Energy

Tom Rivett-Carnac delivers his TED talk in the woods near his home in the UK.

Tom Rivett-Carnac: How Can We Shift Our Mindset To Fight Climate Change?

11:44am August 21, 2020

by NPR/TED Staff

It's easy to feel powerless against looming challenges we cannot control — like climate change. So what should we do? Political strategist Tom Rivett-Carnac says the power is in our mindset.

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A mobile home and car burn at Spanish Flat Mobile Villa as the LNU Lightning Complex fires tear through unincorporated Napa County, Calif., on Tuesday.

1 Dead In California Fire, As Lightning-Strike Fires Push Resources To Limit

10:17pm August 19, 2020

by Vanessa Romo

A pilot was killed after he crashed while battling a blaze in Fresno County. Officials say "a historic lightning siege" has caused more than 367 new fires throughout California.

How Offshore Wind Farms May Affect Fishing Industry

4:04pm August 19, 2020

by Sam Evans-Brown

The offshore wind industry is poised for massive growth. But the Trump administration has echoed concerns that turbines could hurt the fishing industry.

Extreme heat waves are becoming more common, but California doesn't consider extreme scenarios when planning for summer electricity use.

Environment

Climate Change Lesson From California's Blackouts: Prepare For Extremes

3:49pm August 19, 2020

by Lauren Sommer

Extreme heat waves are on the rise, but California regulators didn't plan for what that would do the state's electricity grid.

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Trump Administration Finalizes Plans To Allow Oil Drilling In Arctic Refuge

4:42pm August 17, 2020

by Liz Ruskin (APM)

The Trump administration is pushing ahead with plans to allow drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The decision is a key moment in a decades-long environmental battle.

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Lisa Vrooman with her boyfriend John Rock, dog Umar and cat Mochi. They love the high ceilings in their 650-square-foot apartment, but keeping it cool is costly.

Pandemic Electric Bills Are Searing Hot, As Families Stay Home

10:47am August 17, 2020

by Scott Horsley

With lights out in many offices and millions of people plugging in at home, residential power bills are soaring, even as overall electricity consumption slumps during the recession.

The sun sets through smoke created by the Ranch Fire this week in Azusa, Calif. The heat wave will likely hinder firefighting efforts, but at least the strong winds that fuel wildfires are not expected.

National

California Issues 1st Rolling Blackouts Since 2001 As Heat Wave Bakes Western U.S.

1:25pm August 15, 2020

by Nathan Rott

Temperatures topped triple digits in parts of the state, and the weather is expected to remain blistering well into next week, likely putting more pressure on the electric utilities.

Pump jacks work in a field near Lovington, N.M., in 2015. The Trump administration is lifting an Obama-era rule aimed at limiting emissions of methane, a potent climate-warming gas.

Environment

Trump's Methane Rollback That Big Oil Doesn't Want

4:41pm August 13, 2020

by Jeff Brady

The rule ends Obama-era restrictions on emissions of methane, a potent climate-warming gas. The move could make it harder to argue that natural gas is a cleaner-burning fossil fuel than coal.

Rattan Lal, an Indian-born scientist, has devoted his career to finding ways to capture carbon from the air and store it in soil.

A Prophet Of Soil Gets His Moment Of Fame

5:05pm August 11, 2020

by Dan Charles

Rattan Lal, an Indian-born scientist, has devoted his career to finding ways to capture carbon from the air and store it in soil. Today, that idea has a catchy name: regenerative agriculture.

Amy Holditch settles in behind the wheel of the RV she rented for her 10-day family trip from Madison, Ala. to Cape Cod, Mass.

Not Flying This Summer? Many Americans Are Hitting The Road — In RVs

8:03am August 02, 2020

by Melanie Peeples

The summer vacation, an annual rite for so many, is not an easy thing to give up, even during a pandemic.