Environment

Andres Quiroz, an installer for Stellar Solar, carries a solar panel during installation at a home in Encinitas, Calif.

Tech Leaders, Economists Split Over Clean Energy's Prospects

1:17pm November 30, 2013

by Richard Harris

Renewable energy has become a $220 billion a year industry. But to significantly slow climate change, the power of wind, solar and other renewable sources must vastly expand. Some say the tech breakthroughs needed are on the horizon, though a top economist sees a tougher road ahead.

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By Accident, Scientists Discover Lakes Beneath Greenland

5:34am November 28, 2013

by Richard Harris

There are hundreds of lakes beneath the Antarctic ice sheet, but nobody has found lakes under Greenland's ice. That is until now, and they weren't even looking for them.

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The building at 120 East 81st Street is among those converting from an oil- to natural-gas-burning furnace.

How Fracking In Pennsylvania Helps Clear The Air In New York

4:45am November 28, 2013

by Jeff Brady

New York has a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, for natural gas, but the region is still benefiting from the drilling boom next door in Pennsylvania. A new pipeline is bringing gas into New York City, pushing down prices and improving the air quality as buildings convert from oil to gas furnaces.

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Colo. Fracking Votes Put Pressure On Energy Companies

8:45pm November 26, 2013

by Grace Hood

Voters in three Colorado communities passed measures this month limiting the practice of hydraulic fracturing. A close vote in a fourth community means a recount next week. Companies say the measures are creating an uncertain business environment.

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A View From China, India On Carbon Dioxide Emissions

1:28pm November 26, 2013

In the coming decades, carbon dioxide emissions from China, India and other rapidly developing countries are expected to grow rapidly. China and India have said they won't commit to controlling their carbon dioxide emissions. So how are international concerns about climate change viewed in China and India?

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The EPA tries to keep track of all sorts of methane producers — including herds of methane-belching cattle.

U.S. May Be Producing 50 Percent More Methane Than EPA Thinks

7:59pm November 25, 2013

by Christopher Joyce

Previous estimates of the climate-warming gas were based on the rough number of methane-emitting sources on the ground — such as factories, refineries, stoves, swamps, landfills and cattle herds. But by directly measuring levels of methane in the air instead, a new study puts the total much higher.

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At Climate Meeting, Tensions Rise Between Rich And Poor Nations

6:57pm November 20, 2013

At the United Nations climate talks in Warsaw, Poland, conflict between rich and poor nations is mounting. The developing world wants large sums of money to help them adapt to climate change. The U.S. and Europe say they're doing what they can to help but times are tough.

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Is Running Your Car On Rubbish The Future Of Fuels?

8:07pm November 15, 2013

by Elizabeth Shogren

The EPA proposed a new standard on Friday for how much biofuel must be mixed into the nation's gasoline. The portion of vehicle fuel that comes from plants has increased dramatically over recent years to about 10 percent. But most of it comes from corn. Congress hoped that, by now, a billion gallons would be coming from advanced biofuels, which have much smaller greenhouse gas footprints. That hasn't happened. But the nascent cellulosic fuel industry says don't count it out. Several plants are on the verge of opening and more will be on the way.

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Farm Bill Cuts Might Cut Conservation, Too

7:29pm November 14, 2013

by Frank Morris

Farm programs will likely cost the government less under any new farm bill, but the policy could be bad for the environment. Both House and Senate versions would end a big subsidy, called direct payments, that has paid money to land owners — whether they needed it or not — if they complied with certain conservation regulations. The two chambers' versions of the bill differ on how, or even if, to incent farmers to take care of their land. But both versions would stop funding to keep at least five million acres of land out of production.

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What's The Most Important Thing Food Labels Should Tell Us?

7:29pm November 14, 2013

by Dan Charles

Food labels have become battlegrounds. Government regulators, companies and food movement activists have been fighting over what belongs on the label. (GMOs? Trans fats? Claims that bran prevents heart disease?) We asked four big thinkers for their dream food label.

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