformed fish and a rise in deaths of marine animals may be related to the Gulf oil spill, scientists say.
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Gulf Oil Spill Surprises: 6 Things Experts Got Wrong
April 19, 2011
The Gulf oil spill delivered plenty of surprises—here's a look at some of the predictions experts got wrong.
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Gulf Oil Spill Mystery: Is Oil on the Seafloor?
April 19, 2011
A year after the Gulf oil spill, experts are finding conflicting data on whether crude coats the bottom.
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Gulf Oil Spill Anniversary: Resilience Amid Unknowns
April 19, 2011
On the first anniversary, experts note signs of recovery—but say it's too early to know the true damage.
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Gulf Spill Photos: 9 Animal Victims—Plus 2 Survivors
April 19, 2011
From the pancake batfish to the manatee—see what what's happening to animals in the Gulf a year later.
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Gulf Oil Spill Pictures: Oiled Beaches Time Line
April 19, 2011
See the evolution of Florida and Alabama beaches blackened by the Gulf oil spill, from the first oiling to a spring-break-ready shore.
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Pictures: Four New Offshore Drilling Frontiers
April 19, 2011
With new technology, oil companies have exteneded the reach of their operations off the coastline and into deepwater. See four of the offshore frontiers that may be supplying tomorrow’s oil.
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Pictures: Racing to the Finish at Shell Eco-Marathon
April 18, 2011
At the Shell Eco-marathon Americas in Houston, teamwork and imagination combine to create super high-mileage vehicles.
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Breaking 2,500 mpg, Canadian Team Wins High-Efficiency Race
April 18, 2011
Québec’s Université Laval and Louisiana Tech University take the top prizes in the Shell Eco-marathon.
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Gulf Oil Spill Anniversary: Hard-Hit Beaches Mostly Oil-Free
April 14, 2011
Florida and Alabama beaches hardest hit by the Gulf oil spill are largely clean a year later—though the oil's not all gone, scientists say.
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BP Well to Stay Sealed After Gulf Spill, Experts Predict
April 14, 2011
Although the same cannot be said of all abandoned oil wells in the Gulf, experts believe BP’s Macondo well is sealed for good
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Is Armenia's Nuclear Plant the World's Most Dangerous?
April 12, 2011
Japan's earthquake-triggered crisis has focused attention on the seismic risk to Armenia's aging Soviet-style nuclear plant.
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Pictures: High School 'ShopGirls' Design for the Prize
April 7, 2011
An all-girls team of high school students from Granite Falls, Washington is building a car to compete in the Shell Eco-marathon.
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All-Girls Team Seeks Record in High-Mileage Marathon
April 6, 2011
Aiming to break stereotypes and records, the first all-girls team in the Shell Eco-Marathon seeks a repeat victory that will set a new U.S. mark in fuel efficiency.
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Pictures: Oil-Reliant Islands Seek Green Energy Restart
April 5, 2011
The world’s islands rely heavily on pricey, polluting diesel oil for electricity. But now some are turning to native resources of sun, water, breeze, and hot underground rock for energy.
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Pictures: Earthquake Hazard in Nuclear Power's Top Ten Nations
March 29, 2011
Among the ten nations that produce the most nuclear power, Japan is not alone in facing an earthquake hazard.
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Pictures - A Rare Look Inside Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
March 23, 2011
Photographs from inside the Fukushima Daiichi power plant show workers as they struggle, amid peril, to stabilize the damaged reactors.
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Would a New Nuclear Plant Fare Better Than Fukushima?
March 23, 2011
Only four of the 65 nuclear plants under construction worldwide are designs with integrated “passive safety” systems that could stave off overheating when power is lost.
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Photos: Preserving Beauty, Providing Hydropower in Scotland
March 21, 2011
Scotland harnessed power from water in the Highlands 60 years ago, amid conflicts that echo with relevance for a world still struggling to find clean and safe energy.
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Japan Reactor Crisis: Satellite Pictures Reveal Damage
March 18, 2011
New and old satellite pictures reveal just how much damage Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has sustained.
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Is Japan Reactor Crew Exposed to Fatal Radiation?
March 17, 2011
What kind of radiation are workers at Japan's stricken nuclear power plant—and everyday people—facing? What exactly is radiation sickness?
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How Is Japan's Nuclear Disaster Different?
March 16, 2011
Learn how the ongoing crisis at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant compares to previous disasters at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island.
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Oiled Gulf Beaches During & After: Zoomable Maps
March 15, 2011
Use our zoomable maps to see which Gulf of Mexico beaches were oiled during the spill—and how they're faring now.
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Japan Battles to Avert Nuclear Power Plant Disaster
March 14, 2011
Amid the fight to prevent a catastrophic meltdown, competing lessons are drawn from Japan’s past experience with earthquakes exceeding nuclear plant design.
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Range Anxiety: Fact or Fiction?
March 10, 2011
Critics say that fear of being stranded with a dead battery, or "range anxiety," will discourage people from adopting electric cars. Others say the issue is overblown.
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Crude Reality: Gas Prices Rocket Because They Can
March 10, 2011
Turmoil in North Africa and the Middle East has registered quickly at the gas pumps. In a jittery oil market, who's calling the shots?
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Pictures -- Oil States: Are They Stable? Why It Matters
March 9, 2011
Whether due to monarchic rule, corruption, or economic stagnation, market anxiety is high due to perceived peril in the eight nations of the Middle East and North Africa that supply one-third of the world's oil.
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New Brunswick Seeks Natural Gas, and a Safer Way
February 24, 2011
The province of New Brunswick on Canada’s East Coast is a frontier for shale gas development, and for a new approach to industry oversight.
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Upgrading the Electric Grid With Flywheels and Air
February 23, 2011
To better integrate intermittent renewable power into the electric grid, a major expansion of energy storage projects using flywheels and compressed air is under way in the United States.
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Protecting Health and the Planet With Clean Cookstoves
February 15, 2011
A small Ghana business is part of a wave of efforts to address the staggering global toll of death and disease from cooking smoke.
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On Thomas Edison Bulb Anniversary, Lighting Breakthrough
February 11, 2011
On the anniversary of Thomas Edison's invention of the light bulb, companies in October announced a reading-quality LED to fit existing lamps.
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Pictures: Nine Surprisingly Gassy Cities
February 9, 2011
Forget Beijing and Mexico City: Denver and Rotterdam are among the world's top polluters in terms of per-person CO2 emissions, a new study says.
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Pictures: Kickoff Time for Green Stadiums
February 4, 2011
As Green Bay and Pittsburgh face off Sunday in Super Bowl XLV in the NFL's newest and largest stadium, a drive for greener design and cleaner energy is under way at arenas worldwide.
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Oil Markets Churn Over Egypt’s Potential as Gateway for Revolt
February 1, 2011
World oil prices reached their highest levels since 2008 amid concern over Egypt--not over its role as a commodity route, but as a potential vector for political instability.
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With a Deep Dig Into Its Past, Perugia Built an Energy-Saving Future
January 26, 2011
Perugia, Italy turned its challenging geography to its advantage to show how even a small city can reap benefits of investment in smart transport and pedestrian-friendly streets.
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Guangzhou, China, Wins Sustainable Transport Prize
January 24, 2011
Guangzhou, China, wins an international sustainable transport prize for a system that integrates bicycle, bus, and rail transport, and makes the large city “more livable.”
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Tough Road to Getting LED Lights on the Streets
January 20, 2011
LED streetlights can save energy, but not all power systems are set up to reward cities for choosing a more efficient nighttime glow.
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Going "All The Way" With Renewable Energy?
January 17, 2011
A massive build-out, rare earth minerals, and willpower needed for a 100 percent renewable future, two U.S. researchers say.
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The Next Oil Spill: Five Needed Mandates to Head it Off
January 11, 2011
In an era of more dangerous drilling, major new safety investment needed, concludes U.S. commission appointed to investigate the Gulf oil spill.
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In China’s Icy North, Outfitting Buildings to Save Energy
January 7, 2011
In Harbin, China—known as “Ice City” —a government drive aims to curb the energy wasted keeping drafty homes and buildings warm.
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On China's Roads (and Rails), a Move Toward Greener Transit
January 5, 2011
The market for cars in China is booming, posing severe traffic problems for a country once nicknamed the "bicycle kingdom."
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Can Geothermal Energy Pick Up Real Steam?
December 28, 2010
Developers say we have a new chance to mine heat from Earth’s white-hot core -- but as investment lags and environmental questions remain, they fear we'll miss the window of opportunity.
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National Snow and Ice Data Center Gets a Cool Makeover
December 27, 2010
Its servers process information that's key to charting climate change, but the center had a climate problem of its own to solve.
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Green Design Spree Aims to Trim U.S. Government's Big Energy Bill
December 23, 2010
The U.S. government, the nation's biggest energy user, aims to use $4.5 billion in stimulus funds to make federal buildings into "a proving ground for what works" in clean, efficient power.
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Fat's Chance as a Renewable Diesel Fuel
December 22, 2010
One of the world's largest meat companies, Tyson Foods, aims to make renewable diesel fuel out of an abundant waste product: Animal fat.
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New Oil—and a Huge Challenge—for Ghana
December 15, 2010
The massive Jubilee field begins producing oil this week, but with revenue from the site come concerns about the risk of corruption and environmental compromise.
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Pictures: Seven Supergreen U.S. Government Buildings
December 14, 2010
A subterranean labyrinth in the Rockies, breathing curtain walls by San Francisco Bay, and a Manhattan sky park highlight the U.S. government's drive to cut down its prodigious use of energy.
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Photos: Bolivia Seeks Electric Car Future in Salt Flats
December 10, 2010
Bolivia moves to begin production from its lithium reserves, the largest in the world, but it needs help in its effort to share in the global electric car boom.
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New Chemistry, Less Energy Could Yield Greener Cement
December 9, 2010
Making cement is one of the world’s most carbon-intensive endeavors, but German researchers think they’ve mixed a better building solution.
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Amazon Opportunity: Brazil Doesn't Count on Carbon Market
December 3, 2010
Climate negotiators in Cancun aim to build a framework for curbing deforestation’s global warming impact, but forest-rich Brazil doesn’t want to be the world’s carbon sink.
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Ten NatGeo News Stories You Might Have Missed in 2010
December 1, 2010
See our editors' picks of the best stories of 2010 that flew under the radar, including space-time "wrinkles" and squid plastic surgery.
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U.S. Weighs Disclosure Rules for Natural Gas Drillers
December 1, 2010
The Obama administration wants companies to reveal chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing on public lands.
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Climate Change Talks Hinge on “Green Growth,” says De Boer
November 26, 2010
As global climate negotiations open in Cancun, Mexico, former United Nations climate chief Yvo de Boer focuses on the role of business.
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Fighting Poverty Can Save Energy, Nicaraguan Project Shows
November 25, 2010
Modernizing electricity services in two rural Nicaraguan villages yielded major energy savings, showing how addressing poverty and climate change can go hand-in-hand, a new study says.
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Brazil Ethanol Looks to Sweeten More Gas Tanks
November 18, 2010
Brazil is poised to increase its production of sugarcane ethanol, helped by foreign investment and policy flux in the United States and Europe.
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Cheap Renewable Power Key to BMW’s Electric Megacity
November 18, 2010
Lightweight, high-strength carbon fiber has long been seen as the secret—but an expensive one—for more efficient cars; BMW details a strategy for slashing the cost.
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Photos: Rev Up Your Motors, Electric Cars Zip Into View
November 10, 2010
The Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf, both launching into production, lead an array of electric cars into a market that analysts see as eager for an alternative to oil-fueled transport.
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Has the World Already Passed “Peak Oil”?
November 9, 2010
Higher oil prices in store as conventional crude production appears to have peaked, says the International Energy Agency.
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Shining Light on the Cost of Solar Energy
November 5, 2010
Solar electricity is pricey, but policy may be as important as technology in hastening its path to parity with other fuel sources.
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A U.S. Cap-and-Trade Experiment To End
November 3, 2010
With no prospect of a U.S. climate bill in sight, the Chicago Climate Exchange will shut down an experimental carbon trading program. But California election results keep alive hopes for regional cap and trade.
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In the Farmland, an Energy Rush
October 22, 2010
Pennsylvania sits atop one of the largest reservoirs of natural gas in the world, a resource that could boost jobs and shake up the national energy equation. But can this important resource be extracted sustainably?
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Shale Gas Drilling: A Changed Environment
October 22, 2010
Shale Gas Drilling: A Changed Environment
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Faces of the Gas Rush
October 22, 2010
From farmer to supply shop owner, from scientist to job seeker, each Pennsylvanian has a separate view of the natural gas boom that has hit the state.
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A State Booms with New Energy
October 22, 2010
Hopes are high that jobs will flow as fast as the natural gas in the energy boom that has hit Pennsylvania, although locals are finding the new work is not necessarily on the drilling rig.
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The Science of Shale Gas
October 22, 2010
By combining and super-charging old oil field technologies, U.S. energy industry innovators unlocked the natural gas found in deep shale rock—paving the way for a rush on the huge Marcellus shale formation that underlies Pennsylvania.
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On Edison Bulb’s Anniversary, a Lighting Breakthrough
October 21, 2010
GE announces an advance in LED cooling technology, but its rivals race ahead to market an LED replacement bulb suitable for home living rooms.
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Breaking Fuel From the Rock
October 19, 2010
A 3-D interactive graphic that takes the user step-by-step underground through the process of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling that has unlocked natural gas from solid rock.
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A Dream Dashed by the Rush on Gas
October 17, 2010
The shale gas industry maintains that its safeguards protect drinking water and land. But there have been accidents, and mistrust has been sown as the industrial process has moved into rural communities.
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Forcing Gas Out of Rock With Water
October 17, 2010
By combining and super-charging old oil industry technologies, the energy industry unlocked the natural gas locked in shale rock
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Parks, Forests Eyed for the Fuel Beneath
October 17, 2010
Officials realize they may not be able to protect the “Pennsylvania Wilds” and other state and national public lands from the new gas rush.
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A Drive for New Jobs Through Energy
October 14, 2010
The shale gas industry promises new jobs to a state badly in need of an economic boost, but the work so far isn't where you might expect it.
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Natural Gas Stirs Hope and Fear in Pennsylvania
October 13, 2010
Pennsylvania sits atop one of the largest reservoirs of natural gas in the world, a resource that could boost jobs and shake up the national energy equation. But can this important resource be extracted sustainably?
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Banking on Connections to Spur Offshore Wind
October 13, 2010
Google and a team of fellow investors and energy firms aim to bring an offshore wind power revolution to the East Coast of the United States.
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Photos: Canadian Rain Forest Edges Oil Pipeline Path
October 7, 2010
In the home of the elusive "spirit bear," nine Coastal First Nations people await a decision on a pipeline to carry Canadian oil to sea for export to Asia.
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Beating the White House to the Solar Punch
October 6, 2010
The island nation of the Maldives races ahead of the U.S. to capture the solar energy limelight.
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Replacing Oil Addiction With Metals Dependence?
October 1, 2010
China’s pivotal role as world supplier of rare-earth metals raises alarm that the new energy economy will mean the same old foreign dependence.
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Renewable Energy: Ontario’s New Gold Rush
September 30, 2010
Ontario is better known for majestic falls and forests than for its sun, but a one-year-old government incentive program has made the province a solar energy hotbed.
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The Solvable Problem of Energy Poverty
September 21, 2010
Providing universal world access to electricity and modern cooking technology is affordable, and can be done without worsening climate change, a United Nations report says
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Light is the Bright IDEA for Transport
September 20, 2010
Bright Automotive aims to engineer a fuel-saving electric commercial vehicle large to appeal to the U.S. market.
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Hope for Stemming Wind Energy’s Toll on Bats
September 15, 2010
Wind energy projects pose a threat to migratory bats, but simple steps show promise for protecting them.
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Warming Solution: Just Stop Cold?
September 9, 2010
The burden on the planet from today's cars and buildings is bearable, say researchers who warn that future added emissions are the real problem.
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Mining the Truth on Coal Supplies
September 8, 2010
A view that the world’s leading electricity fuel—and worst contributor to climate change—is running out
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Can Nuclear Waste Spark an Energy Solution?
September 1, 2010
Can Nuclear Waste Spark an Energy Solution?
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For Hurricane Katrina Victims, A Solar Restart
August 26, 2010
For Hurricane Katrina Victims, A Solar Restart
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Tapping into the Electric Power of Heat
August 23, 2010
Converting waste heat into electricity cuts power costs around the world. A new U.S. firm seeks to give the idea a high-tech boost.
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Missing the Chance for Big Energy Savings
August 18, 2010
Consumers favor “low-effort” actions on energy, rather than investments that could have greater impact, a new survey shows.
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A Fuel That Doesn’t Go to Waste
August 16, 2010
In the ultimate "closed loop" energy project, a garbage truck fleet near San Francisco runs on the methane produced by decomposing landfill trash.
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Lighting a Fire Under Clean Coal
August 13, 2010
A big demo project, storage research and task force recommendations seek to advance U.S. clean coal technology, but financing remains a barrier.
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Seeking to Cool Air Conditioning Costs
August 12, 2010
Century-old refrigeration technology is nearing its limits in energy efficiency, but advances in radiant and evaporative cooling hold promise.
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How Prospects Cooled for U.S. Global Warming Bill
July 30, 2010
How Prospects Cooled for U.S. Global Warming Bill
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Critical Alaska Habitat Spared From Oil and Natural Gas Development
July 28, 2010
The Obama administration’s first lease sale in the 87-year-old petroleum reserve on the North Slope leaves sanctuary for caribou and geese.
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Ethanol Future Looking for More Fuel
July 21, 2010
The government lowers ambitions for advanced cellulosic ethanol, but the industry says weak policy is holding back needed investment.
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Putting a (Smiley) Face on Energy Savings
July 15, 2010
While utilities race to install smart meters, some urge a simpler approach for motivating consumers to use less electricity.
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Hurricane Alex Pushes "Worst Oil" Ashore; Cleanup Slowed
June 30, 2010
Hurricane Alex pushed "the worst oil we've seen yet" onto Louisiana beaches and shut down Gulf-spill cleanup operations.
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Hurricanes May Be Good for Gulf Oil Spill, Experts Say
June 30, 2010
Although Alex's effects will likely be minimal, strong winds and waves from future storms may help disperse the oil slicks, experts say.
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At Gulf Oil Spill Forum, A Call for Energy Solutions
June 29, 2010
At Gulf Oil Spill Forum, A Call For Energy Solutions
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Afghanistan’s Lithium Wealth Could Remain Elusive
June 16, 2010
Afghanistan may be the Saudi Arabia of lithium—a key energy storage medium—but prosperity will not flow easily.
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Ecuador Puts a Price Tag on Untapped Oil
June 10, 2010
Ecuador plans to forgo drilling for oil in one of the world’s most diverse ecosystems, in exchange for money from the developed world.
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Gulf Oil Spill Pictures: Birds, Fish, Crabs Coated
June 8, 2010
The fallout from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is increasingly visible, with masses of oil-laden birds and other animals now on Louisiana shores.
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Trucks Could Be Next Electric Power Frontier
June 6, 2010
With fuel costs a driving factor, analysts see surge of hybrid electric trucks on the road in the coming years.
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Inventor Turned Up Energy Savings by Dimming the Lights
June 4, 2010
Joel Spira was aiming for mood lighting when he invented the solid-state light dimmer switch. More than 50 years later, his company, Lutron, is recognized as an energy efficiency pioneer.
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Coal Firms to Strip-Mine Historic Battlefield?
June 2, 2010
In 1921, 20 miners died fighting for labor rights on West Virginia's Blair Mountain. Now coal firms want to literally open the mountain for business.
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Gulf Oil Spill Worst in U.S. Maritime History; Drilling Postponed
May 27, 2010
Amid cautious optimism that a "top kill" effort to cap the leaking well causing the Gulf oil spill is working, President Obama banned new offshore drilling Thursday until further notice.
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Oil Spill Poses Risk to Gulf Power Plants
May 27, 2010
Electricity facilities on the Gulf coast rely heavily on water and are taking steps to protect the plants should the oil come their way.
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Coast Pipelines Face Damage as Gulf Oil Eats Marshes?
May 25, 2010
As deep-sea oil from the Deepwater Horizon leak kills off Gulf Coast wetlands, it could disastrously expose buried coastal pipelines and other energy infrastructure.
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To Keep Power On, Pakistan Tries Lights Out
May 21, 2010
Pakistan calls on shops to close early and other lifestyle changes in an effort to stave off chronic power outages.
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New Nuclear Energy Grapples With Costs
May 20, 2010
The operator of the nation’s largest nuclear power fleet sees dim prospects for new reactors in the United States, but others are forging ahead with hope that global warming concerns will spur development.
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Pictures: Heavy Oil Seeping Into Louisiana Marshes
May 19, 2010
Thick pools of oil are now seeping into Louisiana's marshes, which are vital to the Gulf ecosystem and the U.S. seafood industry.
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Gulf Oil Is in the Loop Current, Experts Say
May 18, 2010
Oil from the Gulf of Mexico spill is being dragged into an eddy of the Loop Current that hugs Florida's coasts, satellite images show.
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Gulf Oil Spill Pictures: Oil, Tarballs Hit Beaches
May 14, 2010
The Gulf of Mexico oil spill is likely behind the sticky tarballs and dead dolphins washing up on U.S. beaches, experts say.
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Gulf Oil Leaks Could Gush for Years
May 13, 2010
If efforts fail to cap the seafloor leaks, the continuous seep of oil could poison the Gulf's coastal habitats for decades, experts say.
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Berlin Rallies for a Tricky Oil Alternative
May 12, 2010
A coalition of energy and auto companies push for a hydrogen fuel transportation network in Germany, but it’s a tough idea to move down the road.
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A Fuel-Saving Car Engine in the Blink of an IRIS
May 12, 2010
Amid an auto industry upheaval, two Colorado brothers promote a radical new design to replace the notoriously inefficient internal combustion engine.
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3 Future Oil-Spill Fighters: Sponges, Superbugs, and Herders
May 11, 2010
Sponges that sop up oil, "superbugs" that devour crude, and high-efficiency chemical herders are among emerging tech for battling spills.
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Nature Fighting Back Against Gulf Oil Spill
May 7, 2010
Evaporation, dilution, and oil-hungry bacteria are already combatting the Gulf slick, experts say.
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Gulf Oil Spill Pictures: Ten Animals at Risk
May 6, 2010
The Gulf of Mexico oil spill is poised to do widespread damage to coastal wildlife, from pelicans on the shore to dolphins at sea.
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Colorado Seeks a Renewable Energy Peak
May 5, 2010
Colorado this spring adopted one of the most ambitious renewable energy goals in the country, bolstered by a unique mix of geography and politics that might be difficult to replicate.
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Hurricane Could Push Spilled Gulf Oil Into New Orleans
May 5, 2010
With predictions for a feisty 2010 hurricane season, experts fear that a major storm could carry oil from the Gulf spill into downtown.
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Photos: Huge Containment "Domes" for Gulf Oil Spill
May 4, 2010
Designed to be dropped onto the Gulf of Mexico's seafloor oil leaks, three building-size oil-containment chambers are nearing completion.
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Satellite Pictures: Gulf Oil Spill's Evolution
May 4, 2010
See the growth and evolution of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, as viewed from space.
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Gulf Oil Spill a "Dead Zone in the Making"?
May 4, 2010
As the world watches for oil-covered birds, experts warn that the Gulf of Mexico spill could pose greater risks to life deep in the ocean.
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Gulf Oil Spill Could Reach East Coast Beaches
May 4, 2010
A powerful Gulf of Mexico current could whip millions of gallons of oil around Florida's tip and up the U.S. East Coast, experts warn.
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Saving Fuel on the Farm by Making Hay
May 3, 2010
Farms can slash their fossil fuel use and still turn a profit, all with the help of more complex crop rotation. But will they have incentive to change?
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Gulf Oil Spill Fight Turns to Chemicals
April 30, 2010
Responders are deploying huge amounts of oil dispersant to limit onshore damage from the Gulf of Mexico, but the chemicals don’t make oil disappear.
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Oil Spill Hits Gulf Coast Habitats
April 30, 2010
The Gulf of Mexico oil spill's first landfall is Louisiana's “bird’s foot” delta and barrier marshes, the habitat of the long-struggling brown pelican and other ecologically sensitive species.
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First U.S. Offshore Wind Power Project Approved
April 28, 2010
The long-disputed Cape Wind farm in Massachusetts’ Nantucket Sound is approved, but obstacles remain to harnessing the vast coastal renewable power of the United States.
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Oil Slick May Be Burned to Help Stop U.S. Rig Spill
April 27, 2010
U.S. officials are considering a controlled burn to reduce the amount of oil in the Gulf of Mexico following last week's rig accident.
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Oil Spill From Sunken Rig Site May Be Serious
April 25, 2010
An urgent effort is underway to stop the flow of oil from the site of the accident that destroyed the BP-leased rig, the Deepwater Horizon, before it reaches shore in the Gulf of Mexico.
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Oil Spill Fears Subside at Rig-Explosion Site
April 23, 2010
Oil has stopped flowing at the site of yesterday's rig sinking, but the incident may fuel opposition to a key U.S. climate bill.
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Rig Explosion Shows Risks in Key Oil Frontier
April 22, 2010
The blast on the premier rig, the Deepwater Horizon, is a reminder of hazards as the oil industry searches ever deeper for new resources.
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First Green Supersonic Jet to Launch on Earth Day
April 20, 2010
A Navy Super Hornet fighter jet is set to take a supersonic flight on Earth Day on a mix of half biofuel, showcasing the Pentagon's efforts to reduce the military's reliance on oil.
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Mine Tragedy Amid Push to Produce More
April 15, 2010
Upper Big Branch Mine was one of the sites where Massey Energy was ramping up production to meet overseas demand for metallurgical coal.
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Google Searches For Key To Energy Savings
April 9, 2010
Google finds that helping homeowners save electricity is harder than helping people search the Internet.
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Offshore Energy Clash Over Undersea Sound
April 7, 2010
The Obama administration would open the Atlantic Coast to offshore drilling, but only after a debate on the impact the new seismic testing could have on marine life.
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Frozen Fish Help Reel in Germany's Wind Power
April 2, 2010
Renewable energy leader Germany sometimes has more wind power than it can handle, but a fishing community on the North Sea is exploring a creative solution for storing all that energy.
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Solar Brings Light to Haiti
March 31, 2010
With a crucial meeting today at the United Nations on the rebuilding of Haiti, renewable energy advocates are urging donors to consider the role solar power can play in a nation that has had one of the lowest rates of access to electricity in the world.
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Texas Pioneers Energy Storage in Giant Battery
March 25, 2010
Texas Pioneers Energy Storage in Giant Battery
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Turning River Current Into Electricity
March 22, 2010
Beneath the surface of the Mississippi River is a torrent of energy that developers aim to turn into electricity.
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To Capture Lost Power, Super Solution Sought
March 19, 2010
The steel lattice towers that help carry electricity from one place to another are not a pretty sight, but there’s also an invisible problem--the power lost due to electrical resistance. Superconducting technology may be solution.
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Plenty of Gas, But No Simple Solution for U.S. Energy Challenge
March 16, 2010
Innovation has sparked a boom in production of this low-carbon fuel. Taking advantage of its benefits is another matter.
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Bloom Box Launch Is "Big Hype"--Invention Nothing New?
February 24, 2010
How Bloom Energy's mini, green power plant works—and why its press conference today had some experts seeing red, or just plain underwhelmed.
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Bloom Box: Secret App May Be Key to Tiny Energy Plant
February 24, 2010
Set to be unveiled today, Bloom Energy's top-secret Bloom Box fuel cell system could bring cheap, green energy to U.S. homes. Experts explain how it would work—or not.
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Fusion Power a Step Closer After Giant Laser Blast
January 28, 2010
Using the most powerful laser system ever built, a solid gold cylinder, and a BB-size fuel pellet, scientists have brought us one step closer to nuclear fusion power, a new study says.
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Green "Volcano" to Power U.K. Town
January 27, 2010
A "big, bold" biomass power station, slated for construction by the end of the year, will create green electricity and heat for more than 100,000 homes, organizers say.
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Green Energy "Oasis" to Bloom in the Desert?
January 22, 2010
A research center slated to be built in 2010 as part of the Sahara Forest Project will serve as a proving ground for new technologies designed to bring green living to the desert, project managers say.